All better now...? (Terrence)

[Leila Gold]

She'd been in the hospital for three weeks. Only three weeks. Which was remarkable, really. Most people would have been stuck in the hospital for months. It was also strange to think that only a month ago Leila had been dying without realizing it. And now she was alive. Potentially a ticking time bomb, but alive.

She'd had Yulia run by the apartment and pick up some clothes to wear on this first day of freedom. She would've asked someone else, but her mother had needed to return to Texas last week and all of Leila's other friends were guys who would probably not do very well when ordered to pick out an outfit. At least Yulia had been able to remember all the underwear.

Leila waited impatiently for the doctor to come in and give her the final go-ahead to leave. She was also excited to see Dr. Jordan again, who had remained kind and patient all through her time in the hospital, even when she'd gotten incredibly irritable from her headaches. He was a very sweet man, and she was glad to have had him for a doctor. It was also nice that he wasn't bad to look at, either.

So when the door finally opened Leila gave a big smile. "Today's the day, huh?" she said, almost bouncing up and down. "Everything's going good, I've almost got all my energy back, and I'm not even connected to all the wires anymore...I even took a shower! So I can go, right? I'm all better?" She turned on the puppy-eyed look and smiled really big again.

[Dr. Terrence Jordan]

Terrence couldn't help but smile at Leila's enthusiasm. She'd done remarkably well, and while she was stable enough that he was confident about discharging her from the hospital's care, that didn't mean she was quite so well as she seemed to think she was.

"Yes, you'll have to fill out all the discharge paperwork at the front desk and make sure they have your correct insurance information." Not that any part of a hospital stay was fun, but not everyone realized just how many forms they had to sign before they could leave. Still, it was necessary both so that the medical staff could get paid (the kindness of their hearts only went so far; they still needed to put food on their own tables, after all) as well as so that the patient's medical records would be correct. It was important for future care that the doctors know as much about what was going on with each individual patient as possible.

"But before that, I have some prescriptions to give to you. The first is for Prograf. You will need to take it three times a day, This is very important, Prograf helps prevent rejection episodes. It is still possible for them to happen, even years after your transplant, so you'll need to be alert. And also, the way that this stops your body from rejecting your new liver, it is by suppressing your immune system. So you're going to have to do a lot for me, okay? You need to take your blood pressure every day, and take your temperature in the morning when you wake up and at noon and before you go to bed. If you have any problems with your temperature or your blood pressure you need to call me immediately. "

He gave her a stern look, because this was serious, then continued, "And while you need to exercise, you should start with just walking. Don't overextend yourself. I'm sure your partner understands, this is for your health." The older gentleman had seemed to care about her a lot, so surely he would be willing to give her a break.

"I'm also prescribing Ganciclovir. Because of the Prograf you are at increased risk for infection, so Ganciclovir is to prevent CMV, which can be deadly at worst and leave you blind at best. You'll need to take it six times a day with food. It is very important that you swallow the capsule whole, do not crush or chew it. Be very careful when handling the capsules, don't allow your skin or mouth or nose or eyes to come in contact with a broken capsule. Don't take double doses. You will need to take eye exams regularly while you are taking this." He took a deep breath and added, "And you cannot drive while you are on this, not until I know what effect it has on you." He doubted she would be pleased by this, but he really had no choice. Better that she not drive than die in a car accident after being saved from liver failure.

"As well, you will be taking Bactrim and I am sure you will be surprised when I tell you it eliminates bacterial infections." He offered her a smile before continuing, "You need to take it two times a day, and make sure you drink a full glass of water with each dose. It is a liquid, and you'll need to shake it well before ingesting it. This medication may make your skin sensitive to sunlight, so it would be best if you stayed indoors."

And one more medication. Yes, he was prescribing her what could only be described as a regimen. "And last you will be taking Ranitidine, one tablet before bedtime to prevent ulcers."

He handed her the prescriptions, written in a hand neater than the stereotypical scribbling associated with doctors, all his instructions clearly stated. "I know it sounds like a lot, but you have been through an ordeal and your body is still recovering. I'll want to see you again, to make sure that your liver is ahh getting on well in it's new home and that your medications aren't causing any complications, but if you feel unwell or think that something isn't right call me even before your next appointment."

