Bah...

So today we were supposed to go see Trudy and the kids before they leave to go back to Michigan tomorrow. The plan was for Donna to call when everybody was up. Cody and I were going to head over for a bit, go grocery shopping and come home... hopefully before it got to hot out. I haven't heard from Donna and I call around noon (thinking everybody has got to be up by now). They are, and they are headed to the mall. They're gone for three hours, long enough for us to shop and put groceries away, and for me to develop a headache and have a bowel accident. Just lovely.

Another Trip to the E.R.

So, the weekend was pretty good overall, but my left calf muscle was still really tight. It felt like a constant charlie horse. The doctor's offices are closed because it was Memorial Day weekend, so I had to wait until today to call and make an appointment. I call my new PCP's office and they can get me in at 1:30. I come in and explain the systems and she tells me she can see 2 possible things it could be. 1 - it could be that I have a blood clot, which would be weird because I have been up and walking around and moving my legs, 2 - it could be that the nerves in my calf are dying because the ones they are linked to in my spine were compressed for too long, and they just can't recover. She sends me for an ultra sound at a place right behind the E.R., she said if they say it is blood clots, I have to go to the E.R. to get the first dose of blood thinner, and they'll send me home. I get in right away, and sure enough, I have 2 blood clots in my left calf that are not completely obstructing blood flow (otherwise they would have been way more painful)! Cody and I head over to the E.R., Cody has to work tonight, so he's going to have to leave me at the ER and Donna will come and wait with me. Cody comes and gets me checked in, and there are A LOT of people, way more than the previous 2 times I was here. I get checked in and he has to leave. I put in a call to the neurosurgeon, because he is at this hospital today today, and maybe he can get me in earlier, but I have to leave a message. Donna arrives a little while later, she tells the check in lady that my neurosurgeon is at the hospital today, but there isn't much they can do at check in. We get to triage, I'm not sure if the lady was new or what, but I was like, my neurosurgeon is here today, can you please let him know. She's like, uh I'll check on that. I explain that my ultrasound results should have been sent right over, she can't find them, I tell her that I have 2 confirmed blood clots. I call my PCP's office, who said they have them and will fax them right over. Donna insists that I get a wheelchair and as soon as we get out of triage they are calling me to be seen by a doctor. My PCP's office calls back to see if they have been received, I say they must because I'm getting ready to be examined again. A nurse comes back and says that I will be admitted, which really upsets me because I don't like spending time in the hospital, and that they will have to put in an i.v. I do NOT like needles... I talked them out of the i.v. the day after my surgery was complete because they are so very uncomfortable, but they insist I have to have one. Donna calls my mom to let her know that I am back in the hospital for blood clots. An EMT (or so I thought until she turned around and I read her t-shirt that says Pima EMT Trainee) comes and puts in an i.v. then another nurse comes and gives me my first blood thinning injection in my stomach. I'm not having a good time at all. I'm not sure if I've had a bowel accident, and they won't let me walk to the bathroom to check (they'll bring me a bedside toilet, uh no thank you), they tell me they are working on getting me a room. Finally about, 45 minutes later someone comes to take me to my room. They're wheeling the bed and we get to the room, but it isn't big enough for them to roll the bed I'm on into so they can transfer. The orderly asks if I can walk, and I say that I walked into the hospital, Donna doesn't want me to walk. But, I do and while I'm up, my first stop is the bathroom!! Luckily, no accident, but my bladder sure was full!! I'd gone about 6 hours without peeing which is like, a post-surgery all time best while awake! I get into bed and then there is just waiting. The day nurse comes through, but she'll be leaving in just a bit because of the change in shifts. She informs me that I've missed the dinner cut off, so Donna agrees to go get me something to eat, she doesn't want to leave me alone, but she hasn't eaten either. She brings us back some dinner and we eat. It's about 8 o’clock and Cody should be getting off of work soon, so he should be here about 9, I tell her to go home and see Gordon and Tiffany, I'll try and get some sleep, she reluctantly agrees. I let Cody know what I'd like from home since he has to go there first and give Castro his insulin and food (more Depends, some wipes, iPad, library book, fuzzy socks, birth control) and he brings everything except the birth control (I forgot to include it, even though I was thinking of it). We visit for a bit, he eats some dinner. We talk, I don't want to leave the cat alone, and I should be getting out tomorrow, so I think he should sleep at home. He doesn't want to leave me, but knows he won't get much sleep in the chair. He leaves around midnight. I do manage to get some sleep between poking and prodding.

