You know that old saying that “if it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all”? That’s been the month of February for me.
It started about 2 weeks ago. First, my internet went out — actually, everyone’s in the area did. Some kind of signal problem that it took over a day to repair. I’m not exactly sure how long though, because the day after that, I awoke being extremely dizzy, then nauseous, and when I had time to realize it — feverish.
I’ve been battling a very large wound on my left leg (between knee and ankle) for several months now. It was caused by severe swelling that led to fluid leakage, which led to skin breakdown. It’s gotten so bad (despite medical care and constant vigilance) that the only way the wound clinic and other doctors can see to fix it is via surgery to debride the damaged tissue and cover the area with a skin graft. Even that is no guarantee, however, and there’s a good chance still that I may lose the lower half of that leg.
That day when I woke up feverish and so sick, I knew something was wrong immediately. I was too dizzy to drive myself to the ER, so I took a cab there. I thought maybe I had the flu, or picked up some other kind of intense virus/bug. I was expecting to get an Rx and go home. Instead, they admitted me within an hour, saying I was “borderline septic” from the leg issue. Why it took that turn so suddenly (I’d been at the wound clinic the day before), no one knows.
I was there a week, getting IV antibiotics and shots to numb my leg from thigh to foot so they could try to do more thorough cleanings of the wound (because it’s intolerably painful to do without numbing the area first), etc. They would not do the surgery as long as I was septic, however. The risk of spreading the infection, or of other complications, was just too high.
As most of you know, I have two cats — Tiger and Smokey. When I realized I was being admitted, and then finally found out from one of the doctors that I’d probably be in the hospital at least 4-5 days (it actually turned out to be 7 days), I knew they couldn’t stay alone all that time. I’d left them food and water, of course — but not enough to last that long. So I called a young woman who works at a boarding facility, and who had helped me in the past when I found a stray kitten.
She could not take the cats in the boarding facility itself because they aren’t up to date on their vet care. I just haven’t had the money this year, and since they’re indoor cats with zero exposure to fleas, ticks, or other diseases, not to mention being extremely healthy so far (thankfully)… I thought it could be postponed until I was in a better financial position. At worst, I would have had to have it done before I went in for the surgery to fix my leg, as they would have to be boarded then too… but since I need to find a ground floor apartment before I can have that operation, there was no hurry about their annual checkup and shots (or so I thought).
Because it was an emergency, however, she agreed to take them to her home and keep them isolated (but together) in one room so they wouldn’t interact with her other animals (they’ve never been around dogs, for example). I knew this would be traumatic for them — both because they’ve never been separated from me for that long, and because they’d be getting taken by a stranger (to them) to a strange place — but what choice did I have? I was stuck in a hospital bed, and it would be far more cruel to leave them home alone, without enough food or water to last until I returned.
The boarding fee was going to be higher though, because of the special arrangements that she had to make. This included having to come to the hospital to get my keys, going to my small studio to collect the cats (an adventure in itself — she had to bring a friend to pull up the mattress and box spring so she could get Tiger out from under the bed), then return my keys after — plus keeping them separated from her other pets. I, of course, had to trust this young woman I’d met only once not only with the keys to my studio (and the few possessions I still have), but the welfare and safety of my precious babies as well. Thankfully she lived up to that trust.
Finally, last week, I was discharged from the hospital. But that was just the end of ONE part of the story. I took a cab home, collecting the cats along the way so I didn’t have to go back for them later. But when I got here, I found that there was no electric power in the kitchen. My computer was on, and the bathroom light… but the fridge, stove and kitchen overhead light were out. Turned out that circuit breaker had blown while I was in the hospital. I don’t know which day, but it was long enough that all the food in the fridge was warm and had to be tossed out.
So before I’d been able to do more than let the cats out of the carrier and trudge up to the 3rd floor (where the breaker boxes are) to reset the breaker, I had to fill a large trash bag with all that stuff from the fridge, lug it down to the dumpster (across the street, back of parking lot), then drag myself off to the store for milk, eggs, bread, butter, etc. One of the instructions from the hospital was to eat (and rest) as much as possible, especially protein-rich foods like fish, eggs and cheese to promote healing. I was getting off to a great start on both scores. /s
During all this time, I was essentially broke. All of my regular bills for February had been paid, of course, and the little bit that was left was to cover my wound dressing supplies, OTC meds, gas to get to the clinic, and the few food items that regularly need replacing, like milk. There was no savings to cover the boarding fee for the cats, or replacing every bit of food in my refrigerator.
All of that, plus the taxi fare, had to come from the funds I had been holding in reserve, to use so that I can get a ground-floor apartment, which is going to be necessary after the surgery (I’m currently on the 2nd floor, and won’t be able to manage the stairs after). I hated to do this, but I had no choice because of being in the hospital so long. As it was, at the time I was admitted, I was still almost $200 short for the remainder of February’s needs… there just wasn’t any backup.
Thanks to a request made here on my behalf while I was in the hospital (and unable to even read DK on my phone, which died the second day), that last $200 was raised — although I didn’t know that until I got home later and had a chance to actually try to catch up. But that money was already earmarked for medical supplies, gas and “minor” food costs… if I were to use it to replace all or part of the lost food, then I’d be short on dressing changes and meds. If I kept it for the medical needs, then I would be skipping meals and eating cheaper things (like my old standby, pasta w/garlic and oil). I would never be able to eat the way the hospital was telling me I should.
