Almost 1 Week In, and Only 5 Weeks To Go!!

This is a photo I took at Pearl Harbor.  The shot was taken with the Bowfin Submarine in the water, the Bridge to Ford Island, and the most beautiful Rainbow I had ever seen!!  This particular trip, we decided not to go on the Arizona Memorial itself.  I have been on it at least 5 times in the past though!


Hey Ya'll,

Although I am not feeling anywhere near 100%, I am feeling much better today.  Let's hope that this continues to get better, and that I don't have a relapse!  LOL  Well, here's my Surgery story....

We never got the call to arrive earlier to the Hospital, but Dr Lynch was working ahead of schedule!  So we checked in at 10 am as scheduled.  And it wasn't 15 minutes, before they took me back to the Pre-Op Room.  Christa and the Grand Kids had just arrived as we were being taken back, but we were told that they would be allowed into the Pre-Op Room with me, once they got me prepped and ready for Surgery.

We were surprised to have such a large room.  The Pre-Op Rooms that I have been in in the past, was barely larger than the Bed I was laying on!  But this one was at least 3 times the normal size, and there was plenty of space for Walt, Christa, Walker and Emily to be there, even with the Nurses, Dr Lynch's PA, and the Anesthesiologist coming in and out!

So we got to spend some quality time together.  All in all, I was in the Pre-Op Room for about 2 hours.  After being wheeled into the OR, I remember thinking that the OR wasn't quite as cold as they have been in the past.  Cold enough, but not enough to make me shiver before I was out!!  LOL  I remember speaking with the PA again, the Surgical Nurse, the Anesthesiologist, and another Nurse.  I also remember speaking with Dr Lynch, but he was standing behind me, so I didn't actually see him....Dr Lynch told me that I was his 7th Surgery of the day so far!!  Then the next thing I knew, I was waking up to someone saying my name and that it was time to wake up!

And of course, the worst of the remembrances from Surgery came back....with the driest Mouth EVER!!  LOL  So I asked for Ice Chips, lots of them.  Over and over and over again!  I'm thinking that about an hour after I woke up, they were calling to Transport, to take me to my ICU Room.  BUT!!  It actually took about 1 1/2-2 hrs for them to arrive!!  That has to be the only complaint that I had, waiting for Transport to be taken out of Recovery to ICU.  I know that Walt, Christa and the Kids were tired of waiting.

Apparently, poor Walt had to go ask several times as to when I was going to be taken to my room, as they had been informed that I was ready to go to a room, at the same time the Transport was requested....So he finally started to get pushy about it!!  What's funny is, I heard the Nurse in Recovery tell one of the other Nurses, that someone must have been complaining about how long it was taking Transport!  Even she had called for Transport 3 times, I heard her!!  Once Transport actually did arrive, about 5 of them showed up!!  It only takes one or two to push a bed!  LOL

Then I was taken to an even larger private ICU Room!!  It was almost twice the size of the Pre-Op Room.  And we were totally surprised that they allowed the Grand Kids in ICU.  But I must say that they are really good kids, and very well behaved....And the ICU Nurse that was taking care of me, only had one other Patient.  They like to keep the Patient/Nurse ratio close for better care.  And the other guy she was taking care of, got moved in the middle of the night.  So she gave me excellent care!

And of course, I needed to Urinate shortly after arriving to ICU, and of course, I wasn't allowed out of bed at this time, so I had to go in a bedpan....not my first choice!  Luckily for me, later on, they said that if I felt up to sitting up, that I could use the porta potty!  Hell yea!  So although I couldn't get out of bed on my own, at least I didn't have to lay down on a bed pan to go either.  The ICU Rooms are usually for really sick Patients, not ones that can move around on their own!!  LOL

And if you don't include trying to actually SLEEP, in the Hospital, I did very well in there!!  The only problem that I had was the pain from the Cervical Collar!  Try laying on it 24/7 and it not hurt!  Since my Neck was so swollen in the beginning, we couldn't get the Collar to sit right, where it didn't hurt me.  If I laid down on my Back, which was most of the time, then it would cut into the back of my Head.  And it always cut into my right Ear!  And don't get me talking about the base of the Neck! LOL 

So although I was self Medicating with Morphine (gotta love that drip), I couldn't get to sleep that first night at all.  Partly because of my normal routine (staying up until 3-4 am), and partly because of the pain.  I would just about get to sleep, and one of my Machines would go off, etc.  So all in all, I got about 20-30 minutes of sleep from Tuesday morning 7:30 am, until about 10 pm Wednesday night.  Dr Lynch came in during the early morning, and said that although I was doing well, he wanted to be safe and keep me one more night.  But of course, that would have to be in a regular, Semi-Private Room!!  BUT!!  Don't count out the Transport team....(ha ha)  Dr Lynch gave the go ahead to move me to a regular room at 9 am Wednesday morning, and I wasn't moved until 8 pm that night!!  And believe me, I wasn't complaining at all!!  I would have loved to just stayed in the Private Room the 2nd night too!

So by Wednesday night, I was ready to sleep!  So even in pain, I managed to sleep.  I was allowed to go home after Walt's Doctor's appointment, so we left about 12:30 pm.  Walt had stopped and picked up a bunch of Donuts from a fantastic Donut Shop in South Reno, for Christa, the Kids and Walt to eat.  I nibbled on one of the Glazed Donuts until I managed to eat about half of it.  Christa and the Kids had picked me up a piece of Cake from this great Bakery in the Eldorado Casino, while they were there, and I ate half of it when I got home!  It was soooo good too!!  It has been 2 years since I had that cake!

Let me tell you, after being taken care of in ICU, I really hated to go to a regular room!!  But I did....And once we got home, I basically slept until today.  I was released on Thursday, and I found that if I didn't take the Medications as prescribed, I would end up in more pain than was necessary, and then I was unable to relax and sleep, since I couldn't get comfortable.  But if I stayed on top of the Meds, I could actually sleep.  And now today, I have not needed the Meds nearly as much.  So hopefully this means that I will only need them when I am sleeping or up a long time.

I go in on April 9th for a 2 week follow up, to see how the stitches are faring.  And then again on May 7th, where I am ever hopeful that I can go without my Brace!!  I wanted it off as soon as I woke up with it on!!  LOL

Anyway, I am sure that I have left something out, and if so, I will post about it later on....but I am getting tired, and just about ready to lay down again.  Till next time....

Aloha My Friends  :)