kapachino

Category: health

  • Second Surgery Observations

    I’m happy to report that my husband no longer has avascular necrosis! After a successful second hip replacement on Thursday he is on the mend and hopefully on his way to a better, pain-free life.

    Our experience this time around was much different than the last. We didn’t have near as many visitors and much less attention from the hospital staff. We aren’t having meals provided for us, but we didn’t ask. We knew what to expect this time so we have done some things differently making for an easier transition, and I’m only taking one week off work.

    David had better pain control this time once the first several hours post-op passed, and he didn’t have the persistent fevers like before, so we were ready to leave the hospital on Saturday. That morning they took his catheter out, so before they could release us he had to prove to them that he could pee on his own. He told me, “Hey, if you have to pee, go in the urinal.” Of course as a nurse I staunchly refused such trickery. But then later I caught him holding cold water underneath his tongue right before they came to take his vital signs. When I questioned him he said he didn’t want them to keep him there needlessly if he had a fever.

    I married a sneaky patient, but at least we got to come home early!

  • we’re just a couple of geriatrics

    With the amount of time David and I spend at the doctor these days, we feel like we’re 80 years old. We’re grateful that our medical issues are temporary and not nearly as serious as they could be, though. So without further delay, here’s a recap of our respective doctor’s appointments this morning. I apologize in advance for the boredom I may be inducing.

    (Wow, now I really do feel old. Do I have nothing better to write about than this? Ah, well.)

    Reproductive Endocrinologist

    First up I went to follow up regarding my most recent cycle. As my doctor said, “the plot thickens” and I’m left a lot more to think about than when I went in.

    Regarding what happened with my failed cycle, apparently my body didn’t respond to Clomid and I didn’t end up ovulating at all. My uterine lining didn’t even thicken. She was really surprised, but it happens. But before we can move on to the next cycle, we have to deal with something that was seen on my ultrasound which is possibly a uterine septum. I had never heard of this before, but it is a birth defect where there is a piece of tissue separating the uterus and puts you at a very high risk of miscarriage. It’s not diagnosed by an ultrasound but by an HSG, which is a test where they inject dye through my cervix and take an x-ray. I’ve already had an HSG, and nothing was mentioned about uterine septum on the report. So my doctor wants to take a look at the films herself, and if there is any suspicion at all she’ll have me repeat the procedure. If I do have uterine septum I’ll undergo minor surgery to have it fixed and that will be that.

    In the meantime she put me on a medication called Glucophage which is normally an antidiabetic drug but will also help sensitize my body to Clomid. If I don’t have uterine septum, once I work up to the full dose of Glucophage I’ll take another med (prometrium) to induce my period and then start on the highest dose of Clomid they prescribe. Then we’ll go from there just like the last time.

    Oh, and apparently one of my labs (prolactin) came back slightly elevated, which she thinks might be an error so she wants it repeated at the beginning of my next cycle. I have no idea what happens if it comes back abnormal again.

    Wasn’t that fun to read about? Now, moving on to David’s situation (post hip replacement).

    Orthopedic Surgeon

    The good news is that David has been cleared to walk and drive! I know he’s happy to be mobile again, and I’m happy to have my errand boy back. ;) But for a month he’s had to put all his weight on his left leg, and the disease is in that hip as well. For the past week it’s been hurting him more and more, so we decided to go ahead and get that one replaced as soon as possible.

    His surgery is scheduled for September 2. Two weeks away.

    I can’t wait until it’s over with, and even though his doctor told us he’d most likely have a pretty rough recovery we both know that he needs to just do it because his pain is only going to get worse. He’s off work this whole time – unpaid – and he needs to get back and get 100%.

    What we’re praying for is another successful surgery, easy recovery, and for financial provision. Our budget is already on lockdown because we weren’t prepared to be living off one salary, and I don’t know how long we can last without going into significant debt (we already have some). It’s another area that we’re learning to sacrifice and trust.

    ***

    If you made it through this whole boring post, it probably means you actually care about what’s going on with us, and for that I am truly, deeply grateful! All of your comments, emails, texts, and phone calls have lifted me up and kept me going. Over the past few days I’ve found a lot of peace and comfort, and I am content with my life and whatever it has in store for me.

    Every day is a new, grand adventure. :)

  • an important week: some thoughts

    In about thirty minutes I’m going to make my epic return to work, and I wanted to take a second to get a few thoughts down before I go.

    ***

    One. After not working for awhile I’m wondering, will I remember how to do this? Will I remember how to manage my time, how to do all my skills, will I remember to do all the little pieces of charting that we’re required to do? I’m also wondering, how will people react to me today? After my two weeks off not only did I get a chemical peel that is still in the stages of healing (I know there will be some funny looks), but I’ve also decided to start wearing a lot less makeup.

