Friday, August 24, 2018

A Ride Across Town

I had a follow-up Dr's appointment this morning, all the way across town at University Hospital (where I lived for 5 months).  This was the first of several doctors I'll expect to see for follow-up apts over the coming months.

The apt. was early, so they woke me at 6 to get ready.  They did arrange an early breakfast tray for me, so I did get to eat before I left.  I was taken in a large van from Voyageur Medical Transportation which was very easy to drive the chair on to after the power lift raised me to the right level.  But I was sitting so high I got a very limited view of the road and sidewalk, and I was soon feeling woozy.

This trip was to see a Nephrologist, a kidney doctor.  They want to ensure my kidneys stay healthy so I can avoid going back on dialysis.  The doctor found that all was good in that department, and reinforced what a miracle it was that my kidneys resumed working after 4 months.  They consider 2-3   months the maximum for recovery, and even then it's very rare.  So for me to recover after 4.5 months seemed pretty well unbelievable to the other doctors.  And I want to keep it that way!

We waited an hour for our ride back, which was in a different type of mobility van, a Dodge Caravan.  Even though it was a smaller vehicle, I could see out the windows of this one and felt quite comfortable.  It was a little trickier to manouvre the chair into the front passenger seat, but the view was great.

We got back to Parkwood in time for lunch and then my cousin arrived for a visit.  She stayed all afternoon and the three of us had some great conversation.  Turned out to be a great day!

21 comments:

  1. A very good day indeed. I like to hear about these medical miracles!!

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  2. Sounds like fin day out and about, glad to hear to doc gave you a pass, and a nice visit with your cousin as well.

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  3. Good to hear you back on the blog circuit, FG. Not long before the camera comes out again...?

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  4. I am so proud of you --and your wonderful attitude... We should all keep that kind of attitude when problems confront us..... Glad your kidneys are doing well.. That is AWESOME.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  5. I didn't realize what a medical miracle you are! I am so glad to hear that your kidneys seem to be working just fine, now. Some guardian angel somewhere got busy for you. Who knows? Anyway, I'm glad to hear all is well. :-)

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  6. Kidneys that function well are indeed so much a necessary part of our lives. I had a month or so of infections, each time off to hospital by ambulance, scans, IV antibiotics, so I on a much smaller scale know how much a relief it is when they do what they should. Well done to go over town, and a better ride home, and all done by lunchtime. You "sound " a lot brighter today. XXX from a sunshiney day down here.

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  7. Not good when you can't see out the windows. Your eyes compensate for the movement so you don't get sick.
    Always good to hear that Miracles still happen.
    Glad you enjoyed your visit.
    Be Safe!

    It's about time.

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  8. Miracles do happen. My hubby was not expected to live after his enormous saddle embolism in his lungs. His right lung bottom lobe appeared dark on all images and was diagnosed as pneumonia. Heparin was used to breakup the saddle embolism. The dark lobe was in fact killed (an infarction) and ruptured. He bled into his chest cavity all day long. Scans and xrays were misdiagnosed as the pneumonia spreading. It was the blood filling his chest. At 9:15 PM he had a 'thoracic event' when there was not room for his heart to pump blood nor his lungs to breathe. Doctors, nurses and everyone swarming as chest compression was started. Tubes inserted through the wall of his chest to drain the blood to allow lungs and heart to function. He only had to be in ICU eight days, fight a short battle with near septic kidneys, had a vena cava Greenfield filter installed, about 10 tubes of different meds and monitors going in and out of his body and finally had surgery to remove the ruptured portion of the lung as well as a hematoma the size of a large cantaloupe. That was eleven years ago last April. He is doing well. Sure, things changed. He even had another DVT but the filter caught it before serious damage was done. While riding his bike earlier this year he fell and had to have emergency surgery to remove a hematoma from above his knee. He did note that during that original episode in 2007 he was feeling no pain. He said it was calm and peaceful. He thought at first just to give into the calmness. Then he thought of our son, three grandsons and me and decided he wanted to fight to stay and enjoy us some more. He has done just that. What joy he brings to all who know him. Just as you do. So tell the folks you sure would like to see out the windows cause you have a lot to look for in this new life you have been given. And give Mrs. FG a big hug from us followers for caring so well for a favorite blogger. Peace.

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  9. It all sounds very positive - good news indeed.

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  10. Glad to hear things went well. My mother confounded the doctors' predictions so regularly that I've almost come to expect it! At work we had a small vehicle which we dubbed "the Popemobile" which gave the passenger an excellent all-round view.

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  11. The wheelchair van I drove for 'Town and Country' years ago was a full size Dodge van with windows all around. Wheelchairs and Scooters were loaded from the rear via a hydraulic lift. When in and out of the London hospitals I remember seeing those white Voyageur vans. In the confines of the van I had to be careful with the heavier Scooters because it was easy for folks to toggle their 'driving switch' and run a wheel into my toes. Pretty amazing about your restored Kidney function and you indeed dodged a major inconvenience by not having to go through the dialysis procedure. Many of the wheelchair folks I moved around were dialysis people and that procedure would take 4 or 5 hours out of their day as I recall. Not every day though. That would have been nice for you to get out, go somewhere, and see something different for a change.

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  12. Yay! Road trip! I'm glad the appointment went well and pray your kidneys continue to do what they need to. The trip back sounds much nicer, sitting up high would give you a nice view for sure.

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  13. Hello, I am so happy your test came back with great results. The return trip sounds much nicer. It all turned out as a great outing for you. Enjoy your day and weekend!

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  14. Sounds good! Dialysis is a long tough grind; a friend who was on dialysis for quite some time finally said "Enough" and stopped dialysis with the inevitable results. Glad you enjoyed the ride back, it must have been good to see some other sights.

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  15. I wonder if those two vans are somewhat similar to the Paratranspo vans we see here.

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  16. Must have been great to go for a ride even if it was to a doctors appointment and glad all went well!!
    Happy to hear you had such a nice afternoon visit.
    Please let Mrs FG that I'm praying for her as well. : )

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  17. Wow. What a journey. You are having an adventure. Hooray for Canadian healthcare!

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  18. So pleased you had a good day.
    Continued good wishes to you and Mrs FG.

    All the best Jan

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