~The THIRD Ride To Hell~

I woke early, got up, bathed and dressed, started my day, my left
leg started aching. As the day wore on the ache started to turn to
hurt, then pain. By 6 pm, I was sobbing and in tears the pain was
so bad. My foot was white, and ice cold as was my leg. The nurse
called the ambulance and I was rushed up to the ER in the hospital
I had been to before when they took my right leg. The ride seemed
to take forever, the young man in the ambulance with me was a
really nice guy and I remember how he tried to chitchat along the
way as I laid there in agony him assuring me they would fix what
ever the problem was, yet I could see in his face he was worried.
I kept telling him " I know what is happening I am on my way to
have my leg cut off. " He tried to assure me that I would be well
taken care of and not to worry, I assured him I KNEW that - I had
been on this ride twice before...This was my THIRD Ride to Hell.

While I laid on the cart as they went thru the usual ER routine, I
told them to be VERY sure they drew the blood at the same time
they tried to get a IV started as they would not get a 2nd chance
that the conditions of my veins didnt allow that, and If they were
smart they would put in a pickline (IV line straight to an artery)
and then I would not have to worry, in case this turned into an
extended visit and someone would tamper with my IV and I
would have to endure being poked a dozen times to find a new site
like what has happened in the past. I sometimes am amazed that
the nurses and sometimes even the doctors look at me with thoughts
you can see of "how could YOU possibly KNOW what is best for you,
WE are the professionals" yet the patient always seems to KNOW
what is best for them and usually RIGHT.

I had 3 Vascular Surgeons that were my doctors. I wont give their
names, but I will say I would NEVER go back to them. They had NO
bedside manner at all and they offered NO information and one was
so cold I almost hated him, one, when I went for a check up, I was
sitting in the exam room, this man walked in, looks at my stump and
says "looks pretty good" I looked at him and said "who the HELL are
YOU?" He informed me HE was my Dr.!!! I told him, "No, I dont
think so, I have never seen you before" the reply was "yes, I am the
3rd physican you have, and your stump looks fine, you can go" I
asked about the little hole in the end on the right side of the scar
that was a bit festery. He assured me it would be fine, and I left..
On the ride back I kept thinking "hmm a 3rd doctor, and I didn't
even KNOW it, WHAT is wrong with THIS picture"....

The 3rd amputation took place in November, a few days before
Thanksgiving, as I spent it in hospital. The dates I dont remember,
but was 9 months after my 2nd amputation, 2001. A few months
before I had started to look for an apartment and put in many
applications around town with the help of a lovely lady from a
Disability Resource Center, without Mona's help I would NEVER
have escaped the hellhome.

Within a few weeks of the amputation that little hole I had shown
to the doctor had advanced to the size of a penny, then gradually
by january was a wide gaping opening at the right end of the
incision, of course they said was NOT caused by those horrible
staples they insist are so WONDERFUL and that I will NEVER
allow to be put back into me. This was my 3rd, or 4th fight and by
FAR the worst of infection, that lasted almost a year.

In January 2 months or so,, the 11th to be exact, 2002, will be 4
years soon, I got this apartment, when I found out I could get
out of the hellhome they told me I could NOT leave, the infection
was too severe. Someone, I dont even remember who it was, said
with a nurse visiting I could leave and move into my new apartment
well...do you think I stayed? lolol ya right,, I wouldnt have cared
if I had to CRAWL out of there I WAS LEAVIN...and I did...and I
am STILL in this apartment, the following year, like I said before
I spent crying, in horriffic pain and staring out the window, I thanked
my Dad every day for the binoculars that I had of his, I loved to see
all the life outside in that field, that sadly is now gone. Time marches
on...

Ahhh the saga continues lol, and is still continuing...daily. But then
as long as this ticker keeps tickin', the hands on this clock of mine
keep movin round and round so to speak, just like the wheels on
this chair. I watched my show last nite, WHAT a bummer was last
of the season..I hope they have reruns I missed a few of them..
Prison Break is a good show I enjoy it, same with Medium and
Lost.. My favorites tho are Animal planet and QVC, and HSN..
my clicker just auto clicks on them lol, that red leather skirt and
jacket are STUCK in my head lolol.. I WOULD Look GOOD in that.
:-D Be great to wear at Christmas....lol. QVC has great stuff.....

Im off to TV land, the boys are over there waiting as usual..they
sure are sticking close.. Dutch almost hovers lately, I cant make
a move, he even has started to ride with me.. he balances on the
handle bars while I roll around.. Strange animal I dont think he
knows hes a Cat.. which is ok by me...LB? he just struts his stuff
around, looking like Mr. KoolKat..lol...

Y'all have a good one now y'hear? luv ya...and thanks for reading.
Always, Lois ***