Laurie Ishii and Daryl Bargy

Well this afternoon I went with Daryl to the Urgent care. The woman who worked with me on Thursday had asked me to come in today so she could try to get blood from me again.

Last time she stuck me ten times – which is not unusual for me whenever I have to get my blood drawn. Many times (most) the people or persons trying to get a vein give up after 5-10 tries. My friend Jennifer was with me Thursday and she was laughing because of seeing the doctor’s (nurse practitioner’s) reaction when she’d ask me certain questions like, “Have you had any surgeries?”

Me: “Yes”

Her: “What kind?”

Me: “Gun shot wound.”

Her: “Where?”

Me: “Left arm, through my side, liver, lung, diaphragm to my back.”

Her: “Any other surgeries?”

Me: “Yes”

Her: “What kind?”

Me: “Brain surgery”

Her: (Eyes widened but without turning her head toward me) “What happened?”

Me: “On drugs, tried to commit suicide and jumped off an 8 story apartment, landed on my head.”

I told her that I have been clean now for over seven years and she asked how I did it and I was able to tell her – “Jesus.”

She gave the kind of standard “whatever works for you” answer; not exactly but similar and quickly changed the subject. I didn’t feel that she was open to hear about the Lord right then.

While trying to find a vein the nurse practitioner said that I had more experience than her and that she usually let addicts tell her where the best veins to try are. After about 5 tries the only thing I saw was one between my fingers and it was crazy… Jennifer said that in all her years as a nurse she had never seen this happen. The NP was able to get the vein between my fingers and the blood started pumping through the tubing – and then started gushing out of the tubing! There was a small crack – Jen tried to close it up, the NP tried to catch the blood into a tube… with no luck. Ugh!!!

After that we tried again in both of my wrists (after trying my leg and ankles) to no avail. The NP was obviously frustrated and used GD a couple of times…

When I took the tourniquet (rubber tie) Jennifer started to stand up because she was going to help me tie off my arm so I could look for another vein – she hadn’t ever seen someone tie it off so quickly by themselves. We weren’t ever able to find a vein but the NP thanked me for being such a trooper. Not really, I just really wanted to get my blood taken because I’m WAY overdue to get my liver enzymes checked. (Like two years) Besides, it’s my own fault that I ruined all my veins, not hers.

Well today when Daryl and I went back to the Urgent care we had a lot of people praying for us. It was good because this time the NP seemed a little more friendly toward me. After trying a few times and missing she had Daryl come in and Daryl had a look at my arms and legs too. He didn’t find anything so he asked the NP if she did artery sticks. She said that she would do whatever I was willing to do.

I was more than willing to do that – I foolishly shot up in an artery two or three times while strung out and I knew that they were an easy stick. Plus I wanted BLOOD!!!

I showed her where to stick me and PRAISE GOD – she was able to get it! Yay! Thank You Jesus!

Well it was great because we were all glad and I hugged the NP and thanked her and jokingly told her that I felt a special “bond” with her after all we’d been through. She said the same, hugged Daryl and I told her that I wanted to give her a brochure of our ministry. She thanked me and I gave her some tracts of my testimony with the brochure and she said she may be able to hand them out to some of her patients.

I’ll get the lab results sometime this week and I’m supposed to see her again. Daryl asked how I may have contracted it and she said that the staph infection lives on our skin, but because of my compromised immune system, past I.V. use and the fact that I had cellulitus so many times (even after I got clean) that I was much more susceptible to MRSA than a normal healthy person. She said that there was a good chance that every time I had cellulitus I had MRSA but back then it wasn’t widely known about or understood.

On the way to the Urgent care I saw my friend G*** at 7-Eleven – pan handling. We stopped and I noticed his arm and fingers – blown up and swollen. He said that he had just gotten over MRSA and his arm was swollen from shooting up. He was dope sick and miserable… we gave him some cash… looking at him made me SO GRATEFUL that I am where I am now. I do NOT miss that life at all. Not even a little.

G*** said that he’s sick of it too and that he wants to get clean… I hope that he will one day soon. He knows the truth and he knows Jesus but isn’t willing to let Jesus be the Lord of his life. ;-(

Please pray for him and the NP – and for me to feel better soon! The NP said the strong antibiotics could be what’s kicking my butt and making me feel so bad. I still feel miserable and in so much pain. too much to sleep right now… oh well… it could be worse. I could still be strung out…