Quabbin Reservoir

Thom and I spent the day at the Quabbin.  It was chilly and windy, but we managed to see all of it, with Thom pushing me in my wheelchair.  This is a picture of the tower, you can actually go up.  I didn't, but Thom went up to the top and took pictures.  It's very quiet and relaxing, I can see why people go there to hike or waterpaint or take photos.

Pleural effusion

On my birthday, I ended up in the hospital because I had fluid in my left lung.  It was making it harder and harder to breath.  So they put in the hospital to tap the lung.  That involves inserting a large needle into the space between my lung and suck out the fluid.  I was expecting them to do it that night, but they didn't. 

Then this guy (student?) comes in and does my first tap.  He was only able to get 350 mL.  I don't blame him, I blame the ultrasound tech because they are the ones who need to pinpoint where to put the needle in.  The first guy hit a very small pocket of liquid, but the second time, they hit the mother lode!  All total, they removed 1050 mL!!  I felt immediately better! I added a photo to give you a little more perspective.  They kept me overnight to watch for any complications. My total stay was 4 days.  It sucked because it was my birthday and I didn't get to spend as much time with my sister Lizz like I wanted to.  Life gets in the way all the time.

Brigham and Women's is a wonderful hospital, the nurses are fantastic (except for one).  She's kind of hippi-sh and acted like we were best friends and sat down on the arm of the chair my mom was sitting in.  A good thing she did do and told the people who takes vitals to leave me alone until the morning so I could get some sleep.  Those vital visits are so annoying.  You finally get to sleep and they wake you up!  It's like "Hey, wake up and go to sleep!"  Yup thanks.