At Mothers Day Dunch (Dinner/Lunch) and over the past few weeks I have spoken with my mom, my wife and even my brothers pertaining to how long it’s been since anyone was in the hospitaln or even just been really sick. For the past several years it has been normal for my mom to be sick on most major holidays and usually she came down with or was admitted for only days prior to our event. This past year her appointments have been great with the doctors extending her follow up appointment from 3 months to 6 months or more. Great Job Mom, keep up the good work. Until this past week!!
This all started about 20 months ago, I started getting vericous veins almost over night and one such vein is located on the inner ankle of my left foot somehow I nicked the skin which opened the blood vessel causing blood to come flowing out in about a 12″ stream. When I went in to see the doctor about it he decided to us a magnesium stick to cauterize the site, this lasted about seven months when the scab came off and the stream of blood was back. The only thing I could do to get it to stop was to apply pressure for 20-30 minutes until it stopped and I could get a bandage over it. I was seen by the doctor again and he performed the same steps, cartelized it. He also sent me to see Dematology to see if it was in fact a skin condition.
I meet with the dermatologist and out of his first ten words “This is a vein issue not a skin issue,” the other one was were “Hello.” He did confirm it was infected and put me on a mega antibiotic, thank you that’s what we’ve been saying. After taking the medicine for the full ten day the wound site did not change. Until about seven months later when the scab came off and the cycle repeated itself. This time I went in demanding to see a “Vein Surgeon,” since the issue was with my blood “vein.” See how that works, I mean you wouldn’t call a space scientist at NASA to order a cheeseburger, FRYS and a large orange drink, right?
This I found out is a process in it self, when I was called to set up an appointment it was pointed out that I first have to go through a 30-45 minute class, meet with one of the six surgeons on staff then and only then can she put me on the surgery schedule. The first class was five weeks away and all I could was wait. Class came quickly considering we’re house hunting and house selling which kept us very busy. I made sure to arrive early as always and it was a good thing I did. There were 21 people in the class and how it’s run is you first spend 30-45 minutes watching a short film the listening to one of the surgeons give a presentation, after which they proceed in the order you arrived (me #1) and after the class you spend 15 minutes meeting with another one of the on staff surgeons. When I walked in the dialog went like this:
- DOC: Please remove the bandage. When he looked down he came back to eye contact and ask
- DOC: How long has this been going on.
- ME: I explained the situation “breifly”
- DOC: And when was the last time you were seen by us?”
- ME: Never!!
- DOC: Why not? This should have been taken care of a lot sooner. I will contact the scheduler and we’ll get you on the calander next week.
In speaking with the scheduler it was explained that I was going on the “Wait List,” so when someone cancels their surgery I will be written in and is a call the night before enough advanced? Yes, even that morning is enough advanced notice. So the first weeks come and gone, no surgery. Second week, ditto, however the surgery department did schedule me for the next available just so I would at least be on the books, “June 17th”. We are in week three now and still no one has canceled their vein surgery.
This past Thursday morning I took the bandage off my left leg to change it and found that in just two day it went from pretty much sealed (no healed) to a opened, seeping glob of gooshy, grimey puss.
WARNING: The picture you are about to see may be unpleasant for mosthrrerer
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