and beginning the healing process to play
the sport I love as soon as possible. All the
mixed reports and anxiousness had me
frustrated and I was losing my cool.
The turning point
On the 11th day, a series of good things
happened that sparked a change that I
believe truly helped me heal faster and get
out quicker. I had been alone for most of this
time, accept a few short visits from my local
English friends. The first thing that happened
was my good friends, the Benisons dropped
by with the ultimate care package! First of
all they brought a pair of hair trimmers so I
could buzz off my beard and my hair. Second
they brought me an Ipad so I could watch
paintball, movies and use Facebook much
easier to communicate with people back
home. And lastly, they brought a huge bag of
groceries with comfort food I actually craved
like cereal and peanut butter sandwich
materials. I had just done an official weigh
in the day before and due to the lack of hard
food, dehydration, and destruction of a lot of
muscle, I weighed in at 165 lbs. When I arrived
I was 190 lbs., solid and fit. In the bathroom
mirror, shaved, boney thin, and pale, I looked
like a complete drug addict. My jaw line was
super tight and with no hair my head looked
smaller. I looked awful. I began crushing pb+
banana sandwiches and kids peanut butter or
chocolate cereal every day for more energy
to heal and to help put back on some kind
of mass.
After this my good friend and our team
sponsor Nicky T showed up for a few hours
to comfort me and discuss ways to help,
along with a bunch more food and snacks!
It was incredible. The nurse brought me 10
lb. weights for my arms and I began to do
something active in my bed as well as work
on getting out of bed and crutching to the
bathroom myself for the first time. It was slow
going and not fun, but I was done waiting till
it would come naturally.
Each day doctors would come in and tell me
my white blood cell count was going down.
And my infection level had been decreasing
since the middle of the past week, 400, 260,
180, 100. They said once its at 40-50, id be
switched to an oral antibiotic and if no fever
occurred and no turn for worse in 24 hours I
would be released.
DAY 15
I wake up and my count is down to 39. I ask
for the immediate switch to oral medicine
and they take me off the IV. The nurse
explains to me that they must see me able to
use crutches to release me. I explain I have a
ride, the airport has wheelchairs, I wont need
to use stairs and I have no stairs when I get
home. Regardless I still have to use the one
armed crutches.
DAY 16
The nurses return in the morning with the
crutches. I guzzle a ton of water, ate some
breakfast sandwiches, avoid the pain meds,
and assure them I’ll go at their pace. I step out
into the hallway and slow as a turtle I make it
down and back just fine. I get back in the bed
and a nurse signs a sheet of approval. She
says we have to do the staircase test and in
fear of falling I tell her I wont see any stairs and
I refuse the test. I then state that if she doesn’t
sign to release me I’ll destroy the room and
let hell loose. The young nurse obliges and
I’m told I’m free to go when I get my scripts
of oral medication and a ride. I request a
four-leg walker to avoid the circulation loss
and they bring me one. Finally at 8pm I have
my prescription and I am able to leave.