Oy, poor thing. Being in the hospital is as bad, so folks tell me, as being in basic training: they get you up at dawn, feed you gruel, and punish your body!

Sure hope you get through with it soon!

Peggy

Sent by Peggy | 6:00 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Tee-hee!

My, you are getting better. At my hospital, in radiology we wait till about 6 or so before we start our portable runs :o)

You're sounding great, Leroy!

Sent by Teri Thomas | 6:09 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Dearest Leroy,
It's good to see you so frisky at 0500. And you're not a morning person? We'll just call you "ANGEL OF THE MORNING." May those wings that you've earned take you gently up those darned stairs to-day.
peace and love
sue

Sent by sue de freitas | 6:28 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Someone once said that when a sick person starts complaining, you know they are feeling better. So judging from today's blog, I can tell that Leroy is feeling MUCH better. And thank goodness for that.

Sent by Helene Weingarten | 7:02 AM ET | 02-28-2008

hi leroy - you are so so so right - what is the deal - i once made them redo some blood work because i did not remember them doing it at 5 or 5:30 - usually i woke up and was aware! and change of shift is TREACHEROUS - don't ever need a nurse then! but, on the other hand, you are feeling better when you complain - that is a g-d send! do well with your rehab and love to laurie!
jan

Sent by janice goldberg white | 7:11 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Leroy, I'm up at 5:00am every day. Do you need me to come there and lay down the law with these people?

Sent by Sue in Rochester | 7:30 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Oh Leroy - my Mom used to come into my room in the wee hours, throw open the drapes allowing the bright sunshine to stream into my darkened room, yelling "GOOD MORNING GLORY~rise and shine!" At that moment every morning, I hated my Mother! I hated, and still do, any cheerful person in the morning. I have never been a mormimg person either, so I can well understand your complaint.
But how good it is to hear you gripe and I am sure that they are happy to hear you too. Think of what a luxury it is for THAT to be your chief complaint now. A short time ago, you could not get any sleep at all, remember?
Oh, you are indeed, returning to normalacy!

Sent by J C R | 7:44 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Morning Leroy,

Wow, do I ever relate! 5:30 a.m., YUCK!
Hospital wake-ups are beyond CRAZY! Just when you are maybe, finally, resting, here comes someone to poke, stick, etc., and yes, they are usually very nice -- but sleep, is so rare, (for the patient, who is in the hospital bed), why can't this all be arranged to happen at a more reasonable hour? :-)

Well, glad you've posted. I'm chuckling at the time of your post. I happened to be awake too, but computer is downstairs....ah, someday a laptop.

Hope your day passes with some happy, maybe even cheesesteak & chocolate cupcake moments.

Take good care,

Kim

Sent by Kim | 7:47 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Way to go, Leroy!! That's the kind of stuff I like to hear! Seems like a reasonable request to me.

Sent by Dorothy | 7:52 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Totally laughing my ass off!

So right Leroy...so right!

I hope you share that post with them.

Keep at it!

Sent by Lori | 7:52 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Dear Leroy,
It's good to hear a tinge of that humor we all know and love! Thanks for showing us that it's possible to be courageous AND kind - you have given so much to so many. Big hugs to you today,
RS in St. John

Sent by R Speer | 7:56 AM ET | 02-28-2008

It's a deal!

I totally agree, it is way to early to come in and prod, draw and prick...

We can all get together and try to make that change :)

Keep up your good spirits!

Cristina

Sent by Cristina Gonzalez, Tampa, Florida | 7:57 AM ET | 02-28-2008

I'm eagerly awaiting your posting when you are out of the hospital, and can sleep in your own bed, far from the machines, tubes, etc...
I know others on this board have said the same thing many times, but it is true that you have so many people who are wishing and praying for the best for you.

Sent by Giselle | 8:06 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Oh too funny Leroy.... You plan sounds good. I know nurses and other health care people forget that "normal" people do not get up at the crack of dawn or even before it. I am a nurse and can't reset my clock to not get up at the before the sun even though I now teach. Go figure....

