BS: Curmudgeon's Medical Woes - Winter 2010

Subject: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 06:32 AM

Tom fell next to the bed in the dark at 5:30-ish this morning. 911 called -- Nottingham PD and EMTs arrived very timely.

He was unconscious for about 10 minutes.

I just gave his med list/medical info to EMTs (damned printer refuses to work this morning -- I wrote it out by hand!); they're still in the driveway but about to take him (I had to talk him into it) to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Emergency in Dover, NH.

Cats have been confined to bathroom.

I am about to get dressed, gather his meds and follow to W-D after I link this thread to Facebook.

This is probably related to his bad reaction to Plavix.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: gnu
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 06:47 AM

Oh my!

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 06:51 AM

Thinking of you - keep us posted!

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 07:08 AM

Oh bugger. Linn, can we arrange to have him wrapped in cotton wool, until his other problems are sorted.
Hope he's OK.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: kendall
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 07:09 AM

Jeez man, what next? Damn the pills! They can be worse than the problem.

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 07:20 AM

Good grief. Poor Tom and poor Linn. Yes please do keep us posted.

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 07:54 AM

love love love LOVE LOVE

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 08:23 AM

Ugh! What a hell of a way to start the morning.

Do contact JudyB via e-mail if there is any way we can help; I will PM her current e-mail address.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: SINSULL
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 08:26 AM

Linn,
GEEZ!
Keep us posted and call if you need help.
Mary

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 08:51 AM

Commiserations to Tom and get well soon - but what a hell of a name for a hill - Curmudgeon Fell. Can you let us know where it is? Sounds the perfect climb for me:-)

Maybe it will cheer Tom up a little as well!

All the best

DeG

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Rapparee
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 09:12 AM

Oh, Lordy. Keep us posted as you can.

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 09:34 AM

best wishes

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 09:34 AM

Dammit... what next?!

Take care all of you... thoughts and wossnames being sent.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 09:39 AM

Prayers!

Breathe....

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: jacqui.c
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 09:39 AM

Hope he's OK Linn. We;re here if we can help in any way.

Love to you both.

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: LilyFestre
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 09:40 AM

(((((((((Love, hugs and prayers to you both))))))))))))))

Hope he's feeling better!!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: MikeL2
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 10:05 AM

Hi linn

Please accept my best wishes to you both in your troubled times.

Regards

MikeL

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 10:07 AM

Love and Blessings now, and to continue, from Erica and Bryn

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: ClaireBear
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 10:47 AM

Holding you in my heart. Too anxious for words. Blessings.

C

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: olddude
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 10:48 AM

Prayers from me

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Nancy King
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 11:28 AM

Yikes! Just what you DON'T need! Hope all turns out OK, and they get his meds straightened out so this doesn't happen again! Feel better soon, Tom, and take care of yourself too, Linn!

Good thoughts coming your way!

Nancy

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: topical tom
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 01:37 PM

Scary news.My thoughts are with you.Hope all turns out okay.

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Jeri
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 02:34 PM

I went to the hospital. They think Tom has pneumonia and they're probably going to admit him (and run some more tests-whoopee). He's hooked up to beeping thing, bonging things, things with flashing lights. What he's NOT always hooked up to is the other end of the beeping/bonging/flashing things, which is why they're beeping/bonging/flashing.

On the plus side, he was starting to curmudge when I left. Had to order a cheeseburger for lunch so he could complain about it.

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: gnu
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 02:44 PM

Well... at least that is SOME good news.... not what was hoped for, but...

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: open mike
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 02:56 PM

beep! bong! pow! hope this gets sorted out soon...

that amount of time being unconscious is a worry..

grump, growl, groan..

hugs to you (((both))) thru this...

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: SINSULL
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 02:59 PM

How is Linn doing Jeri?

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Jeri
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 03:05 PM

Linn's doing OK. She's being a good advocate for him and answering doctors' question in detail.   She was reading to him, and I learned (from her book) what Cornish Game Hens really were. She was going to leave at some point to go home and get more stuff for him. (He has her sweat pants on. He looks rather fetching in purple, but I don't think he's happy.) She's OK, and will likely post an update, but she's as wired as one would expect, and pissed at all the doctors he's seen that didn't notice the pneumonia.

