Monday December 17th
So. I have been offline a bit but now the time has come to report a few of the many adventures of someone been on the care giving side of the world and now on the receiving end....
Lets start from the beginning. I may just ramble for a while to get some things down and then go back and do some filling in and then some editing. I first must say that it is an art and a science and well oiled production line. It has been well thought out and honed to perfection. It very much remains an experience and an adventure.
So this is how it starts.
4:15 a.m. Alarm goes off. Yes, it is possible to sleep the night before someone is taking power tools to your body. I remembered not to drink more than a couple of sips of water to take some "USUAL" pills. I did relish what I thought might be my last long and hot vertical shower. I just stood there and thought "no going back". It was a go....
5:00 a.m. Dad and I drove to the hospital. I drove the Victoria Clipper and did not for a moment think about going to Denny's for breakfast. We walked into the hospital and I went to the CHECK-IN. I was given a green card and went to the next station. Now you would think that would have noticed all the other people with similar cards that were patiently waiting for the person sitting at the to be OPEN, how could 30 people be waiting. It was surgery time.
I walked up, ignored the "STATION CLOSED CALL....." and registered. I then sat and waited for the next part of the process. I looked up and there was a line. 40 people long that formed. OPPS I guess they were all their earlier than I and were the sort that honored the STATION CLOSED CALL...... sign.
So we were escorted to the next weigh-station. I think that major surgery is sort of like the military. They want to strip you of your dignity bit by bit. Yes, I do hope to weight the same in pounds next year. Off the the "chair" lovely Naugahyde, a sort of recliner thing. If you were wondering why the blue Naugahyde was gone from all your local fabric stores, now you know, it has been sucked into the world of "hospital" furnishings. More invasive questions, and then the changing into the gown. Now, why doesn't Heidi Klum and her gang have a show that designed new hospital fashion? Just a thought.....
Into the wheel chair and into the staging stretcher. My last act of self propulsion that does not include being completely conscious of how I am moving and the angles of my leg and where it is and how it is moving and who is moving what and where.....
The 12 year old anesthesiologist came in and listened to my heart and asked how long I had a heart murmur? I had no real answer to the question which made my dad developed a heart murmur. In went the IV, and then I headed to the surgery suite.
Observations.... big bulky beds, limited staffs, no automatic doors... Go figure. We finally entered the room. Remember that awful green tile that you see in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"? Well the tile is now at Swedish Hospital. I transfered to the table and was asked to turn toward the wall while a needle was inserted into my spine, I saw the table of "tools" There were large boses of joint reamers, spikes that looked like they could take down a dozen of vampires and boxes of other spikie things. Because everyone is being tasteful, no saws were in site.
A bit of medicine went into my spine, I layed down and that was it.
The next thing I knew was that I was leaving green tile world and headed back to recovery. I asked why 3.5 hours had passed instead of two. Evidently I had waited so long that it was hard to tell how the joint should have been. It was not the same as the other hip so it took a bit.
I was introduced to my "Personal Pain Management" system and left to wake up and explore the world of post surgical pain management. Back into my room by noon and then for some sleep. It is not a groggy sort of day but just pure sleep. No pain. Not because of "my friend" but because the pain was gone. Some slight incision burning but then that was not even very bothersome. The pain is gone. Gone, really really really gone.
Lets start from the beginning. I may just ramble for a while to get some things down and then go back and do some filling in and then some editing. I first must say that it is an art and a science and well oiled production line. It has been well thought out and honed to perfection. It very much remains an experience and an adventure.
So this is how it starts.
4:15 a.m. Alarm goes off. Yes, it is possible to sleep the night before someone is taking power tools to your body. I remembered not to drink more than a couple of sips of water to take some "USUAL" pills. I did relish what I thought might be my last long and hot vertical shower. I just stood there and thought "no going back". It was a go....
5:00 a.m. Dad and I drove to the hospital. I drove the Victoria Clipper and did not for a moment think about going to Denny's for breakfast. We walked into the hospital and I went to the CHECK-IN. I was given a green card and went to the next station. Now you would think that would have noticed all the other people with similar cards that were patiently waiting for the person sitting at the to be OPEN, how could 30 people be waiting. It was surgery time.
I walked up, ignored the "STATION CLOSED CALL....." and registered. I then sat and waited for the next part of the process. I looked up and there was a line. 40 people long that formed. OPPS I guess they were all their earlier than I and were the sort that honored the STATION CLOSED CALL...... sign.
So we were escorted to the next weigh-station. I think that major surgery is sort of like the military. They want to strip you of your dignity bit by bit. Yes, I do hope to weight the same in pounds next year. Off the the "chair" lovely Naugahyde, a sort of recliner thing. If you were wondering why the blue Naugahyde was gone from all your local fabric stores, now you know, it has been sucked into the world of "hospital" furnishings. More invasive questions, and then the changing into the gown. Now, why doesn't Heidi Klum and her gang have a show that designed new hospital fashion? Just a thought.....
Into the wheel chair and into the staging stretcher. My last act of self propulsion that does not include being completely conscious of how I am moving and the angles of my leg and where it is and how it is moving and who is moving what and where.....
The 12 year old anesthesiologist came in and listened to my heart and asked how long I had a heart murmur? I had no real answer to the question which made my dad developed a heart murmur. In went the IV, and then I headed to the surgery suite.
Observations.... big bulky beds, limited staffs, no automatic doors... Go figure. We finally entered the room. Remember that awful green tile that you see in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"? Well the tile is now at Swedish Hospital. I transfered to the table and was asked to turn toward the wall while a needle was inserted into my spine, I saw the table of "tools" There were large boses of joint reamers, spikes that looked like they could take down a dozen of vampires and boxes of other spikie things. Because everyone is being tasteful, no saws were in site.
A bit of medicine went into my spine, I layed down and that was it.
The next thing I knew was that I was leaving green tile world and headed back to recovery. I asked why 3.5 hours had passed instead of two. Evidently I had waited so long that it was hard to tell how the joint should have been. It was not the same as the other hip so it took a bit.
I was introduced to my "Personal Pain Management" system and left to wake up and explore the world of post surgical pain management. Back into my room by noon and then for some sleep. It is not a groggy sort of day but just pure sleep. No pain. Not because of "my friend" but because the pain was gone. Some slight incision burning but then that was not even very bothersome. The pain is gone. Gone, really really really gone.
1 comment:
So it is over, at last! Now you get to put yourself back together a day, hour, few minutes at a time. And you will be so glad you did this, at least that is what everyone tells me. So worth it to be mobile again. Bloomsday. Maybe with a cane, maybe not. I'll try to get in shape so I can walk it with you.
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