Jim in Toronto- Back From the Hospital

PeppermintPatty

PeppermintPatty

šŸ¢. šŸ³. šŸ¢
Location
Canada
Just in case anyone else wondered what happened to Jim from Toronto, ( @jimintoronto ), Im creating this thread to fill you in.

I reached to him via PM out weeks ago. After not receiving any message for so long, I thought he was either back in hospital or got banned. Finally today he reached back letting me know he was back in hospital.

About a month ago he was throwing up, getting dehydrated and quickly losing weight at an alarming rate that landed him in hospital. He had a bad infection.

After a week, he got out and was feeling fine again. Then about 2 weeks ago he was gone again. Turns out the infection was back and he landed back in hospital for 2 more weeks.

Anyway, I decided to write this thread to let you ALL know that heā€™s now back out home. He wont be back online for 2 or 3 days. He can then fill you in.

P.S. I asked if I could write this thread before doing it. ( in case anyone is wondering )
 

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PeppermintPatty said:
Just in case anyone else wondered what happened to Jim from Toronto, Iā€™m creating this thread to fill you in.

I reached to him via PM out weeks ago. After not receiving any message for so long, I thought he was either back in hospital or got banned. Finally today he reached back letting me know he was back in hospital.

About a month ago he was throwing up, getting dehydrated and quickly losing weight at an alarming rate that landed him in hospital. He had a bad infection.

After a week, he got out and was feeling fine again. Then about 2 weeks ago he was gone again. Turns out the infection was back and he landed back in hospital for 2 more weeks.

Anyway, I decided to write this thread to let you ALL know that heā€™s now back out home. He wont be back online for 2 or 3 days. He can then fill you in.

P.S. I asked if I could write this thread before doing it. ( in case anyone is wondering )
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'' About a month ago he was throwing up, getting dehydrated and quickly losing weight at an alarming rate that landed him in hospital. He had a bad infection.''

Intestines ?
 
NotCompSavy said:
'' About a month ago he was throwing up, getting dehydrated and quickly losing weight at an alarming rate that landed him in hospital. He had a bad infection.''

Intestines ?
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Im not really sure. I think it must have been an internal infection in his intestines. He was in the hospital first for 5 days. He was released for about a week then returned to hospital for another 3 weeks. I think Jim can fill us in on the details when he returns..
 
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PeppermintPatty said:
Im not really sure. I think it must have been an internal infection in his intestines. He was in the hospital first for 5 days. He was released for about a week then returned to hospital for another 2 weeks. I think Jim can fill us in on the details when he returns..
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I asked as knowing people who have had same thing it sounded like intestines . They give him IV and monitor his white blood count and sadly yes take blood daily .

It is treated same as hernia' without the surgery .
 
NotCompSavy said:
I asked as knowing people who have had same thing it sounded like intestines . They give him IV and monitor his white blood count and sadly yes take blood daily .

It is treated same as hernia' without the surgery .
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You clearly know more about this than I do. I know he used to be a paramedic when he was younger so maybe understands it too.
 
Thanks to everyone here, for the kind thoughts directed my way. My medical problems are varied and complex. At 78 I have had to get used to the idea that "modern medicine" isn't an exact science, by any means. I trust my care will be focused on the causes of the symptoms I exhibit, not on treating the monitor screen results. The hardest part of this latest confinement was the isolation room required for the first 6 days, while testing was being done to eliminate a number of possible causes of my vomiting and diarrhea, and unusually low blood pressure readings.

Having just one visitor, my Wife, the nights were very long and boring, as I couldn't sleep very much. For an extrovert like myself, being in an isolation room is a cruel form of slow days and even longer nights, sitting in bed, watching the digital clock clicking away the minutes. Thank goodness for CBC radio music play lists, which I was listening to on my I phone with ear buds.

Now that I am home again, I still have numerous medical follow up meetings with various medical specialists, from Cardio, internal medicine, Gastro, Endocrinology, Respirology, and wound care. I have 2 places on my arms where repeated IV punctures have resulted in skin damage, which needs to be treated at an out patient clinic three times a week. Both my arms bear the bruises from the high number of skin pokes that I went through in 3 weeks.

