Wednesday, July 10, 2019

The Rise And Fall Of LSP Pt. II - The Drugs



One minute you're riding high and the next, sunk into the depths of misery and another statistic in this nation's burgeoning opiate crisis.

There I was, strapped into a gurney on the way to Hillcrest, Waco, after a hard fall from a Mad Arab. "75 Fentanyl," said the EMS specialist as he administered the serum into a handy IV. "Might be a bumpy ride, stay with it." Which is what I did, all the way to Hillcrest ER.




Boom, outta the gurney and into a bed in Emergency. Smooth operation, they just lifted the sheet and put me on a new bed, no need to scoot over, "Well done!" The nurses liked that and laughed, "At least you're not some overweight thug."

Next thing you know it's endless corridors, elevators, more corridors and then a room on the 5th floor, where a nurse asks "how's your pain on a scale of 1-10?" A pause, "I'd give it a sturdy 4.5." Right answer, in goes some Morphine to top off the Fentanyl.




This went on till around 2.30 am and with it the news that I'd be operated on sometime that morning. Sure enough I was.  Lying there under the lights, the surgeon gave me a choice, "You can have a General, that's what most old people do and it works. Or you can have an Epidural which'll cut out feeling from the waist down. I know, you're thinking, 'that's gonna hurt!' No it won't, because we'll give you an IV sedative so you won't even feel the needle going in."

I opted for the second path and overheard the surgeon and a nurse discussing the IV, "Yeah, Morphine, Fentanyl and some Ketamine." The IV started to kick in, the needle did its work and that was that, oblivion.




Some time later I came to, feeling good, then remembered where I was and it was time for more corridors, elevators and back to the room. Pan to scenes of "how's your pain on a scale of 1-10?", Oxycontin and Morphine at various intervals and... by Sunday everything was getting a bit hazy.

Go figure. Then Monday came 'round and it was time to go after a couple of quick and painful (8/10) physio sessions.




I was fully expecting to be prescribed a week or two's worth of Oxy and a place in the opioid epidemic, but no. I got Aspirin. Good work, sensible medicos, and I tell you, they're a good crew at Hillcrest if you've come off a horse and need a bone pinned back together. And now?

Back at the Compound on bed rest while the bone heals, and scooting about on a walker. Like an ILLUMINATI MASTER.




So there you have it. Pride, my friends, comes before a fall.

Don't do drugs,

LSP

22 comments:

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Drugs have their place. Keep you from flopping around making the medicos job harder.

drjim said...

Follow the Doctor's orders, Parson. We need you back in one piece, hale and hearty!

Anonymous said...

Then it is official - you are now 'Hop Along'.

Undergroundpewster said...

Get well soon LSP.

Julie Culshaw said...

Wishing you a speedy recovery and keep up that sense of humour.

Jim said...

Sounds like you're on the road to recovery. Just don't try to do too much too fast.

LindaG said...

Praying for a speedy recovery, Parson.
Glad you don't need anything stronger.

Opioids have their place. Just like anything it's all in how you use them.
After hubby's back surgery, he wouldn't let them give him morphine for the reason you mentioned. Made him feel loopy and out of it.

God bless!

Borepatch said...

Oof. You do seem to be handling it with the finest Stiff Upper Lip, though.

Old NFO said...

Get better, and DO THE REHAB...

Theodore said...

Rest up and remember the Irish prescription - Guinness for Strength!

Kid said...

That sounds pretty good. And this is not a topper by any means, but when I broke my lower left leg, it was 45 days hospital, 120 shots morphine, 2 surgeries, pins, screws, wire, and the point of this being - total cost was 1,800.00. Our medical cost structure in the US is seriously fubar'd. Some people are making some Serious money off of us.

LSP said...

That's an excellent point, WSF.

LSP said...

drjim, great advice and I'll take it. Mind you, I don't much option right now. I think it'll be harder in a few weeks when I feel everything's OK but the bone hasn't fully healed. But no, rest up.

LSP said...

Yes, Anon. That's me.

LSP said...

Thanks, Pewster.

LSP said...

Jim, I won't argue with that.

LSP said...

I'm kind of relieved about that, Linda. Not much pain at all, weirdly.

LSP said...

Thanks for the plaudit, Borepatch. SUP's important, I think. Mind you, what a production.

LSP said...

Thanks, NFO. And yes!

LSP said...

I love that 'scrip, TC.

LSP said...

Kid, sounds like you went through the wars... I haven't even seen the bill and imagine it'll be the size of a house.

I'm with you, some people are getting mighty rich.

Infidel de Manahatta said...

Yikes. Glad you are okay. We don't have horse here in NYC. Just power outages that urn my freaking 30 minute commute into 2 hours.

But at least Mayor Warren Wilhelm Jr. (Stage name Bill de Blasio) was on the scene. No wait. He was in Iowa.

I've had oxycontin when I had my knee problems. Glad they didn't give you anymore. That stuff is a wee bit too strong.