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Jeri
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 03:23 PM

She's estimating the time Tom was unconscious, and adrenaline tends to stretch out time. His mind seems as good as I'd expect from somebody who'd been through what he's been through. The doctor that was there said his heart was OK. He's on antibiotics.

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 03:36 PM

When that happened to me it was partially due to severe anemia which no one had noticed. The physicians' assistants missed pneumonia in me, twice. It sounds as though he is in good hands now and will be okay once the treatment kicks in.

Please pass on my love and concern if you speak to her, again, Jeri and thanks for keeping us updated.

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Bill D
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 03:42 PM

I'm glad I looked into this thread AFTER "he started to curmudge"...

Just keep on keeping on!

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 03:50 PM

Jeri-

Thanks so much for the update.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Janie
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 04:29 PM

Whoo boy....enough is enough, already! Hugs.

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 04:31 PM

Good to now he has the stuff required for curmudging. Strength to Linn, health to Tom. Raspberries to the clinicians who missed the pneumonia.

Time to start the funny stuff to get him in the healing frame of mind.

http://flamingcurmudgeon.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/fart-atomic-bomb.jpg

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Mrrzy
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 04:35 PM

Oh, good, the machine that goes Ping! - now we know he'll be OK!

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 04:42 PM

Maybe the purple pants will inspire him to get well sooner, just so he can go home and get his own clothes.

Take care of both of you Linn. I have a little book of essays that I've taken with me the last couple of times I had to spend time with folks in the hospital. The stories are short enough to get through and not put the listener to sleep, and they're smart and funny. It's Bailey White's Mama Makes Up Her Mind - I think you probably will remember her name from some of her commentary on All Things Considered during the 1990s. I suspect you'll all be home before I could send a copy, but if someone will check out a used book store in the area, you can probably find it. Or if you'd like a copy for later, I'll send one along (tons of them are for sale at Amazon, etc.) Just PM an address.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 04:53 PM

I'm home (been home long enough to call my boss, fill him in and eat a well-deserved slice of spinach & feta calzone -- I'M STARVING!!!). Left the hospital at 3:30, it was still lightly snowing & slightly slippery but not bad and I stopped at Pizza Spinners for sustenance (now sitting next to me as I type).

Yeah, what Jeri said. He's probably got some pneumonia and possibly a mild secondary infection of some sort. I met his vascular doc and Tuesday's carotid angiogram is still on, and nothing should be interfering with his vocal cord surgery on Jan. 26th. (Vascular guy sending letter okaying surgery to Dr. Z.)

He finally got into Room 348 at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover at 2:30. The noise level (machines that go "ping", loud dongs, monitors that screech -- an incredible cacaphony that is ignored by the professionals but was driving both of us nutzoid -- Tom more than me because I was trying to tune it all out and read. (I left him the book.) His phone number is 603-609-6348.

They're concerned about his atrial fibrillation and, since his defibrillator needs new batteries (scheduled for Feb. -- he had it read yesterday) they're not trusting it and have him attached to an external defib.

There's a possibility, too, that he wasn't even awake when he was sitting on the bed talking to me and got up to get a drink of water -- he took one step and was flat on his back, eyes closed, more asleep than knocked out, snoring quietly. He doesn't remember a thing about it.

I really need to bring in some firewood and get the woodstove going (after having been out most of the day) while there's still a little light in the sky.

Then I've got more phone calls, FB to update, etcet etcet, but I'll check back in as soon as I can -- with luck, I'll have a glass of wine in my hand and can start to relax.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 05:20 PM

Well, greetings from the Press Room, where you're both sorely missed! Glad 2 know Tom's wired & monitored! Will tell others, check later. //Marty

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: gnu
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 05:21 PM

Thoughts and prayers.

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: My guru always said
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 05:40 PM

Just caught this, bug*er!!! What a rough day for you both, sending positive thoughts and hopes that there are only improvements and successess in store from now on.
Love & Hugs
Hil x

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 05:44 PM

Okay, brought firewood in, got stove started -- even have a piece of the calzone left.

Just talked to Bob Frost at The Press Room session and reported in.

Gotta bring in more wood, but not til my feet warm up -- "shovelled" the inch or so of snow off deck & steps, too. Sabine (mature lady cat) is demanding attention.

I don't know what else I can add to what I posted when I got home a bit ago -- I'll call Tom later. He's in the capable hands of a nurse named Betty.