I like your plan. In fact, I had to do that once, tell the nurses to PLEASE LET ME SLEEP. I promised if I needed them I would call them. Good luck with your plan... Can you growl when they wake you at 0 dark 30???? Maybe that will scare them off. :)

Sent by Sue Chap | 8:14 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Laughter and humor, what wonderful things! You can tell your spirit is coming back. We are all so very proud of you. Hang in there Leroy, you are amazing! I continue to pray for you and this blogger family!

Sent by Laurie Hirth | 8:18 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Leroy - you are so right!!! I remember every time I was in the hospital I thought is this the best way to rest? and take care of my body?? Especially when you reach the point where some of the bp, etc., is just routine monitoring - I really always appreciated it when the night shift of the custodial service came in to get my trash about 5:30 a.m.?? I understand they each have responsibilities, etc., but really is it a great idea to open the door - flood the room with bright light and wake up a person who is trying to heal and rest just to get the trash out!! ha ha.....
I'm with you the caregivers are absolutely wonderful - but someone in the operations side needs to spend a few nights in their "own beds" to figure out how ridiculous some of their practices are!
Hang in there - we're praying and cheering!

Sent by Ruth Chermok | 8:32 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Leroy--
Amen to that! As many times I have been in the hospital for various things, the one thing you really never get is rest!
Glad to hear your spunk!

Sent by Kathleen, NJ | 8:39 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Leroy, you are back!!!! Have the best day you can. Take a nap in between all those activities. Good luck on that deal...

Sent by dorothy in oregon | 8:42 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Good luck, Leroy, trying to buck the medical establisment! I guess it's just another hidden incentive to work hard so that you can put more distance between yourself and the 5:30 wake up calls.

Sent by Maris | 8:42 AM ET | 02-28-2008

I need to revise my living will and this past weekend started thinking of what quality of life means to me. One thing was uninterrupted sleep because I am a champion sleeper and that's how I deal with the trauma of dealing with hospitals and doctors. I think your desire for sleep is a sign you are ready to go home and that desire will help you get out of there soon!

Sent by Ann | 8:43 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Hospital's don't make deals............just lousy food and 2AM wake up calls to take your temperature!

Prayers to all.

Sent by Sasha | 9:13 AM ET | 02-28-2008

So on top of it all you have a case of jetlag - without a vacation. Maybe they are all on London time and are waking you at 9:30am?

(Also, maybe it is the doctor's fault. Do they want the bloodtests done for their rounds around 8am???)

Sent by Liz L. | 9:16 AM ET | 02-28-2008

We read about sleep and the benefits derived from that sometimes elusive state. I believe the reports are compiled by experts in the medical profession, so why is it that this rejuvenating, restorative action is totally ignored in hospitals? It is a dilemma which brings me to say, ???You can???t sleep with them???, and in some cases ???you can???t sleep without them???! Put on your red slippers, Leroy, click your heels and say repetitively ???there???s no place like home???. What the heck, it???s worth a shot.

Sent by Sharon | 9:28 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Good morning Leroy, I have been following you blog for some time - I think its a wonderful inspiration for many people, but I usually dont read the comments. However, this time I was curious to see if you had any nurses respond, and realized you have quite a female following. You must be doing something right.

Sent by beth | 9:32 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Dear Leroy,
Is there a 5:30 in the morning??? I sure don't see it very often and am not happy when I do.
Did you ever notice that non-morning people usually marry or live with a morning person. My husband was chipper and happy like a little bird in the early morning. Boy, that can really get on your nerves.
I hope you will soon be home where you can sleep in every morning!
Sending good thoughts and prayers to you and Laurie.
Charlotte in Rural Ridge, PA

Sent by Charlotte Kewish | 9:32 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Dear Leroy,
Just reading today's post is making me chuckle! As a nurse of 37 years and one who worked quite a few night shifts, I feel your pain. I always felt awful waking up my patients at such an early hour and tiptoeing in never worked. Let's hope that your nurses let you sleep in soon! With much love to you and Laurie!
Jude

Sent by Judith Tynan | 9:52 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Leroy: Last night, CNBC ran a show about the Pharmacist in Kansas City who in the early 2000's diluted people's cancer IV's. Being in the group that we are in and knowing the routine, it was even more heartbreaking than if I were Non-cancer person just hearing a terrible story. I can't imagine how the people directly effected handled the news that they, their loved one's or their patients had been given little or no chemo. Even the FBI agents found it hard to work the case as they contacted people individually to break the news.