I also realized that very soon, it would be March, and I’d have rent and other bills due this week and next. That’s on top of already needing to replace the money I’d had to take out of the apartment fund to cover the boarding fee for the cats. Things were piling up, and fast. I wrote a comment in one of the helping diaries about my situation — just a rough outline. I had planned to do a diary to ask for help last week, but then the final shoe dropped.
I awoke one day last week (I think Wednesday) with a horrible itching in a very uncomfortable (and private) area. Worse, it wasn’t only that it itched incessantly, but it also burned. Trying to relieve the itch — even if only by minor adjustments to soft clothing in a feeble attempt to avoid constantly scratching like a flea-bitten dog— just left the area feeling like I’d touched it with a hot fireplace poker. I had no idea what was wrong, and could barely tolerate wearing any clothes, let alone walking.
I had been on 2 different and strong IV antibiotics in the hospital, and had been sent home with yet another antibiotic. I was exhausted already (you do NOT get to “rest” in a hospital), still in pain from my leg (not to mention the chronic pain in my back and joints), and on these meds that always make me extra sleepy. Every time I thought I could stay up long enough to get the diary done, I’d fall asleep — sometimes at the keyboard.
Then this new ailment. I had no idea what it was, but I had wound clinic that day, so I asked the nurse. She and the doctor didn’t want to diagnose, since it wasn’t in their area of expertise, but they recommended I stop at the ER before going home. I was so nervous, afraid they’d admit me again. But as it turned out, what I had was a severe “yeast infection” — apparently a potential side effect of all those antibiotics. They prescribed some OTC creme (Monistat, or a generic version of it) and told me to take Benadryl to help with the itching until the creme started to work.
Well, for someone already having trouble staying upright & awake for more than 30 minutes at a time (not to mention having a very difficult time sitting at all due to the yeast infection), adding Benadryl to the mix basically made me a zombie for the last several days. It got to the point where I was barely able to get myself up and out for the wound clinic. As for eating, I’ve been so tired that when I am forced awake by bodily requirements, I’ll open a can of tuna fish and eat it straight out of the can, just to provide some nourishment (and that much-harped-on protein infusion), then immediately crawl back in bed. I also hard boiled a half dozen eggs, so I can just grab one from the fridge and eat it while taking my next set of meds, then go back to sleep.
Thankfully, I finished the antibiotic they had me taking on Saturday, and now that it’s working it’s way out of my system, I’m reviving a bit. The Monistat also seems to be working (finally), allowing me to slow down a bit on the Benadryl. So even though I had wound clinic today, and normally would be sleeping that off right now (I get home totally drained from that 3x weekly torture), finishing the antibiotic and needing the Benadryl a bit less is allowing me a short time to get this written.
Here is what I need, URGENTLY:
$550 for March rent, which needs to be in my Paypal by this coming Weds (2/28) at the latest so I can get it transferred and paid to the landlord by Friday (which will already be a day late).
$350 (by March 5th) to cover car insurance, phone, internet, gas, a week of food (I don’t get SNAP again until 3/12), and the extra bandaging and OTC pain meds I need to deal with my leg. This also includes at least one (possibly two) more tubes of Monistat, as it’s considered an OTC med, and therefore (like with my excess medical supplies, as well as my OTC pain management) not covered by Medicaid.
$450 to replace the money paid for boarding the cats and used to restock the fridge as much as I’ve been able to so far. (This was $500, but $50 has come in donations so far).
Total Immediate need: $1350
The most urgent need at the moment is March rent, since that’s due right away. Of course I also need to keep my phone and internet connections on, and keep the car insurance current. Then there’s the bandaging and all those OTC meds (some of which can’t wait until rent and bills are covered to be replaced), plus food. Finally — but equally important — is to replace that money to the apartment fund ASAP, because if a ground floor place that is affordable and willing to rent to me (no job or verifiable income, plus the cats) comes along, I have to be able to jump on it immediately. I can’t do that if I don’t have all the money put aside. I have not touched that fund once until now, and would not have in this case if it had not been an emergency.
If you can help in any way — either by donation, by sharing the information, or even just sharing your good wishes — please do.
My Paypal is: MOELOE1126 at AOL dot COM
Please note that even though I’m no longer on the antibiotics, and have been able to slow down on (but not yet completely stop) the Benadryl — I’m still extremely tired and still unable (due to the painful leg and the yeast infection) to spend long periods at the computer. So I apologize if I don’t reply to a comment immediately. I will be back and forth as my body allows. Thank you.
Tuesday, Feb 27, 2018 · 12:56:54 PM +00:00 · MaureenMower
Oh my gosh!! Thank you all so very much!!
I really tried to stay awake for a while, but after dozing at the keyboard I had to lay down. I thought I’d be up again overnight, but I only just woke up, and to quite a surprise!!
As of now, the total of donations that came in overnight is up to $835. That leaves a balance of $515 to go!!
I know now that I will be able to pay the rent and bills on time, and have a bit left for food/meds/bandages.
Granted that this is not all that I will need to get through March (I only included the immediate bill needs, not living expenses for the full month)… and of course, it’s not enough yet to replace the money I had to borrow from the apartment fund.
But it’s one heck of a huge step in the right direction!! Once again, thank you ALL so very much. I’m overwhelmed!