Nine Days Out...

I am nine days out from surgery today but am going to go back a bit and recap some of this last weeks events.

I totally understand that you really don't get any rest while you are recovering from surgery. All night long the first night every two hours or sooner the techs and nurses are in checking your vitals, tubes, water, temp, getting you on and off the bedpan (guys have it so much easier)and anything else they can think of. It was and is very exhausting. I had one mishap that was sort of funny, still is, when you think of it. It was late and one of the techs came in to check my drain. Well, the little retractor pump was extremely full and so she emptied it. Then got me on and off the bedpan and made sure I was comfortable, when she went to pick up the cup of blood her glove was wet and...yes you guessed right, it went all over me the bed and anything else that was around. What a mess, she apologised profusely, I told her not to worry about it, that it happens. Well after getting myself cleaned up(sponge bath) new sheets, bedding and gown and the bed and equipment wiped down, she put me back on the CPM machine for two hours. So that was an exciting side bar to the evening.

The next morning after breakfast and being on the CPM machine for two hours the Physical Therapist came in and we did some exercises and then she got me up out of bed and we went for a walk down the hall and back. We also worked at getting up out of bed and to the bathroom. So that was an experience plus being HARD WORK. I will say this about the food instead of describing it. It was like eating at a very good restaurant and you could have all you wanted. Also the staff has access to some out of this world ice cream. Great late night fare. I even had company come and see me. David and Jo, very dear friends of ours dropped by and brought me a Grandma Picture Show-off book. We had recently told them we were going to be grandparents. It was fun seeing them again as it had been awhile since we last saw them and their visit was the highlight of my day.

Friday was a tough day for me, I got nauseated and have had a touch of it on and off these past 7 days. I did have one lovely surprise as my office cohorts called and expressed their best wishes for a speedy recovery. How very sweet and thoughtful. I work with a really great bunch of people at OU.

As I was getting ready to leave Saturday around 1p.m. I decided to take my temperature just for the kick of it and discovered that it was at 100.8, if my temp was over 100 I could not go home. I think the nurses were amazed that I discovered it and not them. Dave had already arrive to take me home and instead we had to work on the breathing machine to get my temp back down. I am not sure what the correlation is between temperature and deep breathing is but apparently there is one. I was able to leave around 3:30 once my temp was down to 98.6, we got home at 4:30 and into bed I went, and on the CPM machine for the prescribed two hours.

I will say one thing, I had wonderful techs and nurses. Every one, except for one, a real sourpuss, went beyond the call of duty. I have never had such wonderful care like I had at the McBride Clinic Orthopedic Hospital. One of my techs, Rhonda, was a real sweetheart. If everyone was like her no one would complain about anything. She was so upbeat and cheerful and helpful, it made you want to get well faster.

Saturday and Sunday were non-eventful days, days that mostly consisted of being on great drugs, the CPM machine, eating and being out of it most of the time. I did have to learn how to give myself a shot of Lovenox (blood thinner) I will have to do this until the 15 of the month.

Monday was my first Physical Therapy day. Karen at Goddard Health Clinic is my PT person. She is very considerate but works you. I was doing great, she was quite surprised that I had a 75 degree bend so soon after surgery. I was beaming from ear to ear.

Tuesday was an off day, the routine was the same except Dave gave me some popcorn as a late night snack. That was when all the trouble began. The popcorn was great and Dave made sure that any hard kernels had been removed. After I finished my popcorn I went to put in my mouth guard and something was not right. It was hurting while I was trying to insert it in my mouth. I reached back and found a little bit of popcorn stuck on my tooth. I removed it and tried again and still the mouth guard would not go in. So I felt around and the next thing I had part of my rear molar in my hand. I have discovered that I can cry faster than the speed of a falling pin. It does not take hardly anything for me to turn the faucets on. This became evident very early Wednesday morning while calling the emergency room at McBride Clinic. They calmed me down and later that morning I got in to see the Dentist after having Dave get me an antibiotic to take before the appointment. The Dentist informed me that I would need to see a Periodontist to have the gum around the affected tooth removed before the Dentist could put a crown on. This procedure will have to wait until I have the funds available. After the Dentist I had a PT appointment and then went to have my hair cut off after lunch. Needless to say my poor knee got a workout and a half and I was pooped.

Yes, you read right. Off came the hair which was past my shoulders. I got tired of trying to keep it up while in this condition for the next 5 weeks. I was waking up every morning with my head and body ringing wet. I sleep in a cold room so I know it was not good for me. And I don't need to catch a cold right now. My knee started cramping so the assistant at McBride Clinic told me to take it easy for the next few days and let my leg rest as I most likely had overused it and it decided to rebel.

Today, Friday, is PT day and staple removal day. PT went well. I just wish the pain was not so constant. Dave and I were thinking on the same wave length today, as he thought when he dropped me off for PT that a hamburger from Sooner Dairy would be great. I on the other hand had Karen my PT person call him to come pick my up after my session and she told him that I would love to have a Sooner Dairy Hamburger. We call them Dairy Delights. He told Karen that we were indeed on the same wave length after 37 years of marriage.

After our Dairy Delights we came home and I took a nap before heading out to the McBride Clinic in downtown OKC. I will say this for the group. You do not have to wait very long before being called back for your appointment. Phil, my PA came in and said that the incision was looking good and started removing the staples. I had two that were a little on the troublesome side, Dave had me do some labor breathing and everything went well after that. Phil put some Steri-strips on the incision and said that I could remove what would be left of them next week. I can now take a much sought after shower. After that I am to get some vitamin E oil and start massaging it into the incision so it will not build up scar tissue and to make the area pliable. We left there about 4:00 p.m. and went by the Wal-Mart on Sante Fe just off of I-240 and got gas for $2.26 picked up our favorite pizza, a Wal-Mart hand-made thin crust Canadian bacon and pepperoni pizza. We then put pineapple chunks and mushrooms on it and baked it. It is one of the best pizzas out there, and the price is right!

The weekend us upon us and I am ready to start working on the girls Christmas gifts. Nothing big this year mind you. Just simple. I need to start building up some stamina. It's amazing how fast you can loose your strength when you lie around.
A slug I am not!

Amore & Arrivederci For Now