This is one short story that could be part of an entire book of the medical experiences I've endured the past 21 months. I can live with pain, healing, challenges, sacrifices, and other setbacks in life. But I'm getting fed up with medical equipment that doesn't do what it's supposed to do, or a lack of medical equipment to address the needs of certain medical conditions. Case and point:
I'm writing about last night's incident, not because it has any significant impact on my overall medical treatment, but because it's yet one more surreal moment that occurred, where one has to ask, "Is this really happening to me?"
I drove myself into Mercy Medical Center at 3:00a.m. Saturday, because my nephrostomy tube had fallen out of my back! Yes, one of the two tubes connecting my internal kidney to an external drainage pouch, FELL OUT! Does anyone have any idea of what it feels like to know that something critical for your body's performance is suddenly dangling along your leg..??...
With the straw-thin tube in one hand, I drove to the Emergency room in Roseburg. THIS time, I came prepared. I brought my cell phone charger with me! It had only been three weeks ago that I had visited the Mercy E.R., where they had diagnosed a pelvic tumor, and whisked me away by ambulance to Riverbend hospital in Springfield. I spent three days at Riverbend, without my cell phone charger, while they installed the nephrostomy tubes. (The tumor was blocking the tubes connecting my kidneys to my bladder, so the nephrostomy tubes provided a temporary bypass around the blockage.)
Well, THIS TIME, I brought my cell phone charger with me to Mercy, "knowing" that they would immediately transport me to Riverbend (again) so that the disconnected nephrostomy tube could be replaced.
Silly me, I forgot that a person can function with only one kidney. The Mercy E.R. doctor told me that the hole in my back had already closed off in the hour and a half since the tube had come out. Long story short, I was able to return home for the weekend. BUT, I will need to call Eugene Monday morning, anticipating they will want to schedule an appointment right away for me to have the tube put back in. I'm hoping that it can be a one-day visit.
So WHY did the tube fall out to begin with? That remains under investigation.
I'm writing about last night's incident, not because it has any significant impact on my overall medical treatment, but because it's yet one more surreal moment that occurred, where one has to ask, "Is this really happening to me?"
I drove myself into Mercy Medical Center at 3:00a.m. Saturday, because my nephrostomy tube had fallen out of my back! Yes, one of the two tubes connecting my internal kidney to an external drainage pouch, FELL OUT! Does anyone have any idea of what it feels like to know that something critical for your body's performance is suddenly dangling along your leg..??...
With the straw-thin tube in one hand, I drove to the Emergency room in Roseburg. THIS time, I came prepared. I brought my cell phone charger with me! It had only been three weeks ago that I had visited the Mercy E.R., where they had diagnosed a pelvic tumor, and whisked me away by ambulance to Riverbend hospital in Springfield. I spent three days at Riverbend, without my cell phone charger, while they installed the nephrostomy tubes. (The tumor was blocking the tubes connecting my kidneys to my bladder, so the nephrostomy tubes provided a temporary bypass around the blockage.)
Well, THIS TIME, I brought my cell phone charger with me to Mercy, "knowing" that they would immediately transport me to Riverbend (again) so that the disconnected nephrostomy tube could be replaced.
Silly me, I forgot that a person can function with only one kidney. The Mercy E.R. doctor told me that the hole in my back had already closed off in the hour and a half since the tube had come out. Long story short, I was able to return home for the weekend. BUT, I will need to call Eugene Monday morning, anticipating they will want to schedule an appointment right away for me to have the tube put back in. I'm hoping that it can be a one-day visit.
So WHY did the tube fall out to begin with? That remains under investigation.
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