Recovering

Oh the excitement of surgery recovery. . .

I just thought I'd update the blog with a few highlights from the past week since these posts are basically my journal these days.

Friday, Oct 3, 2008
Surgery went well. The anesthesiologist gave me the chemotherapy dose of anti-nausea meds so I didn't puke. I love Dr. Taylor.

Saturday
Okay, Lortab is my friend. Followed the "stay ahead of the pain" advice from my doc, but consequently experienced a lot of short-term memory loss. Jacob is sick of me asking him the same questions. I only got out of my bed to use the bathroom. I don't think I've EVER done that.

Sunday
Feeling a little more human, but experiencing the downside of using narcotics-- digestion has shut down completely. (Now it gets a little more exciting) Following the post-op instructions-- that evening we decided to remove the million layers of surgical wrapping and attempt a shower. I had been feeling fine all day, so we weren't terribly concerned. We took off the wraps, and I crutched my way to the bathroom. I had only gotten just inside the bathroom doorway when I started feeling woozy. Gratefully, Todd was right behind me. I looked at him and said, "I feel weird. Don't let me fall!" Then everything went black.

When I came to, I couldn't figure out where I was for a minute. Todd had dragged me out of the bathroom to the floor of our bedroom and was basically treating me for shock. I was sweating profusely,disoriented, had slurred speech, a terrible headache, nausea. According to Todd we laid on the floor that way for about 15 minutes without any improvement. That's when he decided to call 911. Living a mile from the fire station is a blessing. The paramedics arrived, pricked and poked, watched me puke up that night's dinner, took my blood pressure and decided I needed a ride in the ambulance to perk me up. Riding in the back of an ambulance when you already are heaving up your cookies is a horrid experience. Getting an IV poked into your arm going down a bumpy road is also a lot of fun.

I arrived at the ER and was attended to by the worst nurse I've ever been subjected to. (I apologize to all the good nurses in the world, but this gal is doing little for the PR of the profession.) More pokes, beeping monitors, and listening to the idiot guy next door repeat his hunting fiasco a million times. (Antler in the leg.) Todd and I decided that the only reason they take people who aren't really dying to the ER is make them feel that being sick at home is infinitely preferred to staying in the ER one second more than necessary. It took about four hours to stabilize my blood pressure, heart rate, and get me to stop throwing-up. All joking aside, it was scary. We are grateful to a wonderful neighbor for staying with children until we arrived home about 1:00 a.m.

Monday
Still feeling the after effects of Sunday's adventure. Todd cancelled his classes and stayed home with me. He's a fabulous nurse. I've been downing laxatives and have sworn off the big-gun painkillers in hopes of moving things along. I'm sure all of you mothers can relate a little bit from the post-delivery trauma. Two goals today--successful bathroom adventure and a shower.

Tuesday
Todd has to go to work. The kids are at school. I'm all alone for an hour or so until my mom and sisters come to take care of me. I sit in my chair in the kitchen and cry. Feeling crappy still. My family is so great. Kris and Rashell came and scrubbed bathrooms, vacuumed, fed me, made me laugh, washed my hair and supplied me with bowel advice. (They are both nurses-- the good kind.) Mom came to stay. . .again. The past few weeks she's been here quite a lot. What would I do without her? Jill came that afternoon with dinners, fleece covered crutches (she's had a few accidents of her own), and more entertainment. Lest my brothers feel slighted, I did appreciate the phone calls, but let's face it they didn't want to scrub my bathroom. Love ya, boys!

Wednesday
After making sure the laundry had been tackled and that someone was going to feed me dinner, Mom had to go home to take care of other important stuff. Besides, I'm starting to feel a little better and my kids are getting SPOILED having her here. I have such great friends and neighbors checking in on me and bringing us food. My kids think I should get seriously ill more often as they are eating fabulous food this week. Todd even declared Lana's barbecue was "just like my mom's!" No one is starving here.

Thursday (today)
Today was my maiden voyage of staying by myself for most of the day. I have to say. . . it stunk. I'm getting spoiled having people around all of the time. Todd did take pity on me by coming home for a couple of hours this afternoon before returning to LDS Family Services to save the world. My kids have been very helpful, but they're almost to the end of their helpfulness rope. Sadly for them, the journey's not over.

Lessons learned so far:
1. I'm not as tough as I think I am. My leg hurts! I've spent the past 8 months seriously focused on being physically well and fit and now I feel like crap. I have enough stamina to crutch my way to the bathroom and back to my bed or chair. And there I sit for hours.
2. Taylor is a great place to live. I couldn't ask for better neighbors and friends. That isn't to say that I haven't had that kind of support in other places, but I likely didn't need it the way I have this week. I'm indebted forever.
3. Todd is a great nurse. This is a real role reversal for us, and I have to say that he is a more patient and compassionate nurse than I am. Thank you, honey.
4. My kids are actually capable of picking up after themselves.
5. They love Grandma and will do almost anything she asks.
6. Robin McKinley's Deerskin was really a dumb read. Don't bother.
7. Do whatever I can to avoid injury and surgery in the future.

Not exactly earth shattering insights, but hey, I've only been sort of functioning without narcotics for a couple of days.