It's hard enough to accept the death of my husband, but to think that he may have deliberately given false meds would have made a hard situation, unbearable.

No matter what time they wake you up, we're thankful that you are at a place where you are being taken care of by ALL involved in your treatment.

March onward
Nikki

Sent by Nikki | 10:01 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Yeah, I've seen 5:30 a.m. a few times...I think once when I went camping; come to think of it, the other times were probably when I was in the hospital or had an early check in for surgery. Well, some of us are not morning people. I have a sleep shirt that says "I don't do mornings." It has the same grumpy cat face as the one that says "I AM smiling." Nice to see your wry notations and read others' early morning tales. The hospital never sleeps, and it's always something. Beep beep, poke, how are you today. I think it is a giant entity with a life of its own. Maybe there should be different wings of the hospital for the "owls" and the "larks." Thanks for your report with its everyday musings, good to read you tell of how your day begins and that you're hanging in there. One thing's for sure, people are taking really good care of you. Hope you get a mid morning nap though. May your day be blessed.

Sent by Sally & Tom in Spokane | 10:09 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Leroy - I am glad that you are improving. Keep your eye on the prize.

In my hospital stays, I found that getting blood drawn about 5AM was as effective an alarm clock as there is. No setting the snooze alarm on that one.

The medical staffs do a great job, God bless 'em. But my favorite personal story of a hospital stay was when I got my biopsy. I was in a lot of pain afterwards all day - my chest had been cut open - but did not want to take painkillers. Finally, around 3AM and having not slept a wink, I asked for some morphine. Within minutes, I was asleep. About 3:20, the nurse came in and asked "How's that morphine doing?" That woke me up and I slept not a wink the rest of the night!

Sleep when you can, but keep getting better.

Sent by Art Ritter | 10:18 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Dear Leroy,

Just what is it with hospitals and medical professionals, insisting on waking up soundly sleeping people? I'll never forget the very early morning (read, around 2:00 a.m.) after my double mastectomies...they got me out of bed to weigh me. Now, I ask you!What possible use could that information serve at that time of the day! Especially since I went home around 10:00 a.m. the same day!

But I take comfort in your bitching! You've got to be feeling a little better!

Keep up the good work, my friend,
Mo

Sent by Mo Spikes | 10:31 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Leroy, I can sure tell you are feeling more like your old self. And I also couldn't agree with you more about the early morning hours. I have often wondered who set the rules to wake a person up in the hospital at 1:00am to give them a "SLEEPING PILL"....what is wrong with this picture? Anyway, keep on keeping on my friend, you are steadily climbing the ladder to well.

Sent by Teresa in WV | 10:31 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Hello Leroy,
Your post today reminded me of the time when I was a nurse in a hospital and had a physician as a patient. I was required to take her vital signs every four hours as she was less that 24 hours post-op. At 4 a.m. I gingerly went in and tried my best not to awaken her, but of course that is practically impossible. She groaned and grouched, "No wonder patients don't want to come to the hospital!" I thought life had just given her an important lesson in empathy that would serve her patients well in the future!

All my best to you. Remember, "Spunk is Good!" Keep negotiating for your sleep.

Sent by Linda | 10:32 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Ach, 5:30 is the pits. I got less sleep in the hospital than anywhere. I remember feeling so much better when they let me go home so I could sleep. It truly is nature's healer.

Sent by Alycia Keating | 10:35 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Good Morning Leroy, Laurie and All,

Leroy, Yes, that early morning wake up for B/p Etc. can be a bummer!! But as a nurse for 42 years, I too, was guilty of doing this to my patients. We not only checked vital signs but also gave the patient a pan of water to wash their hands and face before breakfast. I think that would have brought quite a howl from you!!

Laurie, I'm sure you will find a way to soothe Leroy's early morning growls. Perhaps the bribe of a chocolate cupcake will help.

To All, I hope your frustrations are few and the sun shines brightly along your path today. God Bless!

Eileen Pruyne
Charlotte, NC

Sent by Eileen Pruyne | 10:38 AM ET | 02-28-2008

LeRoy, You're not in the hospital to sleep, you're in there to get well. When in the hospital you play by their rules. I'm so happy that you are complaining, a very, very good sign.

