AND the catheter is my friend...

So, quite an adventerous month. First of all, two weeks ago, I FAINTED on the subway in Manhattan heading to work. Fortunately, I felt it coming on and started moaning. Some nice people helped me to sit down (I don't remember any of this), and when I came to - about 10 seconds later - I had missed the 14th Street exit. Everyone was staring at me and asking me if I was OK. A nice lady and man accompanied me up the stairs to hand me over to some firemen at 42nd Street. It was then that I realized that noboldy had stolen my purse! Miracle in Manhattan! So, they gave me an oxygen mask and that helped. I was getting dizzy again, just sitting down. Eventually, the ambulance arrived and took me to the infamous Bellevue Hospital. Grrr... I wish they would have taken me to Brookly, where at least the people know me (I had passed out the weekend before and Peter had to take me to Brooklyn at midnight). So, I spent the next 16 hours getting infused with two units of blood and an unnecessary gynecological exam. I yelled at the ladies in the middle of the exam, "Excuse me, why are we doing this? Its so unnecessary! I have a surgeon who's seeing me tomorrow morning and he's doing surgery on me next week!" They, startled, told me that I should have refused the ultrasound downstairs. DUH. Why didn't I think of that? I guess I just trusted them... grrr... So, they admitted me to the hospital, where I spent long, wasted hours, watching the blood drop into my body and feeling more energy with every drop. Thanks to everyone who gives blood! I have a new appreciation. :)

My sugery (uterine fibroid) was moved up to last Wednesday, Oct. 28, in light of the fainting and all...

Dr. Bradley Trivax reports that the fibroid was HUGE (5 cm) and they got almost all of it out. Yikes, not sure I can endure anaesthesia again... [please everyone pray that they won't have to go back in]... anyway, apparently, in the surgery process, they perforated the uterus and "nicked" my bladder!? So, a general surgeon had to go in laproscopicly (the spelling is surely wrong) and suture my organs up. AARGH!? A one hour surgery dragged on to 3.5. Peter reports that the surgeon came out twice to explain and to reassure Peter, but he seemed stressed. They put in a catheter so that my bladder could rest. At first I was horrified, but now I have to say that the catheter is my friend!!! With my tummy being so sore, it would have been painful to get up and relieve myself very often. They were pumping me with liquids to get that anaesthesia out of my system. I spent Wed. night and all of Thursday in the hospital. So, apparently, a catheter should be in at least a week after such happenings... now its getting old. Not so much my friend anymore.... I'm pretty sure Dr. Trivax will be taking it out Friday morning, but I have to say, after five days of laying flat in bed, I was grateful to have it!

*Postnote: Peter was an absolute angel and nurse to me! Fortuitously for me, he was on vacation and could attend to my every beck and call. My blood count is low again, but I'm on iron pills and feeling much better. Today I took a walk outside! I am so humbled and grateful to be alive! Modern medicine is miraculous. A lady like me in the Middle Ages or even a hundred years ago would just have kept bleeding and have died...