When Dr. Hopkins came in, he asked if I had filled the prescription and taken any. Being an overachiever with regard to following instructions, I had indeed. It turns out that Regan had prescribed a sulfa-family antibiotic, which kills BCG. Dr. Hopkins told me to throw it away, and gave a substitute prescription for Macrobid nitrofurantoin, which we filled on the way home. And to top it off, the antibiotic Regan had prescribed, which I had taken this morning on an empty stomach, caused what could inadequately be described as an explosive episode of diarrhea - seriously, folks! (It was bad - after I made it to the bathroom and evacuated - a wall had to be cleaned, and clothing had to be trashed.) As an added bonus it came as a complete and total surprise. Of course all this happened 15 minutes before it was time to lose the BCG. I called upon my superhero powers to hold it all in during the episode and cleanup, and I was subsequently able to go through the biohazard routine without further incident. Despite my best efforts to be open minded about people, it's become abundantly clear that the good-looking Regan is a f@cking idiot!I read on ADR's blog that he was very annoyed at having his driveway covered in fox poop last night on returning home, followed by a hearty rant about tree-huggers and the like that was very entertaining and well worth a minute to read. We should all look to Britain to see the logical ends of the current, pervasive P.C. movement in this country. In the meantime, thank God I live in America where mostly all I have to worry about is my own poop!
New side effect this week during the 6 hour post-BCG purging process. I had a reddish-brown color which could be a harmless side effect of the Macrobid, well documented in the paperwork they give you. I was thinking that there's no way for me to tell whether there's some blood in the urine or whether the coloration is entirely due to the Macrobid, so I did a little research and found that this is the same antibiotic they gave me for post-surgical recovery, and I had no discoloration then. So it's certainly possible I have some general bleeding responsible for the new colors... Another new experience - nine small, bright red blood clots.
My written instructions from the urology clinic direct me to call them if I have bright red blood or blood clots, so we'll do that in the morning. I think my super-hydration plan (24-32 ounces per hour), while keeping me busy "going," has worked well to flush the bladder and stave off any pain during urination. Details of the Bathroom Diary have been moved to the instillation page. I called the Urology Clinic and reported my symptoms to a nurse. Dr. Hopkins himself called back an hour later. He indicated that inflammation does increase each week, and that while most don't have blood, it's within the range of things to be expected. Since it's clear this morning, he said to go ahead and proceed with #4 next week.
Clearly my liquid intake has increased each week. I was over-cautious on Week 1, and ended up "going" 6 times in the 6+ hours of special handling, some with good volume. Week 2 was up to 8 times, all with good volume, and Week 3 was 11 times, all with good volume. I think the flushing
will work to my benefit as far as side effects, but time will tell. Next Thursday, thanks to a very annoying state holiday, the urology clinic is closed. Dr. Hopkins is only working on Monday, and so P.A. Elizabeth will be handling things on Wednesday, a day early. That should be - interesting...On a side note, here's a special public thanks to my friend TK who sent a very thoughtful gift, received today. It's a teleidoscope with a dragonfly on it to symbolize good luck, strength, and peace. This device is a good match for my quirky personality, throwing concrete images off kilter. The picture at left (click on it for a larger version) shows what flowers and leaves look like, and as you rotate it the image changes pattern like a kaleidoscope. I had a lot of fun looking at the computer screens and dogs with it! Thanks much!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment