A little more on my January ninth hospitalization for three weeks

A few things to expand on from my last post.

I will be in isolation, but here’s the set-up for the room: a desk, a built-in computer with internet access, a plasma TV and a DVD (not to mention, the bed and some chairs, cabinets, etc).

This all according to Dr. K. He told me after I asked if they’d finished moving the transplant service from the eleventh to the eighth floor. Yes they had, and those are the amenities.

Pretty amazing. I’ve never heard of any hospital with that kind of a set-up, even for private room patients (mine is not a private room – I will be the only occupant, but it is an isolation room).

I am not happy with the idea of needing morphine for several days in the middle of the three weeks. I am a minimalist when it comes to medicine and don’t want to have to use the most addictive legal painkiller available. Hard to believe that mouth sores and a sore throat can cause that much discomfort. However the transplant service assures me that most people do need morphine, so we’ll see. I’ll certainly use it if needed.

I’m happy I got the OK to bring the dumbbells in for the three weeks – Dr. K said I could use them if I felt up to it. But now I have to come up with a dumbbell regimen that takes into account my always having IV’s running into my port (below my left clavicle), as well as sometimes into a catheter that will be installed (probably near my right clavicle). And at times both will be running. I will have to do exercises where there’s zero chance of me pulling out the tubing for the IV’s. If I damage the port or catheter, well that would be a "dumbbell" move all right!

I asked Tim Thursday as he went to bed how he felt about my going into the hospital for three weeks. This was two days after we’d told Joe and Tim the news (see the post below. Tom Faranda’s Folly: Telling the boys about my upcoming hospitalization). Tim said "I’m sorry I wont be able to use my paintball gun for three weeks. And uuhhh, I’m sorry I wont see you." Both Joe and Tim have been a little more clingy to me then usual, with Joe wanting to have a wrestling duel with me last evening. He doesn’t do that too much anymore (being a sophisticated twelve year old!) so I take that as a clinginess symptom. And Joe, on vacation this week, hasn’t tried to arrange any play dates -he’s just hung around and either read or watched TV. However Tim – the socialite – has been out constantly, as is his custom.

I think things will go fine for the boys, though. They will be in school the whole three weeks, and we’ll talk every day, so things will be cool.

I’ll have to think of some incentive to get them to really perform well in school for those weeks – suggestions and ideas for an incentive reward program are welcome!

Just asked Joe "how do you feel about my being away for three weeks?" He said "Paaarrty! Sounds like a giant party to me. Vacation."

Well, that’s a healthy response, but I better come up with a REALLY good incentive to get them to perform at school!