The new room was very peaceful and despite the regular visits from the nurses to check my vitals I got a lot of much needed sleep. I awoke early and went for my normal stroll checking out the recently renovated maternity wing. The fact that they just reopened it put my mind at ease about infection because everything was so clean and new.
I went back to my room and ordered a light breakfast with Oatmeal, fruit and juice. Not long after finishing my cousin Phyllis stopped by with a goodie bag of homemade treats! It was fun hanging out with her and all the joking around helped me forget about the intensity of the pain I was beginning to feel. I think we had so much fun because we both share the same sense of humor as do so many of my crazy family members!
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| Homemade Goodies - I also got some mini candy bars too! |
Phyllis left when the physicians assistant showed up to check my dressings and incisions. He asked me how I was feeling and once again told me how surprised everyone was that I was doing so well considering everything my body had gone through Monday. He checked my abdomen incision first before having me sit on the edge of the bed to check on the multiple incisions on my lower back. Over the past couple days they were emptying the 2 drains inserted into my back and measuring how much fluid was collected. After he removed the dressings he cleaned my back with a medical wipe and informed me he thought I was ready to have the drains removed. My body may have been ready but in no way was I ready for what was about to happen. I heard him say he was going to be taking out my drains but didn't understand that he was doing it at this present moment until I began to feel an indescribable burning which caused my stomach to perform flip flops like never before. I swear the used the longest drains possible in my, otherwise time just stood still resulting in an extended period of torture. I requested we take a moment between drains so that I could gather my self together, drink a nice cup of Ginger Ale and brace for the next round. The removal of the second drain was the exact same experience as the first. The strangest feeling was just after the drain is removed and the air rushes into the small openings in my back left by the drain tubes.
A short time after the drains were removed and my dressings applied I found I was able to move around much easier and didn't have to carry them in my hand while walking about. Once again there was talk of sending me home later in the day and for some reason the idea of going home just didn't feel quite right. Growing up with an Italian family I learned at an early age comfort food makes everything seem better so I ordered breakfast for lunch before drifting off to sleep again. Rebecca and the kids stopped by for a visit before computer class as did Rebecca's father. While they were there I expressed my concerns to them and they agreed that I should stay if I wasn't ready to go home.Their visit was short but they all planned on coming back after dinner. I needed to gather my thoughts together so I went for another walk around both wings of the 2nd floor. It was nice to get some exercise but I found just the short walks left me drained.
I ordered a light dinner because I was starting to feel very run down and more like I had expected I would feel after the surgery. It took a lot more effort to move and I constantly had the chills. After dinner Rebecca's parents came by for a visit and Rebecca and the kids returned after their class was over. I enjoyed the company and the new room was much bigger which allowed for everyone to have a seat and remain comfortable.
During the visit the nurse came in and took my vitals and noticed I was running a low grade fever. Now I knew why I was feeling run down and constantly had the chills even though I had cranked the thermostat to 80 degrees! My fever was constant throughout the night and ended up spiking over 102 degrees in the middle of the night. Around 04:00 my fever broke and I think I lost a couple pounds in sweat when it did!
Looking back I am glad I made the decision to stay another night because if I had gone home Rebecca would have been taking me to the ER when my fever spiked without a doubt!
I called the nurse and requested they change my sheets and assist me with washing up before putting on some clean clothes. The first thing they did was take my temperature and everyone was relieved to see it was back to 98.6 degrees. Once my bed and my body were freshened up I went for a walk then took a nice nap.
I stayed in bed until 09:00 which is when the ladies from physical therapy showed up to assist me with how to properly get out of bed once I was home and to verify I was able to tackle a flight of stairs without issues, once we were done with the PT session I felt confident I would be going home! I returned to my room and met with the physicians assistant who confirmed I could go home later in the day if I was comfortable doing so. While I was blessed with some amazing nurses, aides and students in training I was ready to go home! I called Rebecca and let her know she would need to pick me up later in the day and the second leg of my journey would begin.
During the visit the nurse came in and took my vitals and noticed I was running a low grade fever. Now I knew why I was feeling run down and constantly had the chills even though I had cranked the thermostat to 80 degrees! My fever was constant throughout the night and ended up spiking over 102 degrees in the middle of the night. Around 04:00 my fever broke and I think I lost a couple pounds in sweat when it did!
Looking back I am glad I made the decision to stay another night because if I had gone home Rebecca would have been taking me to the ER when my fever spiked without a doubt!
I called the nurse and requested they change my sheets and assist me with washing up before putting on some clean clothes. The first thing they did was take my temperature and everyone was relieved to see it was back to 98.6 degrees. Once my bed and my body were freshened up I went for a walk then took a nice nap.
I stayed in bed until 09:00 which is when the ladies from physical therapy showed up to assist me with how to properly get out of bed once I was home and to verify I was able to tackle a flight of stairs without issues, once we were done with the PT session I felt confident I would be going home! I returned to my room and met with the physicians assistant who confirmed I could go home later in the day if I was comfortable doing so. While I was blessed with some amazing nurses, aides and students in training I was ready to go home! I called Rebecca and let her know she would need to pick me up later in the day and the second leg of my journey would begin.
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| Home Sweet Home! |
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