Best sleep for a while except for nurses waking me up every few hours. The good news is that for the first time I had no chills or shivering last night. Fitbit can’t calculate a sleep score. Blood tests show WBC down from critical levels at Encompass. Other counts are a bit worse.
Bridget, the nurse practitioner, stopped by to tell me that the most recent blood cultures at MGH were negative. That’s a good thing, meaning they didn’t detect any bacteria. I obviously had something at Encompass, however, but MGH doesn’t have access to the blood cultures that they did there and are trying to get copies.
Because the blood cultures are negative, it’s possible that I can be discharged in a day or two. It really depends on Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy assessments. OT was just here and they watched me transfer from the bed to the recliner, and use the walker. I’m still waiting on PT.
The pool water was delivered this morning, and I watched most of it with the backyard Eufy camera. It appears to have been successful. I had Maureen prime and run the pump and it’s working correctly.
Kylie, the PCA, helped me to the bathroom for a BM. Then she did another blood draw. I guess there’s a real knack to drawing blood. Some nurses are really good at it and others poke painfully around before they find the vein. It’s important, of course, to be properly hydrated, but it also helps I’ve found if they warm the area before they try to draw the blood. Not all nurses do this.
Doctor Gace confirmed what Bridget said that the most recent blood cultures were negative. But they need another 24 hours for the blood cultures to continue negative. They’re still trying to get results from Trident.
My roommate, Andy, had a couple of procedures today. I don’t know all the details, but he’s been treated for cancer before and now it has metastasized to his brain. I overheard the doctor yesterday talking about what to expect. He’s able to walk but needs a walker because he’s a bit steady. It certainly sounds as if the treatment is to control the tumor rather than it. He’s an ex-Marine, about 50. years old. We talked about what happens when we die. It sounded a bit like what I’ve thought about the eternal now. And it sounds like he’s made peace with the world.