Re: Thank you

From: rowdyladyrose@aol.com
Mon Feb 11 12:54:02 2002


Karla,

I am so happy for your brother. I will hope and wish and pray real hard that you can attend.

Good news is the best medicine...next to laughter. I keep you in my daily thoughts and hope you get through this latest bout OK.

Love and gentle hugs, Rose

At Sun, 10 Feb 2002, Karla wrote: >
>I would like to thank all of you for your wonderful prayers and get well wishes. I did go to the ER last night, unfortunately I don't feel that I achieved what needed to be achieved.
>
>I went in having had on and off vomiting for 10 days. When I say on and off I mean that I will get sick for a couple of days then have a day free from it all and then its back again. I had gone to see my doctor last Monday and he was very concerned because my urine output had dropped drastically. He wanted to put me in the hospital but because there were so many cases of pneumonia and flu in there he felt that it would be best if I stayed at home so we could avoid my being exposed to all of that. He asked me to return on Friday. Well, he had given me a pill for the vomiting and it worked. Tuesday I did not vomit nor did I on Wednesday. On Thursday it began again. Friday morning was okay. I went to see him Friday early afternoon. We had a nice talk. He explained a lot of things to me that I had not known from when my kidneys shutdown in April and he offered any assistance in writing our book, etc. As for how I was feeling he didn't want to put me through a lot of tests....t
>hat part I don't agree with. My body has a habit of having these nasty infections going without my having elevated blood counts. But anyway, he just said that we would watch things. So I left his office, went home and proceeded to start puking again. Then the diahrea (I hate that word cuz I can never spell it right). By Saturday afternoon I knew that I had to do something. I took a hot bath to relax and then the chills began. I sent Jo a quick message and to the ER I went.
>
>The doctor that was working the ER when I got there was wonderful. He knows me from all of our dealings. He told me right away that I was going to be admitted. He got angry with the nurses when they didn't do things immediately with me. When I arrived my blood pressure was 248/148. He ordered blood tests to include cultures (YES! This is what I wanted them to do, because this is where they will find any infections that have worked into my blood) and an IV. He told me that I was severely dehydrated. That is one of those things that I really have to watch out for with my urostomy. I become dehydrated quicker than most people. Anyway, they worked for over two hours to try and take my blood and get an iv line in. Throughout this ordeal I shook. I don't know if it was a combination of the chills and adrenalin or what. I am not afraid of needles, in fact the nurses are always talking about how I let them poke me over and over without even a flinch. But, for whatever reason, la
>st night I shook. So, in the mean time they placed a nitrace(?) patch on my chest to try and bring the bp down which it did. It was down to around 180/118. When they were finally able to get a line established and give me labetalol via IV it dropped to as low as 150/108. It never got any lower. But, it did begin to climb. I laid on that cart in so much pain. Perhaps that was my fault because I told them when I arrived that my pain was not bad...because the other symptoms far outweighed any pain. Lying on that cart though my hips began to throb. This is always a symptom that I develop when I have kidney infections. I asked for pain medications they never gave me any. At about 8pm the doctors had changed for the night. I had now been placed with a doctor who has no clue what I am going thru and didn't much appear to care. Because of my out of control blood pressure I was placed in the trauma area of the ER. I had three or four different patients come and go while I was the
>re. The last one was a winner. He sat and whined about his back pain but when the nurses and doctors left the room he was loud, obnoxious and joking the whole time. This only made matters worse for me. After lying there for so long I only wanted to go home...or be admitted. Whatever it was just get me out of there. Well, my blood pressure went back up again....it was 240/138 when I was discharged. I can't believe they actually discharged me. Having worked in a clinic setting before I know that they are not supposed to send you home with a blood pressure so high. If something were to happen to me they could have been sued.
>
>Today I feel a little better. I am supposed to call my doctor tomorrow. After the conversation he and I had on Friday I am beginning to think that he believes that this is the end. He asked me if I was comfortable with my pain meds. In the past he has always voiced concern about addiction. I don't know.
>
>I don't know if I have mentioned it to many of you, but until I turned 40 the Jaycees were a big part of my life. I held a number of positions including being a state vice president twice. I did know that I would never advance any farther, but I could see great potential in my baby brother. I had wonderful dreams for him. I encouraged him to become an active member and told him of my goal for him to be state president. As he progressed in the organization I realized that he had even more potential than what it takes to be state president. I began to dream of him being national president. About six years ago he was elected as Wisconsin's state president. The following year he became a national vice president. He had high hopes of going on to be national president, but unfortunately politics got nasty and he was not nominated by the "Institute" that serves five or six states. It was a very hurtful time and he vowed that his career in the organization was over. But, somewhere
>, someone knew what they were missing out on. John was elected to serve as an International Vice President and travelled all over the world. The following year he was asked to serve as a Presidential Assistant to the US Jaycee President. In June of this past year he ran for the office of President of the U.S. Junior Chamber (Jaycees). I wouldn't have missed it for the world...I could have been dying and I would have gone, except for one thing. On that day my niece was being married. While this was a one time thing for John, it was also a very special day for Erin and family events had to come first. We received a phone call right after the wedding and during the reception I was able to stand up and give a toast to the bride and groom from the bride's godfather who apologized for missing the event, but had just been elected as the 72nd president of the U.S. Jaycees. My dreams had come true. His inauguration and the ball that follows is being held on March 1st in Tulsa, Oklahom
>a. Nothing will stop me from being there. But, then I remember how sick I got after Brayden died and how my plans to go with my daughter to Florida were changed so dramatically because the doctor would not let me leave the hospital. I feel this all happening again. I fear going to the doctor and being admitted. I see the handwriting on the wall. I will not miss this event. While it is my brother who has made all of these accomplishments I feel like it is my footprint on his butt that got him there and I will not be denied. Do you understand?
>
>Love to you all!
>Karla
>
>Somewhere up in the stars.................
>My angel and me!
>
>http://www.geocities.com/karlasfamily2001
>http://www.geocities.com/princessd82000/BraydensHaven

--
kcmo ro(se)
ICQ #131145100
If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it
poorly.

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