Surgery Part Two: After ICU

To be honest I really do not remember a whole lot of being in the hospital. Part of it is the medicine... ok a big part of it is the medicine and another part of it is that I spent a lot of time sleeping.  At some point ( I may have still been it the ICU) I had a CT scan to make sure the noodle was still doing ok.  I can actually say now that I have passed out from pain because as careful as they were when they moved me I did pass out which of course freaked them out.  They brought me around (I am sure with some sort of drug in my PICC) and than instead of the normal two people moving a person I remember about 6 people transferring me back to my bed.  I once again cracked some sort of joke because people laughed.  I than remember telling the nurse I was going to "take a slumber on the way back".  I would blame that on the drugs, but alas that's just me.  I was in the hospital for a week.  During that time I had the blessing of Sister Sarah ( an actually religious sister) and good friend who stayed with my all day everyday.  This was amazing. She got the nurses when needed, helped me up and around once I got too that point and even brought snack that I was craving.  I can  truly say that I do not know what I would do without her there at my side during that time. It would have been very lonely and I am sure effected my recovery. She is an amazing person. I mean how many friends can you say helped you when you were throwing up, helped you change, and walk, and sat with you even though you had only had a minor washcloth bath for the whole week?  She is a keeper as far as friends go.

I also had other amazing friends visit me although I can say the first group ( Thomas, Becca, and Eric)  I mostly slept through.  They did bring me some beautiful flowers, and sat with me even though I was sleeping.  Alyce came later that week and since I was a little more awake I was actually able to hold a conversation.  The Turk's sent flowers and once I was out of ICU they were able to be delivered.  With the flowers my Newman friends gave me and the ones from them, everyone loved walking into my room because it smelled like spring.  I however was too high on painkiller to smell anything.

The normal stay for the surgery I had was 3-6 days. Average being 4 days.  I remember Dr. K coming in on day 3 squeezing my toes (in a caring nature) and asking if I was ready to leave.  I don't remember what I said, but I guess it was in some form or another a "NO" came out of my mouth, because later another doctor came in and did an evaluation.  From there I was told that I was not leaving for a few days.  Apart from knowing I had a male doctor come in and do an evaluation I don't remember him, but I do remember Sister Sarah telling me later that before falling asleep I said, "He is cute and can come back anytime." What can I say even after brain surgery I was aware I am single and ready to mingle.

Pain was a struggle to get under control at first, but once they found the right meds to pair together it became easier.  The other big issue I had was that my veins that I had an IV in kept blowing.  I was on some very strong medicine to help with not get infection, boost my immune system, keep me from getting sick vomiting wise etc.  Some of these were very powerful and were pretty much destroying my veins.  By the time the 3rd one blew they had to call NICU (again) up to get an IV.  NICU was than called up two more times after two more blows later that week.  Dr. K came in at one point after NICU and saw how bruised my arms were and took me off one of the med immediately.  He felt bad it had been going on so long.  Also, at the time he ordered for my PICC line to come out.  This was pretty much a long catheter like line that was in my wrist.  I remember them pulling it out (it was painless) and being amazed that it just kept coming.  They put it in after they knock me out to deliver various meds and blood during the surgery and in the ICU.  It is pretty much a life line that makes it easier to delver many different meds without having veins collapsing.  They also used it to draw blood several times before taking it out.

Some of the beautiful bruising on my arm but also what I call my vampire bite in.  One mark was from an IV and the other more noticeable one is from the PICC.  Hoping they will not be lifelong scars.

This was the 7th and final IV.  I took the picture on the last day to celebrate, luckily it was the last day or it would have needed to be replaced. 

Like stated earlier, NICU had to be called in several more time but eventually the 7th IV was the charm, although if I had to be in the hospital any longer I would have needed an 8th. 

 In the hospital I also had some blood pressure issues because they were not giving me one of the meds I was on before the surgery... even through we told them too and what would happen if they did not.  At some point we finally got the message across and by day 3 by blood pressure was stable.

By Friday I was at the point of being ready to leave but my bladder though otherwise.  Because of the surgery and swelling the processing between my brain and bladder was not working and I was unable to go to the bathroom on my own.  This lead to the joy of having to be cathed, and than trained on how to do it.  This did not all happen until that fallowing Monday, so while I was really to leave it did help with getting me walking better and eating better.  Monday came and I saw the specialist who trained me.  It took all of 15 minutes after she talking about safety and cleaning and infection and really left me wondering why a regular nurse could not have taught me.  After seeing several doctors and having a round of tests done I got the "all clear" to go home the next day.  I excitedly sent the text to Mama T (aka the Turks) the I had gotten the all clear.  After arranging with the nurses that I WANTED to be woken up every 4 hours to see if I wanted pain meds by about the 3rd day instead of letting me sleep, pain and everything else was becoming a lot better.  Early that morning (Tuesday) I was seen by someone who showed me some tricks to help me swallow properly. (one time choking on your pills is too many in the hospital) and by that evening we were out of there, luckily we moved slow because we had forgotten that pharmacy was suppose to come, but really what do you expect when you ask the girl who has no short term memory "Are you ready? and "Anything else?"  The trip home (aka the Turks) was several hours in which I  "slumbered" the entire time.

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Since this post is long enough I will continue the at home excitement in another post.  So stay tuned for the excitement of part 3: ER trips, at home stitches taking out, and much more.