Tina, when I had my PKR I felt like I was the one in control!--I swabbed my own nostrils with betadine (a really loathsome thing to have someone do to you) preop, told the OS I would appreciate it if he would let me go home that day, told my husband to take my scripts and get them filled so we'd have them all ready, also let him know he was to head to Starbucks and get me a latte as soon as I was done in the recovery room. When I woke up in RR the nurse asked me could I use the bedpan as my bladder was distended, told her nope, do a straight cath, this butt is too big and I'm too sleepy to manage, upstairs (sipping my latte) I told the nurses I was going home later. Let them know they could take the IV out because it was positional and the alarm kept hooting. They complied. OS finally got done with all his surgeries, came to see me and write discharge orders, I told him he needed to re-do PT script for outpatient rather than home health care, then I told nurses I was getting up to go to the john and got out of the bed and walked to the toilet with no assistance from anyone. Then I got dressed and headed out to the nurse's station because the wheelchair wasnt getting to the room fast enough to suit me. Got in, rode downstairs, got in the car, waved bye-bye.
Next morning I called the OS's office and let them know I was going to change the dressing because it was saturated and had to go. Then called PT and asked pretty please could they squeeze me in that morning because I was not having home health care and OS wanted daily PT for 2 weeks. Again, everyone complied with my agenda after a polite exchange of information.
Not one of those folks I was bossing around took exception to my being in control, because I (in the OS's words to my husband) had done my homework. Its true that I am a nurse and speak Dr and Nurse language fluently, and therefore it is possible that they respond better to me than to those who are not of their kind.
United States