I had been planning to restart my vehicle recovery business this spring based on the recession/depression that I see coming here in Canada, but my physical health at this time will probably rule that out for the near future. I still have the contacts in the auto leasing business that I worked for ten years ago, but my ability to go out and do the physical job is in doubt. It's the type of work that I just couldn't hire a person to do, for me, as it requires a unique set of skills, and a large amount of focus and determination, to be good at it. JIM.
 
jimintoronto said:
Thanks to everyone here, for the kind thoughts directed my way. My medical problems are varied and complex. At 78 I have had to get used to the idea that "modern medicine" isn't an exact science, by any means. I trust my care will be focused on the causes of the symptoms I exhibit, not on treating the monitor screen results. The hardest part of this latest confinement was the isolation room required for the first 6 days, while testing was being done to eliminate a number of possible causes of my vomiting and diarrhea, and unusually low blood pressure readings.

Having just one visitor, my Wife, the nights were very long and boring, as I couldn't sleep very much. For an extrovert like myself, being in an isolation room is a cruel form of slow days and even longer nights, sitting in bed, watching the digital clock clicking away the minutes. Thank goodness for CBC radio music play lists, which I was listening to on my I phone with ear buds.

Now that I am home again, I still have numerous medical follow up meetings with various medical specialists, from Cardio, internal medicine, Gastro, Endocrinology, Respirology, and wound care. I have 2 places on my arms where repeated IV punctures have resulted in skin damage, which needs to be treated at an out patient clinic three times a week. Both my arms bear the bruises from the high number of skin pokes that I went through in 3 weeks.

I had been planning to restart my vehicle recovery business this spring based on the recession/depression that I see coming here in Canada, but my physical health at this time will probably rule that out for the near future. I still have the contacts in the auto leasing business that I worked for ten years ago, but my ability to go out and do the physical job is in doubt. It's the type of work that I just couldn't hire a person to do, for me, as it requires a unique set of skills, and a large amount of focus and determination, to be good at it. JIM.
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Hi Jim, itā€™s nice to see you back. Hopefully you wonā€™t be going back into hospital any time soon. Are you feeling a bit more energetic today?
 
PeppermintPatty said:
Hi Jim, itā€™s nice to see you back. Hopefully you wonā€™t be going back into hospital any time soon. Are you feeling a bit more energetic today?
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Thanks Patti. Being able to sleep in my own bed is nice. Today I am getting caught up on the computer , doing things I didn't feel like doing in the hospital, like reviewing my investments on the TSX, and the gold market numbers. I had 124 messages in my Email inbox, to work through and delete.

I have a whole new sheet of medications to take daily, plus trying to stay within the bounds of a new food program, which aims to reduce my salt and sugar intakes, and increase my consumption of probiotics. I have found that my sense of taste has changed quite a bit, to the point that I poured out my usual mug of coffee this morning. It just didn't taste right.

Toronto Western Hospital is a part of the University Health Network group, so every day I had nursing students in my unit, as well as the regular Registered Nursing staff. I found it interesting to talk with the young nursing students, who were all third year types. I became a popular patient because I was able to pass along information about how to do a medical history assessment in 5 minutes, based on my past experience with Metro Toronto Ambulance in the 70's and 80's. Some medical facts don't change over time, such as using all of your senses when doing an assessment of a person.

During the course of my three weeks in Toronto Western, I met at least 75 nurses, technicians, and Doctors. Every last one of them addressed me by my full name, and asked for my date of birth, every time I was getting meds, or being subjected to a test or procedure, and every one of them showed me their proper UHN identity photo badge before they began any conversations. It's drummed into them to treat the patients as humans, not just another warm body in a bed. My wrist band was scanned every time a staff person gave me meds, or took vital signs from me.

Test results were posted on line to my Wife's lap top computer, usually with in 2 hours of being taken from me. Brenda has legal power of attorney for me for both medical and legal matters, so she functions as my Care Manager, and is recognized as such by the Toronto medical community. She was in my room every day of my stay in hospital, and I am VERY blessed to have her as my advocate and supporter. JIM.
 
Thank you , @PeppermintPatty , for making us all aware that Jim had been in the hospital ! Jim, I am glad that you are back home and doing better, and hopefully they have everything under control this time and you wonā€™t have to go back again.
That is a long time to have to be in the hospital, and I remember that i was always exhausted when I had to be there, even for a few days, because you never actually get to sleep very long at a time. And sleeping is the best time when you are in the hospital !
Are they only allowing one visitor, and that is why only your wife could come and see you ?
 
