Sorry I didn’t blog on Saturday, but Friday night ended up being a nightmare, but started off good. I got my Zanaflex and had about 3 ½ hrs sleep when they came in at 3am and woke me up to do my vitals and draw more blood (yes, more needle sticks). Well, the machine couldn't find my blood pressure after 6 or so attempts, so they did it manually. Now, keep in mind, I was flat, not elevated and laying on my right side. The first time it was done manually it was 80/40 which is VERY low, then she had someone else come do it and it was 70/40. I felt fine. By this time, I had no veins left. Several people tried and I was crying so they finally gave up and had the day shift do it. She got it in the first try, but not without me crying. They finally got the blood drawn and sent off. The next thing I know is they have a whole bunch of people in here and they pushed in 2 bags of fluids into me as fast as it could go. My blood pressure came up just a little bit, but I don’t really remember, something like 102/50. Then they had xray come up and take a chest xray to see if maybe I was bleeding internally or something. The xray showed I now had some fluid in my lower left lung. When the labs came back turns out I was very low on blood. I had received 2 units in the OR on Tuesday, they told me I needed another one, but they weren’t going to give it to me right then. They gave me more pain meds, I think this time they tried the pill form of Morphine. Guess what? Yep, I started throwing up again. I threw up all day on Saturday. At least this time when I was wretching I couldn’t hear my breastbone crunching. Everytime before I could hear it. I know, gross. But try being the one who it’s happening to!
By the time they started to give me the blood, they told me I needed 2 units, not just one. They started giving me the first unit of blood about noon on Sunday, today, about 4 hours. Then they pumped some Lasix in me (to get rid of all the fluid that they had pumped into me earlier) and I spent the next 2 hrs peeing. By the time I would get back in bed and get settled in, I’d have to pee again. Needless to say, I was completely exhausted by this time and still throwing up too. I was starting to get worried at this point. I honestly felt like this is the beginning of my death. I thought I would have felt better after the first unit. The second one took about 4 hours also. By this time, all the Morphine, Oxycodone and whatever else they had given me for the pain had left my body and they switched me to good ole Ibuprofen, 800 mg. I was a little weary of it because it was in pill form and I still hadn’t been able to keep anything down yet. I think I got that at about 10pm or so. It was about 20-25 minutes later I felt it hit my system. I instantly started getting hot again and woozy and started to wonder if I was going to throw it up too, but instead it worked! It was huge relief to my body. Then about 11pm, I got my Zanaflex again. Again, I could tell exactly when it entered my bloodstream, started getting hot again. I was sitting up in bed trying to sleep and all of a sudden I felt my lower back muscles totally release. My lower back dropped into the bed about 2 inches. It was the greatest feeling in the world. I can honestly say, I don’t think I have ever had a muscle release like that. But I knew if I could diminish the pain, then the muscle relaxer could do its job. That’s just the way I am. They had brought another bed into the room for Bryan and we both slept soundly for about 3 ½ hrs before they came in wanting more blood. I begged them not to stick me again, just use one of the IV’s I aleady had in me, but neither one would give blood, so yet another needle stick. I think by now, I was up to at least 25 counting both of my arms (not counting any other part of my body they stuck and not counting the Insulin and Heparin shots).
I had been able to keep down some yukky vanilla pudding, ice chips and water at about 6 am so I got a regular breakfast about 8:30. I was able to eat a few bites of an omelet, a few spoonfuls of Cream Of Wheat, and a couple of grapes. Things were looking better. I got more Ibuprofen and that helped for about 3 ½ hrs (when I could only get it every 8 hours!), so when the doctors came in to see me, I asked them to reduce the dosage to 600mg, but increase the frequency to every 6 hours and they actually agreed. Since I was feeling better and needed more muscle relaxers, I agreed to try Baclifen. I had heard it was good and several people I know have used it, but I was afraid it would make me sick again. The pain doctor said he didn’t think it would, it wasn’t a pain killer like the other things that had made me sick, just another muscle relaxer and I don’t think I have ever gotten sick from a muscle relaxer.
When the Baclifen kicked in and the Ibuprofen kicked in, I was feeling pretty good. Bryan got me laughing and then I couldn’t stop. Everytime I would look at him, I would start laughing again. The tech came in and asked what the heck was going on and said that I must be feeling much better. (I guess everyone looks better than death warmed over:-) After lunch, Bryan helped me w/ my shower again. Wow! It actually felt good this time and I was able to stand up straight and tall for that brief time. It’s amazing what I can do when I feel good! After we got my hair dried and had my teeth brushed, I had to lay down for a while, again worn out. I wanted to wait until the next Ibuprofen at 2 or 3 before I attempted to sit in a chair or walk out of the room. Everytime I would sit up or stand up, my back muscles would start going into spasms again. I got my meds and Bryan and I walked down the hallway the nurses station. I asked them if they could get me a TENS unit. It would bring relief quicker than any muscle relaxer and had no side effects. I have one at home, it’s just hard to use unless you have someone to put the electrodes on your back and get them in the right spot. The nurse said she would check into it. That was about 3 or so. It’s now 8:30 and the last I had heard was that the Physical Therapy department had them but they were gone now, so they were going to call the on-call person to find out if they could get one. Still no TENS unit. But I am feeling a whole lot better. I have the same night nurse as yesterday and the same day nurse as yesterday and both of them said it was amazing to see the other side of me and how good I was apparently feeling.
BUT, I still can’t go home. I have to have a bowel movement and I haven’t had one since the night before surgery. We are now at 6 days! So, I am trying. I had a laxative this morning and a suppository late this afternoon. I think I am going to have to ask for another suppository. I want out of here tomorrow and I don’t want to drink any prune juice! Yes, I would rather have something stuck up my butt than drink prune juice! When I told my mom that all I needed was to poop then I could come home, she said to just stay in here a few extra days to get better because she was a terrible nurse and I was even a more horrible patient. Hmmmmm, imagine that:-)
My mom went to get Kai today, so he is home now. He sounds like the normal Kai now and says he is feeling pretty good. My mom said he is sitting up pretty straight, not bent over. He says now that he wishes he would have had his breastbone corrected instead of choosing not have it done. I wish he had too, but maybe God just didn’t have that in the cards for him. I told him he needed to check his email because I knew that his language arts teacher had sent him homework and he needed to get started on it instead of playing on the computer all the time. This evening the homebound teacher called and she is meeting w/ his teachers on Wednesday morning and will be at our house 1:15pm everyday for his schooling.
That it enough for now. Pray for Poop!
Later, man!
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