I had skin graft surgery about 2pm Friday Dec 22. It lasted about 3 hours according to the billed insurance hours. I woke up in some room with a bunch of other dead looking people who hadn't woken up (yet). No curtains, no privacy. Reminded me of what a morgue would look like. Except there were a lot of machines that were on and no body bags within eye site, but of course I couldn't sit up per say and make sure. I don't feel like that much time passed between recovery room and back to the ICU but again not a clue in reality. I do remember the MOST important detail...
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| Sweet Tea, Marko brought me sweet tea! |
I tried to go back and see when I chatted with friends but literally nothing until almost midnight so clearly nicely medicated. I do remember nurses. And I remember really having to fight for them to agree to give me my migraine preventative at the proper prescribed dosage. That seemed so super stupid as to why they wanted to debate me getting it. I was super upset about that, but I won just about midnight and got my medication. I was on a morphine pump, antibiotics, and what seemed like a cup full of pills.
The most humiliating part was the bathroom issue. I was on 100% bedrest for 5 days. Not a leg out of the bed so bathroom usage was embarrassing to say the least. Who knew there was a female urinal? or an external female catheter (purewick)? Now you know! So I've always joked with Marko about putting him in a nursing home when he needs diapers in his ancient state. So now he proudly declares I can no longer do that since we has changing my sheets, and doing every embarassing and personal step of urinary care. Disgusting even thinking back to being in that state! He was one highly underpaid CNA in every way! (because the attentiveness of staff on a holiday weekend is one heck of a joke, trust me!) It's very humbling to suddenly fully rely on someone else when you are super independent, not the clingy type and used to running the household solo at least 50% of the time (Marko frequently works out of town). Especially for super personal bathroom care and yet, he never complained. He would literally leap up from sleep to do anything I would ask or need.
By the next morning I was back to normalness-- as normal as a very abnormal bed-rester can be. I tolerated cream of wheat and ate the banana for lunch. Saved the rest set to the side. I began my process of compare contrast and complain or praise the two room services. I think I will make that a blog of it's own.
There wasn't too much notable about the 23rd. I was on a morphine pump still. The previous day Marko would push it multiple times. But today I was mostly off of it, except to fall asleep or seriously reposition in the bed.
I was very surprised by two all-star doctors who popped up that evening.
Knowing I was hours from home combined with the holidays, I knew I wouldn't be having visitors. Initially the plan was to be discharged Christmas eve according to what I was told in the ER anyways. So, it was pretty surprising and exciting to have my brother and sister (in law) from Baltimore, Maryland show up! They, like everyone who entered my room minus Marko had to be fully covered in scrubs, shoe coverings and gloves. They couldn't stay too long because they'd left Steeler dog in their vehicle, but I still was so grateful to have my family there to check in on me. Bedrest is a pretty low point, especially when you don't have a cute little one on the way as an excuse. Marko made me order dinner even though I had no appetite. I ate half the veggie personal pizza. I saved the dessert for later too.
By that night I refused any morphine or pain medications. And I was scratching like I have seen on that TV show intervention. The morphine had made me insanely itchy and scratching the heck out of myself. My pump was nearing full that afternoon but the nurse didn't think it was an issue and cancelled the alarm. That late night it began to beep and my leg was hurting and the blood was escaping the bandages because the vaccum pump was over full. It needed emptied and replaced . Unfortunately the staffing issues were obvious. The nurse didn't know how to replace it properly. That was enjoyable.
Luckily on Christmas eve morning I got a nurse change. My leg was hurting still and the bandage still leaking. Luckily that nurse did know how to fix the issues. she changed the vacuum container (again) properly this time, had to rebandage the leg as the over flowing had messed up the vacuum sealed bandages. That was much appreciated and alleviated the pressure and pain. They also disconnected me from the morphine pump since I wasn't using it. They kept the Iv in my arm but not hooked up to anything. After 3 days I wasn't hooked up to anything! She also took off the pulse readerr and blood pressure cuff and instead oft every 4 hour vials I graduated to ever 8 hours. It was clock work. I could predict exactly when the cna and rn would pop in. 3 times a day for the CNA (7:30,3:30,almost midnight-- you know like 12 minutes after I would fall asleep for the night or something) and 4 times a day for the RN (7, 3,10 and 11) only because the delay for my migraine med that first day threw off my meds that i was getting one set of mes at 10pm and one set at 11pm. every day, so silly. I only remember ordering breakfast that day. And the nurse was trying to force me to eat a ton of yogurt (for protein). So now yogurt makes me nauseous. I may never eat it again. Marko escaped to Kroger for some food, sweet tea and most importantly I
needed a hairbrush! My hair was awful and I wanted to separate the
burnt together parts and face whatever damage may be there. I have
crazy thick frizzy hair naturally so still a head full but it'd been up
in like a knot since the ER. Luckily damage appears minimal after I brushed it. I'm sure it's crazy uneven but that's just fine! I was super bummed I was missing Christmas Eve with my parents. A few days earlier we had been told mom only had 4 weeks to 4 months and there was no further treatments available. So it wasn't just I missed our Christmas. I missed my last Christmas with my mom. It was a true sucker punch. Thankfully my sister Karlee from Florida made it home for the first time in 2 years which was extra special. Then Zach, Rebekah, Mark his girlfriend Regina, Jan and Kierra were all there to celebrate with Steeler the dog of course!
One of my best friends went to my house to get my kids their traditional Christmas Eve gifts: pajamas of course and took them to them. That was really a big deal to me. I've gotten them pjs for Christmas Eve since Anthony's 1st Christmas. Of course Jayna somehow didn't get the "message" so she didn't open hers but oh well we sure tried and I greatly appreciated Wendy going out of her way to make it happen!
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| Christmas pjs with outter space cats of course |
Christmas morning was just another day of the week. I still had no appetite. I don't really remember any meals other than a yogurt and a fruit cup. Marko got a complimentary lunch meal. Not much of anything notable most the day. My littlest brother, Anthony and Jayna came to visit that evening. The kids ate up my overstock of meal left overs and juices. I didn't see the Dr at all since the 22nd post surgery.
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| All geared up (briefly for Jayna) |
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| she approves the brownie cupcake |
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| Marko had to tease Jayna with the filter |
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| Starring competition: Jayna won! |
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| Since I knew the nurse's routines, the gowns didn't last long. Naughty rule breakers ;-) |
And then came the 2nd worst day of my life. (First worst day was 14.5 years earlier when my Godson died) Yes worst than being on fire- easily! Think that will be a separate blog. These get too long, drawn out and boring.