Sent by Ruth White | 10:44 AM ET | 02-28-2008

Leroy, I was worried yesterday when the post was not there. I am so glad you were just trying to wake up. I have no idea why they get you up so early. After all, you are there to heal right! I guess if they have to be up then they want you to share the misery. You have a good day, and grab a nap somewhere. Stan

Sent by Stan Wozniak | 11:43 AM ET | 02-28-2008

I'm reminded of the time a few years ago when my mother was in the hospital, and the nurses got her up at 2:30 AM to weigh her. Shift change!

Sent by Cindy Hicks | 11:43 AM ET | 02-28-2008

1 1/2 years later I can laugh about the absurdity of this: Immediatly after my lobectomy for lung cancer, every morning at 4:30 AM a non-English speaking man would come running into my room, flip on the overhead light and in a panicky, barely intelligible, voice yell "Wake up, X-RAY, X-RAY!" Then he would raise up the back of my bed, stick a metal plate behind my back, take the x-ray and go running out the door, usually leaving the light on and me still sitting up, stunned. At first it scared me, then it ticked me off, by the 3rd day it struck me as hysterical. The whole process took maybe a minute. His job must have been timed or something. Maybe he was on probation for not being fast enough. In any case, I did survive and I wondered at first if I was a character in a Mel Brooks movie or maybe on Candid Camera.

Sent by Laurel M. Jones | 12:10 PM ET | 02-28-2008

Ya know Leroy, us nurses make the worse patients~~I remember being at the other end of the spectrum and I didnt do so well. I dont think it would be a problem if you ask the staff not to wake you so early. I bet that would be OK~~ : )

Sent by Robin | 12:49 PM ET | 02-28-2008

Leroy,
You are so right. I have always thought if the staff had to be a patient for a week they would understand why we don't want to be awakened after finally getting to sleep for vitals. Why leaving the door open in the middle of the night is so thoughtless. It just reinforces, a hospital is no place for sick people!!

The sooner, you get out of there the better. Keep working and LIVESTRONG!!!

Sent by cv | 12:52 PM ET | 02-28-2008

Crankiness (and humor) are signs of hope and improvement! Hang in there!!

Sent by betsey in albany ny | 12:52 PM ET | 02-28-2008

Oh my! Bless your HEART! I so feel for you. When I was in for a six-day stint, this woman came in every morning at 3:30, slammed the metal trashcan against the cinderblock wall, and demanded to know if I'd had a bowel movement "today".

On the last day, when I knew I was going home, I answered, "Of COURSE I have! Don't YOU regularly wake up at 2:00 in the morning to take a ____?"

Hah hah!

Sent by Victoria Ferreira | 12:53 PM ET | 02-28-2008

As a healthcare worker, let me just say....yes. We have to take yoour vitals at that time...we do it cuz its fun. lol
Seriously, just tell your Doc to tell the R.N. to let you sleep in, he will.
Liz

Sent by Elizabeth Zimmerman | 1:20 PM ET | 02-28-2008

Leroy,

Grumpiness is a very good sign, indeed. Off with their heads! Glad you're getting better.

Sent by Diana Kitch | 3:02 PM ET | 02-28-2008

Ah Leroy, I just love to hear you complain! Maybe you could get them to give you 1 mg Melatonin so you could go back to sleep. That's what I've been doing when some noise in the alley wakes me at 5 am several mornings in a row now.

Sent by Dianne (DC) | 3:12 PM ET | 02-28-2008

Getting a good nights sleep in the hospital is even harder to achieve than a decent meal from the hospital cafeteria. Well, although you've got more than enough on your plate now, you can still be grateful that you don't have to deal with Laurel's panicked "X-Ray! X-Ray!" guy, Leroy...although it would have been SO MUCH fun reading your reaction to it. (Laurel, you're a hoot!)

Sent by Karen Laven | 4:15 PM ET | 02-28-2008

One thing I can not stand is the sound of dawn cracking. Glad to read you are feeling well enough to complain.

Sent by Theresa Lovin | 5:52 PM ET | 02-28-2008

You're complaining...that's good news!