He's FEELING fine -- curmudging about the alerts in the ER, had a cheeseburger ("not bad") for lunch (fat free mayo, prolly fat free cheese) but wouldn't eat the chicken noodle soup (low sodium) and tapioca pudding -- so I did. I think he's mostly BORED. Mostly what we did today was wait...and wait...and wait...

Yes, I am concerned that he's been seen multiple times in the past two months by at least 4 doctors (primary care, cardiologist, vascular guy, plus The Voice Center) and has had a hideous wet cough (complicated by the gap in his vocal cords) for at least a month and a half and no one has seemed concerned about it -- now they think it's pneumonia. And they've kept putting off his defib battery (it's close to 6 years old -- doctors at Mass General expressed doubt about it in October). It's as if each specialist can only see his specialty -- and even his primary care guy doesn't seem to be looking at the whole thing or understand how malaise in one area affects the problems in others. Oh, now, too, they're saying he's got COPD -- and they haven't NOTICED for the past coupla years?!? I know he's been asking about seeing a pulmonary guy since his biopsy on Sept. 4th.

Arghh -- gonna go expend some frustration on bringing in wood.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: gnu
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 06:38 PM

Oh dear. I have no words. Hang in there.

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: ranger1
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 06:46 PM

Hugs to you both. Call me if there's anything I can do for you.

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 06:52 PM

Linn-

Glad to hear that you've made it home and that Tom seems to be under the watchful eye of medical professionals.

What a hell of a way to start a day!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 07:50 PM

Just brought in the last two loads of firewood -- house warming up nicely. Think I've talked to everyone I needed to talk to. Cats are being possessive (nice).

I'M EXHAUSTED!!!

Gonna pour myself a glass of wine and sit in bed and read. I think I just need to get away from the computer, too, until tomorrow morning.

Thanks for everyone's good wishes!

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: SINSULL
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 08:17 PM

One crisis at a time, Linn. Sounds like wine is the next one. Take care of it. Maybe have a second and sleep.
Mary

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 08:27 PM

Had a small glass of pinot grigio -- unsatisfying. Ate some bread pudding I made Wednesday (craisins, 5-grain bread, real buttermilk -- I'm really becoming a fan of REAL buttermilk by Kate's Homemade Butter from MAINE).

Very very sleepy.

Gotta get away from the computer...

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Genie
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 09:09 PM

Wow, Linn, what a scary and draining day! So glad to hear Tom is up to curmudging again. Sound like your medical helpers need a good curmudgin' to!   (I know what you mean about the specialist seeming to see only whatever part of your body they are experts on.) Glad you have the cats to help you relax (at least I hope that's what they're doing). Hope they get the batteries taken care of soon and get the ol' Curmudgeon back to full strength curmudging ASAP.

My best thoughts, prayers, visualizations & vocalizations coming your way, with a helping of bad jokes (to remind you folks of Mudcat).

Genie

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 09:12 PM

Well geez.............Sometimes I just hate to log on.........

I don't know about the vocal cord cancer thankfully, but its hard not to feel an "unfortunate" kinship with Tom. Serious heart and other cardiovascular problems with artificial valve replacement and ICD......Obvious, but little mentioned, COPD/emphysema problems.......yeah.............and Docs who at times are either blaming each other or having an inability to work together.............

I think I've got that last one back on track but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

Glad they at least found the pneumonia even at this late date. Funny stuff though.....doesn't always present in the same way to everyone.   Seems they still got there early enough to where they can clear it prior to surgery..........LOL...I had reached the O2 deprivation point where I had no idea of what day, month, or even YEAR, it was and the only President I could recall was Nixon ferchrissakes.........

Right now the worst I got is a head cold (which I'm watching carefully) so I have plenty of extra good thoughts for both of you! You've both been through the wringer.......which is also called a "mangle" if I recall correstly.....seems more fitting........

Hang in...........Love you both.


Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: kendall
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 09:13 PM

Get a four year old to read to him. That will put him on his feet!

Subject: RE: BS: Curmudgeon Fell -- On Way to Hospital
From: Tinker
Date: 09 Jan 10 - 12:47 AM

Dang .....missed this when I waltzed through here yesterday. Thoguht of you when Bubba (now Blind Bubba) bumbed into the car yesterday and simply acted like it was a normal way to ask for a ride..... made me think of him wanting to head to Maine with y'all.

Keep warm and keep keeping on the Doctors to keep it all together....