A Day Late, a Dollar Short...maybe?
Mar. 27th, 2004 03:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tinhuvielWell, I'm sitting here on the couch and have decided to take cyber-pen in hand and attempt to recount the events of the last few days. It may be a bit sparse in places and perhaps even a bit dodgy, but I can't help that 'cos I've been drugged for a while and I offer no apologies. HA!
Monday:
After a Sunday of bowel-driven horror combined with Zombie terror, I awoke beside Llewellyn thirsty, hungry, and beyond nervous. After I bid him adieu, I readied myself for the hospital and ran some last-minute errands, even paying a couple of bills before heading that way. I didn't want to leave Aunt Tudi in a lurch should I perish under the knife. We picked up Janice and went on our way at around 10:15 a.m., arriving at pre-procedure at about 10:45, 15 minutes before the time they wanted me there. I didn't sit for long before I was called to the back and told to strip and put on one of those fashionable hospital gowns. I lay there for a while talking to Aunt Tudi and Janice as the nurse gave me a blood-thinner shot and a couple of pills for nausea and indigestion. By then all I wanted was something to calm my one last nerve. When I thought I was going to finally jump out of my skin, a dude came up and hand me jump gurneys so he could take me to pre-op staging room. I said my goodbyes to Aunt Tudi and Janice as they were diverted into the waiting room, and was rolled to a stall, for a lack of a better word, where I waited for the anesthesia doctor. After about 30 minutes, he came round and began the arduous task of trying to find a viable vein in one of my arms. After the fourth try and thousandth apology, he finally found a vein and got my IV to going. As soon as that was done, a couple of nurses came and rolled me into the operating room and promptly crucified me. Yep, they put my arms out on these little extensions and tied me down, then stuck holes in me. It was cold and bright, and I felt like an alien abuductee. Then I heard the magick words: "we're going to give you a little something to relax you."
And that was it.
They woke me up in recovery pulling the tube out of my throat, then I was out again. When I woke up again, I was in my room and it was night-time outside. The kind folks and Telehell had already sent me some flowers, which I admired briefly while the nurse explained the morphine pump to me and taped the little pump button to my hand. Ah, convenience! It was time to pass out again. Later on, the nurse awoke me and asked if I was OK. I asked to stand up, which she let me do. Aunt Tudi was still there and had decided to spend the night in the event I needed her. It was good to have a familiar face around in my drugged and confused stupour. I stood and arranged my gown and various tubes, then returned to bed with the help of the Flying Trapeze (a bar placed strategically over the bed to assist us unfortunates who had suddenly lost the use of our stomach muscles).
Tuesday:
I woke up thirstier than a camel with shriveled humps. My throat was bone-dry, my lips were cracked, and I sounded like the Albino from The Princess Bride before he clears his throat. I knew I couldn't have anything to drink, though, so I just sucked it up and endured the hideousness of my situation, hoping that my leak test would come sooner than later. Dianne came for a visit to confirm I'd been doing my breathing exercises, which I had, and she said the doc was running a little late, but should be in later. In the meantime, my leak test will happen around lunchtime, so just be patient. Alllrighty then! I decided I'd get up and try my hand at walking. I found it difficult and uncomfortable becuase it was my first time up and really moving and I was also hooked up to a catheter....ugh. I took a wee stroll and returned to wait for X-ray. They came around 11 and took me to X-ray for my leak test. The guy in the section next to me was whining about not being given pain medicine and how everyone was against him. The nurse with him was speaking to him as though he were a child, which indicated to me that this dude had an addiction problem and was trying to make it everyone else's. Sad. I was soon rolled into the X-ray room where they had me stand against the machine and take a gulp of this grotesque liquid. It tasted like concentrated Triaminic from Hell and I had to gulp the whole megillah, about a third of a cup. I did it and my test was successful, but I immediately got nauseated. They gave me a little kidney shaped pan to hurl in if needed, but I only spit up just a wee bit. This was the first bit of liquid I'd had since Sunday and I'd already had it pounded into my brain via my gastric bypass studies that one shouldn't "gulp" after the surgery, so I wasn't surprised at my instant nausea. When I got back to my room, I pumped up the volume on my morphine box and took a wee nap. When I woke up, the nurse asked if I wanted to take another walk. Why the hell not? Surely, it won't be as bad as the last since I know where all these tubes are, right? Wrong.. I walked like a trooper, having to stop occasionally and move the garter belt that was supporting the catheter back up my thigh. Then it was back to my room, where I was given the greatest gift of all: ICE CHIPS. A whole lotta sucking commenced and all was well with the world. A couple of hours later Dr. Ross came and and informed me that I had been one of his best patients and was doing everything I was supposed to do, above and beyond expectations. Great! I was even kicking ass on the spirometer, getting up to 2000 when most folks barely get to 750 after the surgery. He told me to keep up the good work and asked how my walking was going. I told him that I'd walked twice already, but was now officially on strike until the catheter was removed as it was cramping my style. He ordered it removed and set my freeeee!! Yay!! The Pit sent a little basket of flowers and they joined their Telehell sisters on the window sill. I took another walk, then got my first meal since Saturday: broth, a popsicle, Jell-O, Isopure, and lemonade. I ate maybe a fifth of it, if that, then passed out for the night.
