Hi, dears, your lizard overlady here.
My poor hostess. You frail humans, it's amazing you survive anything.
My hostess had mild diarrhea yesterday am. No stomach cramps, not connected with her grief drinking two days before. She did feel a little off. Not hungry, but she has been not hungry a lot with the pneumonia and the accompanying neuropsychiatric difficulties. Which were resolved, by the way, about three weeks ago. Gone like smoke. The antibodies go up for 6-8 weeks and then back down for 6-8 weeks. Back to our normal.
Anyhow, the day went on. She did a long beach walk on oxygen and on the return went up the bluffs and through Fort Worden. We got a little short of breath climbing up the bluff path. She slowed down, though it annoyed her.
Back to the car and stopped at a garage sale. Done by a bunch of guys, to raise money for Toys for Tots at Christmas/Kwanza/Winter Break/Holiday of Your Choice. She bought some stuff and gave them a check. They help her carry her stuff to her car. One of them comes and shyly thanks her for doctoring him 8-9 years ago. She does know his face a little, but she has been here 21 years. There are a lot of faces. He is doing way better and says that he was rude back then. She doesn't really remember, doesn't care, is glad he is better. He is better and proud of it.
She goes home and takes the stuff out of the car. She thinks about making the guys at the sale some vegetables, since they are there eating donuts and other evil carbs (Ok, they gave her a donut and she ate it) but we just don't feel that good. We lie down for a while. Get up, listen to some music, clean up. Her belly is hurting, so defer the lifting of heavy objects. She blames the Mean Guy Who Just Dumped Her (MGWJDH) and thinks maybe she pushed it on the beach hike.
She emails the MGWJDH, asking if she should pick up her amplifier or would he drop it off or what? We will just write it off if he doesn't answer. He has been squirrelly as hell and blowing hot and cold. The amp may be part of that.
We eat a little yohgurt and blueberries at four. Then a little instant rice and curry. Nothing suits.
We go to bed at five. Someone knocks loudly, she left two things at the garage sale and a guy brings them. The amp is on the porch. She checks the email and there is an ok email from the MGWJDH, as if nothing at all happened and he didn't say he felt harassed. She answers with as few words as possible. His family thing is happening this week. Whatever, she figures that it it.
Back to bed. Our belly is hurting worse. She thinks about appendicitis and worries a little. At first it just hurts to change position. It gradually escalates until we are hurting even when we lie still. At 8 pm, we get up. Now it is horrible, about 8/10. We nearly faint going down the stairs. Hospital is four blocks, seems like a bad idea to drive. Especially a standard. We text the neighbor who promptly drives us.
ER and really really painful. Takes a while, they have some small child who is UNHAPPY TO THE POINT OF HOARSE SCREAMING about whatever they are doing. We are on a monitor, no fever, blood pressure 120/65, pulse 70, oxygen 100% on two liters. Tech takes a history. Nurse wanders in and brings a warm blanket. They switch to their oxygen. We explain that with the last three pneumonias, no elevated white blood count, no fever. IV is placed. Blood drawn. It's about an hour or so before the doc comes in. He pokes our belly which doesn't quite send us up to hang on the ceiling lights. Labs are back and look really normal. IV demerol is given. We are wheeled to CT scan. It is terribly painful to get off the gurney and on to the scanner. IV contrast. Off the scanner and back on the gurney OWWWWWWW. That takes another 30-45 minutes to result. The nurse comes and says the doctor has ordered antibiotics. Well, that means it is not massive cancer like her mother had when they tried to take her appendix out in 1997. Before they had a CT scan. So either appendicitis or possibly diverticulitis.
It's diverticulitis and we will go home. We are pleased not to have surgery, though annoyed to have diverticulitis. So antibiotics for a week with a week refill. Metronidazole, which means no alcohol at all, because it can act like antabuse. Also some ceftin or other 2nd generation antibiotic. We had two doses of the demerol. The first made the ceiling wiggle back and forth, but the first time was with zofran for nausea, so it might have been the zofran. We sleep off and on, trying not to move, because any movement hurts like hell. Improves after the second demerol and the antibiotics.
Her neighbor gets her at around 1 am. Five hour ER visit, but she slept some.
NO FOOD FOR THREE DAYS. Only clear liquids. My hostess is already thin, now we will be a wraith.
Thank goodness for tea.