i don't know when i started to come around after the surgery, but it seemed very loud and it seemed like they were jostling me around a lot.
i had my eyes closed and i felt like ass, not really in pain i don't think, just sick. a weird sick. not hung over sick, but definitly pukey. i remember trying to throw up a lot. a lot, over and over again. i thot i heard them say i was getting a ct scan, but i wonder how they did that, how could i have laid still enough? the ct scan only takes like 2 minutes but i am pretty sure i was hurling, or trying to quite a bit.
then i was rolled around some more, i heard nurses saying i was retching which at the time i thought sounded a little unprofessional. i just did a little google/wikipedia search on that. retching really is its very own thing: rhythmically alternating (about once per second) elevation and descension of the entire pharyngolaryngoesophagogastric apparatus in synchrony with the movement of the diaphragm. hmm.
eventually i was being put into bed in the ICU and i was given a warm blanket and OMG all i could think at that very moment was wow, this warm blanket feels really good, i may have even said so.
i know they kept putting a suction thing in my mouth to get whatever it was i was retching up, and they put an oxygen thingy in my nose for a tiny bit too.
i know my doctors came to visit, i think i even talked to them. my surgeon even held the retch bucket for me as i retched into it! i knew he was there, i could see him, retch retch retch!!! he didn't flinch or anything! eric and christie were there with me, too, they said i did a very good job of answering questions and following directions and all of that. at one point i even thot about answering one of the questions incorrectly on purpose but thot better of that. brain surgery is serious business! shouldn't mess around like that!! that shit will get you killed or put in jail, just like messing with the TSA or border police!
i heard eric's parents stop in for a minute too, it was so nice of them to come for the day to support us.
i think everything eventually calmed down, i had a crazy blood pressure cuff on that was taking my blood pressure all the time, i had these compression air puff sock things on that inflated every 10 minutes or so, i had "an arterial line" iv thing that would beep like a mo-fo if i moved just right, the IVs were clicking, and dripping and beeping and OMG, everything was so loud!!
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| resting, notice the drainage tube in the noggin |
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| happy to continue with the trend thanks to minimally invasive, hopefully not transmitted on the internets, totally passed out catheter care |
my nurse was named Norm on that first night. he was a nice guy. a big guy, i was surprised over the course of the whole hospital stay as to how many man nurses there were. i'd say 1/2? even more?
christie stayed with me that first night in the ICU. private ICU rooms that allow overnight guests! but man, she is a trooper!!! but she is so smart too! she brought her own blanket! and they gave her some extras and a pillow too. i was up all the time with beeps and puffs and alarms and medications and crap,non-stop noise all the time. and every time i looked over at her, she had her head up looking around making sure everything was ok. i was so grateful to have her there, and grateful that eric was able to go home to be with the kids and i hoped he would get some rest.
that first day, thursday, wow, its a blur, it went by so fast. morning came eventually!
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| Percussion / Vibration Module Installed on the TOTALCARE Sport model |
2 comments:
They must have known you are a badass triathlete so they broke out the fancy sport bed model for you!
Man this really makes me wish I had blogged all about my weeklong stay in the hospital. I think at the time I just wanted to forget it all, but I wish I had known how cool it would be to read it later. Smart lady!
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