Happyflowerlady said:
Thank you , @PeppermintPatty , for making us all aware that Jim had been in the hospital ! Jim, I am glad that you are back home and doing better, and hopefully they have everything under control this time and you wonā€™t have to go back again.
That is a long time to have to be in the hospital, and I remember that i was always exhausted when I had to be there, even for a few days, because you never actually get to sleep very long at a time. And sleeping is the best time when you are in the hospital !
Are they only allowing one visitor, and that is why only your wife could come and see you ?
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Happyflowerlady. I am an only child, no siblings, Parents long dead, my Wife has grown adult children from her first marriage, and 3 Grands. It was not a "rule " but simply distance to travel to Toronto, that resulted in just B coming to see me daily. We have been married for 21 years now. I am 78 she is 81.

This past time in TWH was nothing compared to my experience in March of 2023, when I spent 9 weeks in 3 different Toronto area hospitals, with a broken leg, cardio problems and ended up with a Pacemaker implant. My current medical file is about 2 kilos in weight and runs for over 125 pages. I am on a first name basis with a number of Docs, ranging from Gastro, to Cardio, Internal Medicine, Endocrinology , and Respirology. I have a herd of Residents and Post Doctoral Fellows that follow me around.

If we lived in the USA, we would be bankrupt for sure, but our health care system covers it all. That is our reward for a combined 90 years of working and paying income taxes, for the two of us. We both receive the Canada Pension which we contributed to for our entire working lives, plus the standard Old Age Pension that all Canadian citizens get after age 65, plus private pensions from our respective past employers. the city of Toronto for me, and the University of Toronto, for Brenda.

We own our house, and have no debts to speak of, and our 2 tenants rent payments cover the annual costs to run the house for the year, with a profit margin that is acceptable. This year we replaced both the gas furnace and the water heater, and plan to replace the roof shingles this summer. The house was built in 1905, and it has been renovated a number of times, over the years. JIM.
 
jimintoronto said:
Thanks to everyone here, for the kind thoughts directed my way. My medical problems are varied and complex. At 78 I have had to get used to the idea that "modern medicine" isn't an exact science, by any means. I trust my care will be focused on the causes of the symptoms I exhibit, not on treating the monitor screen results. The hardest part of this latest confinement was the isolation room required for the first 6 days, while testing was being done to eliminate a number of possible causes of my vomiting and diarrhea, and unusually low blood pressure readings.

Having just one visitor, my Wife, the nights were very long and boring, as I couldn't sleep very much. For an extrovert like myself, being in an isolation room is a cruel form of slow days and even longer nights, sitting in bed, watching the digital clock clicking away the minutes. Thank goodness for CBC radio music play lists, which I was listening to on my I phone with ear buds.

Now that I am home again, I still have numerous medical follow up meetings with various medical specialists, from Cardio, internal medicine, Gastro, Endocrinology, Respirology, and wound care. I have 2 places on my arms where repeated IV punctures have resulted in skin damage, which needs to be treated at an out patient clinic three times a week. Both my arms bear the bruises from the high number of skin pokes that I went through in 3 weeks.

I had been planning to restart my vehicle recovery business this spring based on the recession/depression that I see coming here in Canada, but my physical health at this time will probably rule that out for the near future. I still have the contacts in the auto leasing business that I worked for ten years ago, but my ability to go out and do the physical job is in doubt. It's the type of work that I just couldn't hire a person to do, for me, as it requires a unique set of skills, and a large amount of focus and determination, to be good at it. JIM.
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When anyone goes to the hospital for several days or more with the blood taking which is painful , catheters , stress , etc it is like they were hit by a truck the fact that you can even post so soon afterwards speaks volumes .

Hospital stays are necessary '' evils '' which beat a person up and after you come out takes time to recover but you will recover .
 
smiley said:
I am fascinated by the analogies of the hospital "beating you up"!!
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Lol because they do .

Every " tough guy " Union brother I know who went in and stayed several days or longer looked like they got hit by a truck and took them weeks perhaps months depending on surgery / hospital; stay to recover .

ALL recovered but yes they got '' hospital; beat up '' .
 
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