Wednesday:
Early in the day, I got a lovely flower arrangement from Tim. I think it was the prettiest of the three, having in it's floral ranks the stately Lily and the festive Tulip. I have a weakness for these flowers, besides roses. Aunt Tudi brought me a happy face balloon, suggesting that I would think of her when I look at it. No shit! She has so many happy faces all over the house, it's like living in "Have a Nice Day" Hell sometimes. heheheheh
The room was nicely decorated and I was merely sore and no longer in pain. As a result, my beloved morphine pump was ripped from my clutches late that morning. Oh, the humanity! I was allowed to get a shower for which I was extremely grateful because I was starting to smell like a toxic waste dump. The shower was delish and, even though it took an hour to get the knots outta my hair, I was happy and refreshed from the experience. I had to ask for some oral pain medicine in the afternoon, but I thought that was pretty good since I hadn't had anything since early that morning. My walking was progressing and my breathing was fantastico. The doc was very happy with my progress and, to be honest, so was I. I was up for the majority of the afternoon and early evening talking to folks on the phone and visiting with Aunt Tudi, who'd come earlier with Llew. Llew stayed for a couple of hours then had to go on to work. He helped me take a walk and filled me in on the latest at .alt. Honestly, all that is the furtherest from my mind. I just can't get 'in the mood' as 't'were. Bleh. Once I get to feeling more like myself, I'm sure that will change. Aunt Tudi left with Janice later in the evening and I settled down to watch the Mad Mad House I missed last week, then off to sleep I went. I only had to ask for pain medicine once in the night, which ain't too bad, toots.
Thursday:
Everyone came in early this day because I was to be discharged. The nurses checked all my patches, IV's, and dressings, Dianne double-checked that I was okay with my instructions and Norma came in behind her to double-check everything again. Then Dr. Reichart, who was covering for Dr. Ross on Thursday, dropped in to release me. Finally, the IV was taken out and I was truly free of all machinery for the first time in days! In celebration, I took another walk, then came back and passed out until it was time to leave. I departed the hospital at 10:45 a.m. in Janice's van. It was a smooth ride and I enjoyed the fresh air. We ran a few errands, including finishing up my insurance business at the Pit, going to the drugstore to get my happy juice, and zipping to the grocery store for Aunt Tudi some more fizzies. I was on the road for about 3 hours before making it home. Even though I was only in a little bit of pain, I was more tired than anything, so I passed out for a while. When I got up, Llew came for a visit and I checked the Internet for the first time in days. Must....feed....the.....addiction....
Loop Garou and Hoolahoop are on the TV right now! LMFAO!
Friday:
I decided to weigh because I was able to reach spots on my back to scratch that were previously inaccessible. It seems as though I've lost 10 pounds since Monday. Uh.....as![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sri3m would say: MUH!
I've discovered that any little tiny thing currently wears my ass flat out. I walk, I sleep. I bathe, I sleep. I eat, I sleep. I do the hokey-pokey and have to sleep before I turn myself around. This is a bother. I got way off my schedule for the things I wanted to do because I couldn't stop sleeping! Of course, I was wide awake at 11:30 last night and watched some sex talk show with Sue Johansen. She's pretty groovy! I may have to check her out again.
