I’m headed for a 2 week hospital stay starting tomorrow morning. My lungs are filled with crud and it’s very painful, a sharp, knife like pain to boot!

Last week when I got the Stanford Call, that was the first day of the pain. It started in my lower left lobe and has gradually expanded to my upper left lobe. Last week before I knew whether the lungs were a go or not, I thought, “How perfect! My lungs are being jerks right now so let’s just trade them in and be on with it. Perfect timing!” Too bad that didn’t work out how it does in the movies.

I saw my doctor today and took chest X-rays. The x-rays are a lot worse than 2-3 months ago which matches where I’m feeling all the pain. He said the IV meds should clear things up and start helping the pain and inflammation go down. Tylenol with codeine is helping the pain go from a level 8 to a 3, which is okay, but I’d like it to feel better than that.

Anyways, this is a huge bummer because I’m terrible when it comes to pain! I hate it. Plus, last weekend when my family was in town, I pulled a muscle in my lower back from doing – not so much. But that also has been really really painful to move and walk. I’ve been icing it and doing my new yoga stretches, but all in all, my body is in a lot of pain right now. I want comfort – all – the – time. Cozy, comfort is what I love, no pain please.

One thing that is bad about me needing pain meds pre-transplant (like now) is that when I do get called for transplant and need the heavy duty pain meds, they won’t be as effective. Whatever I take pre-transplant will build my tolerance, and making them less useful. It’s a scary thing to think about actually, because I want transplant pain super well maintained! So the more I need before that surgery happens, the less those will help against the worst pain of all. But….I hate pain at any point.

So I’ll wait for the hospital to call me tomorrow when my room is ready and then drive over with all my stuff. If Stanford happens to call me for lungs while I’m in-house at USC, then I need to make arrangements for USC to medivac me to Stanford. There’s always some sort of logistical issue.

My baby Maya newfy had surgery on her eye lid about 3-4 weeks ago. The surgery went well, but the stitches have caused her a lot of problems with her eye. It’s completely cloudy now and still hurts her some. So I have to take her to the vet in the morning to get looked at again and most likely switch to another eye drop medication. The one she’s been on hasn’t been working. I’m a little worried about her vision now. I don’t think she can really see out of her left eye and I am hoping a new eye drop will fix it. I don’t want her blind in 1 eye just because of they removed a cyst on her eye lid! The idea of that raises my blood pressure! She’s the sweetest and has also had a rough month, with this and that terrible terrible groomer that gave her all sort of cuts. I wish I didn’t have to go in the hospital right now because Maya needs me.

That’s it for now. I’m agitated right now, so I best leave this pretty little platform as is.