Well, Alan wants to go for it. He read all about it, the side effects, etc.
And I told him "remember what happened when they gave you celebrex, you landed in the hospital for 11 days ". SOMEBODY FINALLY LISTENED TO ME AND GAVE HIM BENEDRYL after 2 days in the ER. I kept saying, "it's an allergic reaction, he just started celebrex". But noooooooooo!!, they had the guys coming in with the hazmats suits and saying "maybe he has Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever". He was covered in a rash from head toe like I have never sen on anyone and his face blew up like a lobster and was bright red. All these teams of people were prodding and poking and I'm going". UH, please, it might the celebrex". They put him on benadryl and just to be on the safe side they put him in isolation and you should have seen the time when the guy has to come in and change the trash bin. The guy comes in all covered up and grabs the trash bin, replaces it and runs out of there.

I go out and yell at him "he's got an allergic reaction, you moron, what do you think he has, EBOLA???" By that time, Alan's swelling had gone down, he had had so many blood tests you wouldn't believe it.

He had one test for calcium that came back with a number so rediculous (can't remember what it was), that the doctor came in with the results, said "Alan, if this number was accurate, you wouldn't have any bones in your body, we are re-doing all your lab work but we are using my lab upstairs", "it's completely different than where they usually send blood too".

It seems that in Coney Island Hospital there is a hemotology department with their own blood lab that does separate blood work.

Alan was in the hospital for almost 12 days during that time, they finally moved him after 5 days to a general room with 7 other men. I walked in and said "Hello everybody, my name is Melody, and this is Alan". Everybody started talking to each other and I finally left.

I should have been a nurse in my previous lifetime. At least an aide. I remember there was a guy all the way on the other side of this room and I walk over to him and I'm talking to him and the other guys started to laugh and I said "what's so funny", and they said "this guy is from a nursing home, he doesn't even know his own name". I said "that is NOT FUNNY, he's a human being". But it was true. The guy knew nothing of what was going on around him. It was an interesting 12 days.

But I never hope to repeat that experience.

So we shall see if the doctor is successful in getting him the IVIG. We shall also see if the spine guy looks at his MRI spine films and decides "oh, yes indeedy, I can help this man".

will update!!!!

Melody