Journaling My Medical Drama of 2010 - Warning, Graphically Detailed-PART 3

Part 1

Part 2

So, when we last left off, I was on the commode with an audience.

The next day, I awoke to a kiss on my cheek. It was Clary who had been given a pass to visit by Teach. She was good until I sat up to hug her. Then she stared crying telling me that she had assured herself that she would be able to hold it together. We visited. She got to watch me pee (we are soooo much closer now) and at least I had someone there to shut the door for me.

When my roommate left for a rehab center (poor thing cried that she just wanted to go home but in your 90's you cannot just do what you want, it's like being a kid again) I asked to be moved to the more private bed.

My view

I stopped the morphine on day 3 after noticing that my blood pressure was as low as 85. No reason for that! Move on. I am not a big believer in pain killers. I think they mask a lot of what is going on and you won't be able to moniter yourself. This is not to say I am a big believer in PAIN. If you are in unbearable pain, you NEED relief. But how would I know what I need, if I were constantly masking it?

They removed my stomach drain on day 4. I was on the phone with Teach 20 minutes later and felt very, very nauseous. He told me to buzz a nurse. I clicked off my Blackberry as I pressed the buzzer for a nurse, barely getting out, that I felt like I was going to throw up. Opened my commode and noisily throw up, while holding my stitched and stapled stomach. On my first hurl, I noticed my friend Sandra standing in the doorway. She asked if I had called a nurse, stepped in and motherly started moving my hair away and handing me tissues for my face. Such good friends!

Here is the tree, the flowers and a balloon that latested until last week when it blew out the back door as Goddess and I watched it go over the mountain were from my Daddy!

The nurse came, all was cleaned and I felt fine. Sandra had brought me the cutest little Christmas Tree for my hospital room. It was decorated with red beads, red ribbons and had two little mittens on it. She said, "there are two for your two babies." Awww...always knowing what to say. Then she proceed to hang up my cards and things I brought with me,(from her and a teacher aid at the school, pictures of the kids, art work from the kids). I love my friends.

It is hard to see the kids at the hospital but they did come to see me. They were informed by Teach not to touch mommy, I showed them why they had to be careful. Handsome was very interested "What did they do? Will it be like that forever"?. Goddess, not so much, "it looks like it hurts!"

Clary and Teach came to see me on the same day which was wonderful. I felt like I had people with me and loved my foot massage (thanks Clary). Only a good friend could put on exfoliating gloves, and rub cream into your feet with your husband sitting next to you.

On this particular day I was pissed off for a good part of the morning. During the early morning, I received a new roommate who was really unhappy about being moved from her private room. Can't say I blame her but hear me out.

My little make shift dressing area

This particular morning, I decided to finally get out of my hospital gown. I made a little makeshift dressing room and got a basin of warm water, soap, wash cloth, towels and new pajamas that I had purchased for my time at the hospital. I took a bath (well, you get the idea), put on my new PJ's and sprayed some Dove Body Spray, on. Just a light raspberry. The nurse came in and said, "don't you look nice? It smells so good in here."

I went for a walk, met Clarissa in the hallway, walked back and forth with her. That is what you do in the hospital. Met Teach in the hallway, and we walked back to my room.

We were there about 10 minutes when the nurse came over and whispered. "What did you spray? Your roommate says it is bothering her and I have to ask you not to use it again" Ok, this would not be such a big problem if....I hadn't been smelling "ASS" for the past few hours. Literallly, my roommate and her husband smelled like "ASS". I never complained to the nurse however, my nose was offended for two days! There were times, I had to literally put my hand cream up to my nose to smell something other than ass, because when you are not eating, and your nausesous from your meds, you cannot smell unpleasant things without feeling more SICK!

Here is my Facebook post on that day:

IVs suck. no veins left anddd it smells like ass in here. imagine? my name roommate came at 5am complaining all morn. complain to my nurse about the Dove body spray smell. too much for her. its so not strong and was pissed at her rudeness. however everytime she passes my bed or her hub or she moves it smells like ASS! now I know why It was too much for her. she is not used to smelling something good. fah!

Than:


My nose is 100% offended. the smell of ass is overpowering. should I complain or just hand her some ass wipes?

Facebook kept me going. That comment sparked some funny comments from my friends who had all kinds of suggestions on how to deal with the "ass" family.
Fortunately, by day 6 I received my very first meal for my new intestine!

I drank about half of it! There is my commode! It was very good to me. I got rid of it that day and eventually used the bathroom which I was able to get into with my IV being outside the door.

Then I received a few more containers of liquid! When you have abdominal surgery, you are actually scared to eat. I can tell you that that first bit of soup I had, I felt where it was in my digestive track the entire time. I knew when it was entering my stomach, small intestines and than large intestine! Weirdness.

For dinner that night I received....Fried Chicken and Mashed Potatoes! Really??? There was no work up to it...soup, ginger ale, italian ice, then...this.

I ate about 70% of it and it took me an hour to eat because I fed myself like I was feeding a 10 month old.
For breakfast the next day, December 21st, I received this...

It was delicious and I ate everything except the orange juice. I was afraid it would upset my stomach.

On the 21st, my doctor made his rounds by 9:00 a.m. and I got to post this message on Facebook:

Being released from my prison cell today! now if they would only remove the handcuffs!!!


I was beyond happy and called Teach right away. He came to the hospital at 12:30. My IV was disconnected and I was released a half hour later. I was excited but hesitant; no antibiotics? Ummm...OK, I guess I was ready. The doctor knows best.
 
I was wheeled out by a 6.5 foot, 65 year old volunteer as the nurses said, "good-bye Maria". They knew how important it was for me to be home by Christmas. It was the 21st and I was heading home.
 
Teach met me at the door with the car and I got it feeling soooo happy.
 
He went to pick the kids up at the normal time and hearing them come through the door was music to my ears.
 
He was awesome, bringing me my drinks and cooking my meals, taking care of the kids. My man, was awesome. I walked up and down the hall way every 25 minutes about 10 times each way....feeling like I was on the mend.
 
Until.............................................................
 
Part 4, the final chapter coming!