Category: Doctor

Out Again

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

Finally the next evening I felt better and was on my way. My appetite came back and my strength returned so that I could spend more time on my feet. I was getting sick of the 6th floor though. They told me I was moving to a semi-private room…AGAIN! I told the nurse to not mess with me, but it was true. AND I’d have the room all to myself…at least for now. I was elated! But, two hours later, a post-op patient came in. She had endured 9 hours of back surgery and was in a lot of pain. I feared it would be a long night. I did get a little bit of sleep, but the nurses in the hallway are too noisy. Again….hospitals are just not a place for rest!

Again, I was impressed with the nurses. They do a lot and are in demand a lot and do a very professional job of it. Some more than others, but all do a good job. Each set of nurses, day time and night time, have accommodated any request I have given them in regards with making taking my pills easier. One girl even made me peanut butter toast at 3:30 a.m. I got horribly sick of jello, then orange sherbet, so the toast was a nice change.

I worked more with physical therapy and our pal Lisa. Any concerns I had, she talked to the right people and got the balls rolling. Dave and I were both very impressed with her. Very helpful, easy to talk to and funny. I had been using a walker, but we decided a cane would be better suited for our house, so we practiced with a cane (dragging the IV tree along with me the entire time) and felt more confident with it. I also got some exercises to work on my muscles at home.

Set Back

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

The next day was a step backwards for me. I was sick to my stomach, throwing up and couldn’t eat anything. I was not happy. Had a headache, backache…hadn’t pooped in days. Not good.

Back to Hell

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

I was served up breakfast in the morning then suddenly two nurses came in and said “You know you’re moving back to 608 don’t you?”. WHAT??????? No! No one said a thing to me! I was livid. They wouldn’t even let me eat my breakfast in the semi-private room.

Depressed cannot even describe what I felt. I ate my breakfast in silence. At least I had a different area on the room and had a spectacular view, but I was livid. I slumped alone in the chair after breakfast. Three people, including my own Dr. had to go find me and were shocked I was back in 608. Join the club! And, it took me almost all day to finally find out the reason why I was moved back. Apparently I shouldn’t have been moved out of 608 in the first place due to one drug I was on. So it was a mix-up, understandable, but not acceptable to me.

Lisa, the physical therapist, saved my mood by offering me up a shower for the first time since my arrival. I still wasn’t happy about being in 608, but it at least refreshed me.

Brief Escape

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

A day or two later I was able to take out the catheter. Ahhhh!! A nice relief, but they were still pumping three IVs of fluids through me, so that didn’t decrease. It was making me get up more, so I suppose that was good. It was just nice to have control over my own “stuff” now.

I saw physical therapy briefly and they explained the pain in my back was due to being bedridden for five solid days. I just felt it was a little bit more than that and it took a few more days to get a Dr. to tell me the blood that was released into my brain needed someplace to go and the spinal chord was a prime area as well…hence the discomfort. Also due to being bedridden, but it made a little more sense now. I needed to get up and move!

I was trying my best to get out of the 608 ward. I was tired and cranky. They finally said I could move to a semi-private room. YES!! At last..maybe some sleep! I’d be sharing with another patient, but hopefully it would be someone nice and quiet. Risky.

I was moved down in the evening, met Brenda, my bunk-mate and her husband and settled in. I was still awakened every four hours for pills, but I DID get some sleep. Brenda and I were both up at 4:00 helping pass our pain together chatting about our kitty cats and homes. I liked Brenda.