Day 5: Compression and Pain Meds
I begin this day wearing sequential pneumatic compression stockings again. When I transferred from the surgical hospital to the rehab hospital, someone forgot to implement that part of my OS orders, so I've been without them for 60 hours. I just assumed I'd graduated or something.
The night shift nurse pointed out the omission. "You were wearing stockings when you came in, right?"
"The inflatable ones? Not to travel. I didn't wear them in the car."
"Let me check doctor's orders."
So she did. And so I should have been wearing them all along. They're back on my legs, except for PT I assume.
I rather like these inflatable stockings. They help prevent blood clots, which can only be good, and I like the way they gently squeeze my legs. There's a sensuality to pneumatic stockings that's straightforward and guileless. They're friendly. Where I grew up, friendliness was the highest virtue.
This sameobservant nurse also got to chide me for not staying on top of my pain meds. It's true,
, I slept through a full four hours without pain meds. I thought maybe it wouldn't matter much, but soon realized I'd made a big mistake. The moment I moved my legs, my pain was Over the moon. My bathroom trip was barely tolerable.
"I think I will wake you up next time," said Nurse.
"Please wake me!" I pleaded. "I've been doing really well and I think I'm back at the starting line."
Which exaggerates my dilemma. I didn't lose ground, precisely, I lost my cushy head space. I didn't enjoy a pleasant midnight walk to the nurses station. No longer could I say to Mr. Shoes or the children that "the pain is getting better!"
So repeat the lesson: Keep your pain med schedule; stay ahead of your pain.
I'm looking forward to what today will bring. I will get some idea of when I will be released to go home. I'm glad I did rehab, but I'm ready to rejoin Mr. Shoes. Once home I will have better control over my own recovery.