Wednesday, June 6, 2007

I would have written about our dinner experience yesterday but I didn't get back into the room until 1:30am - ok let me explain....

Remember I went to take a shower and bring Joanie dinner? Well, that went relatively smoothly. The driver - Jeremiah - from the Tremont Plaza was excellent - and I got to Joanie before 6:30 (with Baltimore traffic and all!)

Dinner was Filet Mignone with a baked potato and this decadent chocolate cake from Tugs.

She was thoroughly enjoying it - and the Infectious Disease people came back and asked a couple of questions and then left Joanie to her dinner.

I left around 7:15 to get to the meeting and Jeremiah (this is why I think he's the best) showed up RIGHT ON TIME at 7:20 as I asked him earlier to.

The meeting was great - as usual- and a family from the congregation offered to take me back to the hotel. I told Joanie I wanted to stop in after the meeting to see her and say good night - but visiting hours were over and I wasn't sure if they would let me in - so I called Joanie to find out but she didn't answer - so I went back to the hotel.

When I got in - Joanie called and said that they were going to give her a transfusion and she asked me if I wouldn't mind coming and sitting with her through the platlet part (about 1/2 hr) because the last time she had one - she didn't feel so well - I said of course! So I called Jeremiah again and told him what was going on and he said "come on down - I'll take you right over..." and he was waiting for me and I was there within 15 minutes.

The problem began when they took Joanie's temperature and found her to be over 38 and they couldn't transfuse until she was under....so we tried anything and everything to get her temp down - um it was an interesting turn of events - cold packs in places that cold packs should never see - that's all I'm going to say about that subject - ha

So we sat around with the non-mentioning cold packs and waited...

You see - the reason why she can't get them when she has a temperature is because they are "alive" - they will burn up when they get into her system with a temperature...

so we waited....and waited - until finally the charge nurse (she was awesome and had the greatest scottish or irish accent) told me that I couldn't stay any longer (because I wanted to wait until after 1am to see if Joanie's temp went down and she could get the platlet transfusion with me there) but I was told that policy is that I have to leave by now (probably a "midnight" thing)

So I had to get a cab - but this is another interesting tidbit about Baltimore - DONT GO OUT AFTER DARK - the nurses were like - we have to get you a number for a secured cab because it isn't safe for you to take any cab - wow - John Hopkins is so out of place here.

So I got a yellow cab and a nice driver but I made sure all my jewelry was off and I carried my bible with me into the car - wanted to make sure whoever was driving knew that I had someone stronger on my side =) Plus most people have a respect for people that believe in the Bible - and that have no problem showing it.

Joanie called me when I got back into the room - and she said that all the crazy cooling tactic worked - they were going to give her the transfusion! but unfortunately - I wasn't there. I told her to call me in the morning and I'd come over if she wanted - she was so thankful to have me around.

I got back to my room and had a second wind - so i totally cleaned the entire suite and now it looks as if no one has been in the suite at all =)

Then I read a People magazine and finally went to sleep at 2am.