Sent by Marcy in NJ | 6:02 PM ET | 02-28-2008

Leroy, Great to hear you complain!!

Keep it up,
Jane

Sent by Jane from Arkansas | 6:27 PM ET | 02-28-2008

Our--er, I guess it's MY--hospital has a fairly decent menu. The omelettes are especially good.

I was on the cardiac crit unit last December for a few days and I can't complain about the food, although, no, I didn't ever get a good night's sleep there. I chalked it up to my tendency to not sleep well in a new space the first few days. I do the same thing in hotels.

Hang in there, we're pulling for you to get home ASAP.

Sent by Bruce | 7:09 PM ET | 02-28-2008

It's so good to laugh with you Leroy...now about your 5:30 wake up call, I suppose the nurses figure that if they have to be up at that hour of the morning, so does everyone else! LOL

Hugs....

Sent by Faun | 7:26 PM ET | 02-28-2008

i know that when i was most ill in the hospital, it really didn't much matter what time it was or what hospital staff was doing--i was oblivious! i only became aware of the annoyances of hospital life when i was much better. i seem to remember the staff also wanted test results on me early because if some new torture was on the menu for me, i had to fail that test before morning rounds began. i think we are all stuck with early mornings in hospitals. once again, i found using an ipod with audio anything: music, books, podcasts, and so forth, made it much easier to drift in and out of conscious states, regardless of what was going on in the hospital routine. if you aren't using an ipod yet, have someone go out and buy you one and fill it up with content for you! i love the video uses for ipods too but the audio content excels for hospital drifting and dozing. carol

Sent by carol irvin | 7:48 PM ET | 02-28-2008

Here, here! 5:30 in the morning is just not humane.

That's more the time to be getting to bed than the time to be getting up!

More reason to get out of there!

Sent by Scott S. | 7:59 PM ET | 02-28-2008

One thing you find out very early (usually the first morning) you are NOT in the hospital to rest up.Sometimes it seems every test & schedule is placed strategically in place to keep you from sleeping in. Hang in there home is closer than it seems & surely you will merit at least one day a week to rest in!. Hang in there Leroy..WE are with you every stepwe can be.It's been 24 months since my terminal diagnosis for me...24 more blessed months w my family & children & goergeous grandchildren. Early on I taught all of them if we did it slow & easy everyone could climb up in that big king size bed tell us all the stories of the week or day. I think they now see this as a place a refugue as much for them as for me as them one told me over the holidays"it's okay grandma you just rest your eyes & I will tell you all my stories in a really low voice." What angels they all are..we are truely blessed.

Sent by Cherie Brown, Tucson | 11:29 PM ET | 02-28-2008

Have a little talk with your doctor about the night crew waking you. He or she can have them put a "do not disturb" sign on your door. It worked for me and stopped those 3 AM "we need to check your weight and change your sheets". It didn't work on the 5 AM "I need to draw some blood" but it felt good to win one. Complain, it can't hurt! My wife spent last night in the same hospital and the food has really improved in the last 13 months. Maybe my complaining about that did some good too.

Sent by Walt from LA | 4:38 AM ET | 02-29-2008

Have a great weekend Leroy and Laurie. Hope you both have some quality time together now that you sound like you are getting frisky again!
Here it looks like we shall have a cold, clear one but it will be March tomorrow and that means Spring is coming! Keep up your wonderful progress and I shall eagerly await Monday morning and "your wake-up" call.

Sent by J C R | 7:38 AM ET | 02-29-2008

Hahaha....oh, you reminded me of my chemo days in the hospital. The early blood work made me SO MAD! The worst was that I could figure out the telling signs that let me know it was about to happen. So I would lay in bed, half asleep, half awake, listening to the nurses chatting, hearing them go into other rooms and waiting for my turn... I would be so upset by the time they came to me!

Hehehe....after they were done I know I could get at least another hour of sleep. I really looked forward to that last part.

Sent by Juan P Martinez | 3:25 AM ET | 03-01-2008

How FUNNY !!!!!!!!! I was thinking about this very same topic within the past few days: if I'm in the hospital to recover from an illness, isn't it in my best interest to get some rest?
I guess that must be asking a lot.. :)

Sent by Holly Sweet | 5:47 PM ET | 03-04-2008