Today
I just developed a kink in my right side. Even though, I don't think it has anything to do directly with the surgery, I'm going to watch it closely and call someone if it gets worse, 'cos right now it hurts to take a deep breath. This be suckin'! Llew is on his way over. He's going to take Aunt Tudi to the post office and the dump. As for me, I've been a bit more active today and less likely to pass out; however, if this pain won't go away, there may be some happy juice in my foreseeable future. Homey don't like pain. That said, I'm now cutting this short and getting off line 'cos I'm a big wuss. Tomorrow I will hopefully be able to catch up on on my friends' journals. Hopefully, nothing heinous has happened. ::crosses fingers::
Monday:
After a Sunday of bowel-driven horror combined with Zombie terror, I awoke beside Llewellyn thirsty, hungry, and beyond nervous. After I bid him adieu, I readied myself for the hospital and ran some last-minute errands, even paying a couple of bills before heading that way. I didn't want to leave Aunt Tudi in a lurch should I perish under the knife. We picked up Janice and went on our way at around 10:15 a.m., arriving at pre-procedure at about 10:45, 15 minutes before the time they wanted me there. I didn't sit for long before I was called to the back and told to strip and put on one of those fashionable hospital gowns. I lay there for a while talking to Aunt Tudi and Janice as the nurse gave me a blood-thinner shot and a couple of pills for nausea and indigestion. By then all I wanted was something to calm my one last nerve. When I thought I was going to finally jump out of my skin, a dude came up and hand me jump gurneys so he could take me to pre-op staging room. I said my goodbyes to Aunt Tudi and Janice as they were diverted into the waiting room, and was rolled to a stall, for a lack of a better word, where I waited for the anesthesia doctor. After about 30 minutes, he came round and began the arduous task of trying to find a viable vein in one of my arms. After the fourth try and thousandth apology, he finally found a vein and got my IV to going. As soon as that was done, a couple of nurses came and rolled me into the operating room and promptly crucified me. Yep, they put my arms out on these little extensions and tied me down, then stuck holes in me. It was cold and bright, and I felt like an alien abuductee. Then I heard the magick words: "we're going to give you a little something to relax you."
And that was it.
They woke me up in recovery pulling the tube out of my throat, then I was out again. When I woke up again, I was in my room and it was night-time outside. The kind folks and Telehell had already sent me some flowers, which I admired briefly while the nurse explained the morphine pump to me and taped the little pump button to my hand. Ah, convenience! It was time to pass out again. Later on, the nurse awoke me and asked if I was OK. I asked to stand up, which she let me do. Aunt Tudi was still there and had decided to spend the night in the event I needed her. It was good to have a familiar face around in my drugged and confused stupour. I stood and arranged my gown and various tubes, then returned to bed with the help of the Flying Trapeze (a bar placed strategically over the bed to assist us unfortunates who had suddenly lost the use of our stomach muscles).
Tuesday:
I woke up thirstier than a camel with shriveled humps. My throat was bone-dry, my lips were cracked, and I sounded like the Albino from The Princess Bride before he clears his throat. I knew I couldn't have anything to drink, though, so I just sucked it up and endured the hideousness of my situation, hoping that my leak test would come sooner than later. Dianne came for a visit to confirm I'd been doing my breathing exercises, which I had, and she said the doc was running a little late, but should be in later. In the meantime, my leak test will happen around lunchtime, so just be patient. Alllrighty then! I decided I'd get up and try my hand at walking. I found it difficult and uncomfortable becuase it was my first time up and really moving and I was also hooked up to a catheter....ugh. I took a wee stroll and returned to wait for X-ray. They came around 11 and took me to X-ray for my leak test. The guy in the section next to me was whining about not being given pain medicine and how everyone was against him. The nurse with him was speaking to him as though he were a child, which indicated to me that this dude had an addiction problem and was trying to make it everyone else's. Sad. I was soon rolled into the X-ray room where they had me stand against the machine and take a gulp of this grotesque liquid. It tasted like concentrated Triaminic from Hell and I had to gulp the whole megillah, about a third of a cup. I did it and my test was successful, but I immediately got nauseated. They gave me a little kidney shaped pan to hurl in if needed, but I only spit up just a wee bit. This was the first bit of liquid I'd had since Sunday and I'd already had it pounded into my brain via my gastric bypass studies that one shouldn't "gulp" after the surgery, so I wasn't surprised at my instant nausea. When I got back to my room, I pumped up the volume on my morphine box and took a wee nap. When I woke up, the nurse asked if I wanted to take another walk. Why the hell not? Surely, it won't be as bad as the last since I know where all these tubes are, right? Wrong.. I walked like a trooper, having to stop occasionally and move the garter belt that was supporting the catheter back up my thigh. Then it was back to my room, where I was given the greatest gift of all: ICE CHIPS. A whole lotta sucking commenced and all was well with the world. A couple of hours later Dr. Ross came and and informed me that I had been one of his best patients and was doing everything I was supposed to do, above and beyond expectations. Great! I was even kicking ass on the spirometer, getting up to 2000 when most folks barely get to 750 after the surgery. He told me to keep up the good work and asked how my walking was going. I told him that I'd walked twice already, but was now officially on strike until the catheter was removed as it was cramping my style. He ordered it removed and set my freeeee!! Yay!! The Pit sent a little basket of flowers and they joined their Telehell sisters on the window sill. I took another walk, then got my first meal since Saturday: broth, a popsicle, Jell-O, Isopure, and lemonade. I ate maybe a fifth of it, if that, then passed out for the night.
