Thanks
@nensi and
@Celle. Still relatively pain-free. Would have slept better if my roommate didn't snore and pass gas all night! Also her phone was on so I got to hear every notification that came in on her phone, not to mention all the noise and interruptions one would expect in a hospital. Omg! I have asked to be moved to a private room, but that's unlikely to happen because they were so short of beds yesterday that I had to stay in recovery from 2: 00 until 10:00 before they got a bed for me on the orthopedic inpatient floor.
Witnessed a Code Blue when the man in bed next to me clinically died and was finally resuscitated. Scary! They (about 20 medical professionals who were frantically working on him) finally realized that my husband and I were right there seeing all this go on and we were distressed and we could see fear and panic in them, so they moved my gurney to a different section. I said a prayer for the man and they saved him. This time. He's a very sick man.
I had a major panic attack when they wheeled me to the OR. The last time I was wheeled to that same place where they don't allow family members, I had bilateral total mastectomies and I think I must have some PTSD around that that I didn't realize until I started to recognize where I was.
You see they have completely remodelled and built new buildings to the hospital, so I guess I expected the surgery suites to have changed as well. They look identical to they way they looked in October of 2009 and started to shake and cry. I seriously thought about changing my mind. I wanted to get out of there! Then I saw a wall in my OR, I don't know how wide - 20-30 feet. The wall was lined with a steel counter top, which was completely covered in a variety of surgical tools/instruments of medieval torture - you decide - which I knew were for me, and I panicked some more. My disposition wasn't alleviated after three painful attempts to get an IV started, where veins blew up under the backs of my hands like swollen water balloons. I have always been a "tough stick", but it's been worse since chemotherapy.
The PT reluctantly visited me in the recovery room because she wanted to get off her shift at 5:00. I was made to sit on the edge of the bed and stand for a moment with a walker. I was given exercises: ankle pumps and straightening knee flat on bed - that hurts! Also told not to elevate leg, but I'm doing it anyway with a couple of pillows.
I have had to ask for ice each time, which I thought would have been standard issue. PT is supposed to visit again this morning. My nurse will be removing my catheter, which I'm looking forward to, and then I'll get to use a bedside commode. Another reason why I'd like a private room.
Pain control has been superlative! Much better than what I expected. So I'm comfortable so far.
Well that's all on Ruby's Tuesday for now. I'm kinda tired. Again, thanks for the well wishes.
United States
What an experience. I sure hope today is less *exciting* for you. Glad the pain is being managed. I hope they can find a private room for you until you can get home where your surroundings will be much more conducive to healing. Take a few naps today if you can.
