Hospitalization Vacation

This past week I was hospitalized. The first time since I was in the hospital for a broken femur back in 1982 at Fisherman's Hospital. This time I was at Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West for about 12 days. I went to the emergency room after coughing uncontrollable, running a fever and at times spitting up blood. After five days of this, I came to the conclusion that something was wrong. They took chest X-rays and found a spot on top of my right lung and admitted me into the hospital. At first, they thought I had tuberculosis and after 5 days of blood test they found the TB test to be negative then after that I went on to do a pet scan and then a biopsy which involved a needle through my chest to get a sample of the spot on my lung. They didn't put me under but they gave me a sedative and numbed the area of my chest where the needle was going to go into. I hate needles with a passion especially the IV that nobody seems to be able to get started on the first try and I have been told by many nurses including my mother that I have great veins. With the IV, needle in the chest and the daily 4 o'clock in the morning wake up call to get blood samples, I felt like a friggin pin cushion. Other than that, the nurses were nice, the food was decent, I had a room and T.V. to myself because I was in isolation because they thought I might have TB. It was nice while it lasted but I had a sense/feeling that they like to move people along as quickly as possible when they don't have insurance and especially if you are homeless. Just my gut feeling I get from some people, not everybody. Hell, I'm homeless and I can't stand 90% of them either. Most are lazy, inconsiderate, only give a fuck about themselves, greedy, dirty, smelly, that just get drunk everyday and wait for their check in the mail. That is their whole existence, day in, day out. They don't do anything different and I always say, "And they wonder why they are homeless". I wouldn't want to live with them or put up with their bullshit. Anyway, I need a J.O.B. I don't have the luxury of calling mommy or daddy or waiting for the government to send me a check in the mail. I HAVE to work in order to survive and unfortunately for the time being, I have to deal with the smelly idiots staying at K.O.T.S. I will get out of there as soon as I have some money saved up.




As luck and perfect timing would have it, the hospital gave me a prescription for antibiotics and discharged me. The next day I was scheduled to be at a OSHA training session in order to get a job with the road construction going on in Key West, expected to last at least 2 years. I made it to the class, finished the 12 hour training and now I am qualified to work construction sites under OSHA standards and hopefully get a job as I have no more income from unemployment... I am still sober!! Amazing, I haven't had a drink in a month. Give me a chip, damn it!! I tried to quit smoking since I had a 12 day head start staying at the hospital. They gave me nicotine patches and weaned me down from 21 mg to 7 mg by the time I got out but after that first day of class it was all I could think about and I had a pack of cigarettes in my bag and I started smoking again but let's tackle one addiction at a time, shall we. I don't have a craving for a beer or any alcohol but that nicotine is a killer. Until the next diabolical adventure, remember, regardless of how much gold, silver, diamonds or money in the bank you may have,.... if you don't have your health, you have nothing !!!