Wednesday:
Early in the day, I got a lovely flower arrangement from Tim. I think it was the prettiest of the three, having in it's floral ranks the stately Lily and the festive Tulip. I have a weakness for these flowers, besides roses. Aunt Tudi brought me a happy face balloon, suggesting that I would think of her when I look at it. No shit! She has so many happy faces all over the house, it's like living in "Have a Nice Day" Hell sometimes. heheheheh
The room was nicely decorated and I was merely sore and no longer in pain. As a result, my beloved morphine pump was ripped from my clutches late that morning. Oh, the humanity! I was allowed to get a shower for which I was extremely grateful because I was starting to smell like a toxic waste dump. The shower was delish and, even though it took an hour to get the knots outta my hair, I was happy and refreshed from the experience. I had to ask for some oral pain medicine in the afternoon, but I thought that was pretty good since I hadn't had anything since early that morning. My walking was progressing and my breathing was fantastico. The doc was very happy with my progress and, to be honest, so was I. I was up for the majority of the afternoon and early evening talking to folks on the phone and visiting with Aunt Tudi, who'd come earlier with Llew. Llew stayed for a couple of hours then had to go on to work. He helped me take a walk and filled me in on the latest at .alt. Honestly, all that is the furtherest from my mind. I just can't get 'in the mood' as 't'were. Bleh. Once I get to feeling more like myself, I'm sure that will change. Aunt Tudi left with Janice later in the evening and I settled down to watch the Mad Mad House I missed last week, then off to sleep I went. I only had to ask for pain medicine once in the night, which ain't too bad, toots.
Thursday:
Everyone came in early this day because I was to be discharged. The nurses checked all my patches, IV's, and dressings, Dianne double-checked that I was okay with my instructions and Norma came in behind her to double-check everything again. Then Dr. Reichart, who was covering for Dr. Ross on Thursday, dropped in to release me. Finally, the IV was taken out and I was truly free of all machinery for the first time in days! In celebration, I took another walk, then came back and passed out until it was time to leave. I departed the hospital at 10:45 a.m. in Janice's van. It was a smooth ride and I enjoyed the fresh air. We ran a few errands, including finishing up my insurance business at the Pit, going to the drugstore to get my happy juice, and zipping to the grocery store for Aunt Tudi some more fizzies. I was on the road for about 3 hours before making it home. Even though I was only in a little bit of pain, I was more tired than anything, so I passed out for a while. When I got up, Llew came for a visit and I checked the Internet for the first time in days. Must....feed....the.....addiction....
Loop Garou and Hoolahoop are on the TV right now! LMFAO!
Friday:
I decided to weigh because I was able to reach spots on my back to scratch that were previously inaccessible. It seems as though I've lost 10 pounds since Monday. Uh.....as
sri3m would say: MUH!I've discovered that any little tiny thing currently wears my ass flat out. I walk, I sleep. I bathe, I sleep. I eat, I sleep. I do the hokey-pokey and have to sleep before I turn myself around. This is a bother. I got way off my schedule for the things I wanted to do because I couldn't stop sleeping! Of course, I was wide awake at 11:30 last night and watched some sex talk show with Sue Johansen. She's pretty groovy! I may have to check her out again.
Today
I just developed a kink in my right side. Even though, I don't think it has anything to do directly with the surgery, I'm going to watch it closely and call someone if it gets worse, 'cos right now it hurts to take a deep breath. This be suckin'! Llew is on his way over. He's going to take Aunt Tudi to the post office and the dump. As for me, I've been a bit more active today and less likely to pass out; however, if this pain won't go away, there may be some happy juice in my foreseeable future. Homey don't like pain. That said, I'm now cutting this short and getting off line 'cos I'm a big wuss. Tomorrow I will hopefully be able to catch up on on my friends' journals. Hopefully, nothing heinous has happened. ::crosses fingers::
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-03-27 01:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-27 03:41 pm (UTC)Been thinkin' about you
:)
no subject
Date: 2004-03-27 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-28 02:07 am (UTC)Wonderful to hear that you're coming along so brilliantly.
nurse godblossom writes
Date: 2004-03-28 05:41 am (UTC):)
now back to bed with ye...
no subject
Date: 2004-03-28 07:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-29 10:06 am (UTC)I hunted you down......
Date: 2004-03-30 11:53 am (UTC)I did attempt to call you at the hospital but there was no answer. I thought a) she is still zoinked out b)she doesn't want to be bothered c)they had you walking....so I hung up on the 6th ring fear that I might get cussed for calling you...I have often thought of how you were doing and if everything was going ok..So I remembered that you had a live journal so I put the word Shriekback in and wulah! there you were. Hope to hear from you soon!!
Re: I hunted you down......
Date: 2004-03-30 12:36 pm (UTC)a) definitely zoinked out
b) didn't know from being bothered 'cos I was zoinked
c) was probably up walking. WWI (walking while intoxicated)
Nah, I wouldn't have cussed you. Sorry I missed you! How's the Pit?