    Two. Tomorrow I go in for an ultrasound to determine whether my follicles are ready, whatever that means. I have resisted the urge to Google the hell out of IUI’s because I don’t want to obsess over it, but it’s still hard to keep calm and think about other things. If all goes well I’ll be inseminated by the end of the week and in two weeks I could know for sure that I’m pregnant. That’s a weird thought. In two weeks the whole thing could have failed and I’ll have to deal with that disappointment. That’s a sad thought.

    Three. Somewhere in between working, doctor’s visits, and taking care of my husband and dogs, I intend to keep running despite the heat. I’ve decided to keep playing soccer this fall, and I’m tired of being out of shape. I also miss yoga, so I’d like to start back up with that this week. (See, I have to make decisions regardless of what happens with the IUI. I can’t not play soccer because I think I’ll be pregnant by then; that’s just asking for failure.)

    ***

    My thirty minutes are nearly up. Here’s hoping my first day of work goes well, and that I can stay awake till the end of my shift.

  • A Different Kind Of Vacation

    It’s been a week since David had his surgery, and four days since we’ve been home recovering.

    Clockwise from top left: the patient’s domain, my home nursing shelf, Cleo wondering what’s going on around here, and the huge pile of snacks that we’ve amassed.

    My patient is improving by leaps & bounds, and soon he’ll be zooming around. But for the first month he still can’t put any weight on his right leg and he can’t drive himself anywhere. That means he still needs help doing some fairly simple things like going to the bathroom, showering, and having meals prepared. In addition to activities of daily living, I also have to give him a shot in his belly once a day, give him his medication, help him do his physical therapy, & change his surgical dressing once a day.

    I love having my husband as a patient, but in the meantime I don’t think I’ve been taking very good care of myself. The only time I leave the house is to get the mail, go to the pharmacy, or attend a previously set obligation. I sleep late, don’t shower till midafternoon (if at all), hardly ever put on makeup, and eat junk. Then there’s the fact that David’s family is getting ready to leave on their vacation that we were supposed to go on, while I’m faced with the prospect of going back to work with nothing to look forward to. The result of this lifestyle & attitude is that I have been getting progressively more and more depressed.

    This morning David gave me a wake-up call when he told me that he was really worried about me & that he was feeling guilty about being the cause of my sadness. In reality it has nothing to do with him – I absolutely love all the time we’re getting to spend together – but obviously I’m just not being good to myself. When I have days off from work during the week I’ll routinely spend all day at home and enjoy it, but doing that for an extended period of time is just not healthy for me.

    So this is what I’m doing to get happy again:

    First, I had a cup of coffee and took a few deep breaths.

    Next, I called work and told my boss that I’m taking another week off. I don’t want to stress about going back too soon or feel guilty that I should be there and not at home. I want a little more time to relax.

    Finally, I made a list of fun and – since we’re kind of broke right now – free things I can do at home or in the area in the next week that will make me happy and make it seem a little like vacation. This is my list so far:

    • Take the dogs to the dog park
    • Start running again
    • Watch Glee on Netflix
    • Visit the Orange Show Monument and Beer Can House
    • Use the spa gift card my family got me
    • Use the Groupons I have stored: one for microdermabrasion, another for products at an earth-friendly store
    • Go to the yoga studio
    • See a movie (I have a couple free passes I got at work)
    • Send some “just because” cards
    • Figure out some sort of project to do around the house

    So far so good, I think. It starts now.

    What about you? If you had a week to spend at home and not much money to spend, what would you do to make it into a vacation?

  • Things I Learned From My Husband’s Hospital Stay

    Partial family portrait at the hospital

    It was an interesting experience staying in the hospital with my husband for a few days and NOT being the nurse. Although there were a few frustrating moments, overall we had a great experience. We liked certain staff members more than others. And actually, I think the whole ordeal will make me a better nurse. Here are some things I learned:

    • When you walk into a patient’s room, introduce yourself. Even if you’re not assigned to that patient and are just helping out, let the patient know why you’re there. About a million people came in and out of our room and we didn’t know who half of them were. It was strange.
    • If you are taking care of a patient, let them know how long you will be there. They need to know who to ask for help. Also, it would be nice if you let them know when you’re leaving.
    • If you have to wake a patient up in the early morning to draw blood, don’t do it by bursting into the room and turning on the lights. Here’s an idea: gently rouse them and let them know you’ll be turning on the lights so they can brace themselves.
    • Remember what they taught you in nursing school: pain is what the patient says it is. Every patient reacts differently to pain medicine. Just because someone is getting what you think is a high dose, doesn’t mean it is effective. There is always something else you can do.
    • If you see family pictures put up, comment on them. Ask who they are, say that the babies are cute. It’ll make the patient feel like you care.
    • Just smile and be friendly already! You may be having a terrible day, but I guarantee your patients aren’t having the best day of their lives either. Your attitude makes a huge difference.

    We were in the hospital for three days. The surgery went well, and although he had a pretty high fever every day, they can’t find any cause for it. It was a rough time, painful for him and painful for me to watch him in pain and not be able to do anything. If we thought we were intimate before, we had no idea. But every day David looks better, moves better, feels better.

    We’re so happy to be home.