[Leila Gold]

Leila frowned at the mention of paperwork. She hated paperwork. She understood it was necessary, but that didn't mean she had to like it here any more than she did at work. "Fine, fine, insurance, paying bills, all that stuff. But then I get to go?"

But he wasn't done. Not by a long shot. She nodded earnestly as he described the Prograf, since she didn't want to have her new liver rejected any more than anyone else. She was a bit upset about the blood pressure and temperature bit, since it meant she would actually have to start worrying about herself and carry all sorts of strange things in her bag. "Okay," she said, "Call you. I can do that." She nodded firmly.

And exercising. Well, she did that anyway, though now of course it seemed she wouldn't be able to take those days off when she was lazy. Athena would sure be in good shape, then. "Please. Blue's not likely to overwork me these first few days. He's probably going to insist I don't come to work and he comes and burns me some soup or something." She rolled her eyes at the thought, but then was quiet again as Terrence went on.

The Ganciclovir sounded really dangerous, and Leila was a bit worried that she was going to get it confused sometime or do something wrong. Reaching over to the desk next to her she slid over the pad of paper and pen and started writing down instructions to herself. She couldn't spell the names of the medicines, but she tried, and nodded while listening and making notes. "No double doses" was underlined. Then she glanced up. "No driving? How long will that be? And does that mean no bikes or anything either?" She might need to start getting lifts from people if things continued down this path. Yuck.

She caught the joke in his description of Bactrim and gave a weak smile. This whole thing was becoming a bit daunting. "Sensitive to sunlight, huh?" she asked shakily. "I guess I'll just have to take a page out of Cobalt's book." Exercise, but don't be outdoors too long, and don't go on wheels or anything dangerous because you might be dizzy. Leila's head was starting to hurt with all this.

And yet he still wasn't done. She stared at Terrence as he continued talking, giving yet another medicine. And it sounded like all these would be permanent. So really she was just swapping taking one kind of pill for another. An ickier kind, where if you don't do it right it'll kill you. She shook herself out of her despair to write down the last of the information about the medication, then took the stack of prescriptions with a sigh. "I guess hoping this would all blow over was asking too much, huh?"

Frowning, she looked at the mess of papers in her hand. She noticed that Terrence's handwriting was neater than her own, something she thought was rather funny. It was at least an easier thing to think about than the way that her life was about to change. Had changed.

"Thanks, I guess," she said, still looking down at the papers in her hands. "Yeah, I'll be sure to give you a call. If I need it. Um." She looked up again. "Yeah. I guess this is all just pretty new to me. I think I'm in shock or something. But I guess it's just good to know that I won't have to be all alone or anything. And it's nice that I've got a pretty dependable guy on the sidelines." She gave a small grin. "Okay then, I guess. I gotta make a phone call and fill out those papers. So I guess I'll see you again...soon. Appointments and all that. Or maybe I'll see you in town, you know? I've totally fallen behind for the book club, but I might swing by anyway. It was Persuasion, right? I read that one a while ago, I could probably wing it."

Anything to return life to normal. Anything to make this feel less intense. So yes, in an attempt to make everything seem okay again, Leila reverted to a good old "see you around." Even if it may not have been entirely appropriate.

[Dr. Terrence Jordan]

"Ganciclovir isn't a long term medication." Terrence reassured Leila. "I'm giving you a prescription for a month's worth, and then that should be all and you may go back to driving and operating any heavy machinery you want."

He gave her an apologetic smile at the remark about wanting this to blow over. "Unfortunately that isn't going to happen. You're going to be on medication for the rest of your life and you'll have to make regular visits with me so that I can make sure your liver is in good health. I hope my company isn't too offputting."

Oh, wait, he wasn't supposed to be flirting with his patients. That wasn't professional at all.

"I may change the medications you're on as I see what progress you're making, but you will be on some form of medication."

He was glad to hear that she thought he was dependable; he liked to think that he was, but it was nice hearing confirmation. "Of course. I'll let you go fill out your paperwork and make your phone call. I'll see you at your next appointment."

And he gave her a genuine smile, glad she was doing so well and glad he had an excuse to see her again, even if the circumstances weren't ideal.

Maybe she'd even attend the next book club meeting, if she was up to it.

He could only hope.

(uhh sorry, Leila, discharge is so much fun xD I guess that's a wrap?)