Acute Care Clinic

 Can I just say that the MD Anderson Acute Care Clinic is top notch!

My final rodeo shift did not go as planned. I went and gave it my all, but left early. I had been in pain for a few days. However, when I got home and took my temperature, I knew something was up. According to my paperwork, 100.4 is an ER visit. I was 100.3. I called the number I was given. They told my my temp was borderline, but given my pain, I needed to be seen. So...back in the car around midnight to head all the way back to the same area I had just come from. Marc did not want to go. He wanted to send Hannah with me, but I objected. If I am given bad news, I want to filter it before presenting it to my kids. He reluctantly got in the car to go with me. 

I dropped myself off at the entrance and sent him to park. They took my vitals, gave me an ekg (my heart rate had been at about 100 all day and was 118 at check in), and then took me to my room. They took all my blood and set me up with fluids and tylenol. They were tablets. I don't think I have had a tablet since the invention of gelcaps. I 100% do not recommend tablets. I forgot that nasty taste as it dissolved while you are trying to choke them down. Doctor came in and felt around. He ordered a CT. I admit, I didn't want one. I am afraid of what bad news they hold. 


As I was struggling to get this concoction down...I swear, it tastes like toilet water, or what I assume toilet water would taste like, since that is not my drink of choice...the nurse came back to give me some antibiotics. First diagnosis was a UTI. In all honesty, this is what I was hoping for. Monday morning, I felt like I could have one, but then all of the symptoms went away. If you knew me way back when, I ended up in the hospital for a week in 2018. I had ZERO symptoms of a UTI. I ended up with hallucinations and a crazy high fever and a diagnosis of a a pretty serious infection. 

CT was done and then the wait was on. Sometime around 5am...almost 24 hours since I had gotten up to go to work, the doctor came in. My diagnosis was a UTI. That would explain the fever and some of my pain. It was explained to me that it hurts as cancer cells die. My CT scan was "stable." My localized horrible pain is in one of the areas that has a tumor deposit, which I already knew. That area is "stable" so my pain is just what it is. 

I was sent home with a super strong antibiotic. This should not interfere with Monday's scheduled chemo. Unfortunately, my gut is not liking this med. What should be a few days of feeling closer to whatever the new normal is, will not be. I will likely cave and take some nausea meds. 

So, praise that this can be taken care of quickly. Praise for stable scans. Prayer for side effects and upcoming chemo...and sleep. This med is making it hard and I am tired. Also prayer request for Caleb. While on our way home he called and needed to know which urgent care to go to. His "boss" at the police academy told him to go get fluids because tomorrow they have a physical test and Caleb had a high temp. Caleb's diagnosis...the flu. Hannah picked up his Tamiflu, but can't get it to him until around 9:30 tonight. I think he is supposed to go in tomorrow for that test. He NEEDS to stay in the Academy and not have to wait 2 more months to start over. Please pray the Tamiflu causes a miraculous recovery over night.

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