The Day After Surgery

Cody stayed the night with me, but he needed to leave to get Castro his morning food and insulin. I'm still very sore from the surgery and my saddle area is numb. I fight with the nurses to remove the catheter and to be able to wear underwear and sanitary napkins. Donna arrives and is with me when neurosurgeon comes to visit this morning. He is upset that I didn't get up and do any walking around the night before. This is just as the nurses are changing shifts (7:30am) and I get the same AM nurse as I had the day before. She said she knew that I was clear to walk without a brace. I explain that the night nurse did not know this, and there was nothing in the notes to indicate, and normally they don't allow patients to walk after back surgery without a brace. He says that we can remove the catheter and see how I do on my own for peeing. He says if I can manage my bladder and get walking there is a chance that I can go home today. I ask if I can please wear underwear and a sanitary napkin now, and he says yes. Luckily, Cody not only brought me my favorite Starbucks breakfast (Venti White Mocha Non Fat No Whip with 2 pumps Raspberry and a Perfect Oatmeal yummmm), but also some undies and napkins so I put some on. Now I've just gotta get walking around. Cody is disappointed that he didn't get a chance to see the neurosurgeon, who'd have thought that the doctor would be in at 7:30 on a Saturday! Donna leaves because she has to do Karaoke that night (and she's barely seen Gordon or Tiffany since this all started) and Cody takes me for a lap around the floor. When we get back, Cody leaves to go check on Castro, he's been home alone a lot! While Cody is gone checking on Castro, I convince the nurses to remove the I.V. and Jason and Carrie come to see me. I'm looking totally awesome since I haven't had a shower since uhm Wednesday (4 days) and am not feeling too confident in hospital gown. At least am sitting in the little recliner that they have, and Jason and Carrie take the other chairs. They are so sweet and bring me some pretty purple flowers and gift cards to Mimi's Cafe and Rock Bottom Brewery so that Cody doesn't always have to cook when I finally get to break out of this place! The attending physician comes in to see us. He is concerned because I haven't peed since they removed the catheter and its been about 4 hours (hello, teacher's bladder). I pee a little, but they can feel my bladder and tell it wasn't nearly enough. They tell me everytime I pee, I will have to have a bladder scan (ultrasound) They come do the ultrasound and I'm holding about 300ccs still, which is like 1 and 1/4 cups. So they reinsert a catheter to drain it. The nurse tells me that the catheterising should hurt, but I don't feel anything, still numb in the saddle area, then they remove the catheter. They are also concerned about my blood sugar (which was up around 300) and my blood pressure (162/109). They say that these can be related to the steroid, dexamethasone, that I am on to help with the iflammation from surgery. Before dinner they give me 8 units of Inulin Lente and my blood sugar drops to just over 100, and that is after eating dinner.  I get up and do more walking. The attending physician comes back and says that because I'm retaining too much urine and my blood pressure is high (due to being in a hospital AND the steroid they have me on for the inflammation in my back) I'm not going home today. I am devastated. Cody stays the night again tonight after going back to check on Castro, but I know that sleeping in the chair can not be comfortable for him. The night nurse comes and checks my blood sugar again, and its high (about 150) but she decides not to give me any insulin, because she wants to check it again later to make sure its not related to the dexamethasone. She checks later and it is closer to normal, so no more insulin tonight.

Carrie says that this should be our Christmas Card for this year!

Surgery Day

I luck out and get to have an early surgery. Cody spent the night with me, and Donna came back. They want me completed naked, which I am not comfortable with because I am menstruating. They tell me I can wear some special mesh underwear (think fishnet tights) and their special sanitary napkin. I meet the neurosurgeon and he tells me that he is going to remove my L5 disc because it has herniated and it is pressing on the lumbar sac and compressing the nerves that control the lower half of my body, including my legs, bladder and bowels. I have something called Cauda Equina Syndrome, which is why there was the numbness in the saddle area (it is one of the tell tale symptoms for the syndrome). I, like the idiot that I am, ask how long I'll be out of work after (I'm thinking of my appendectomy where I was only out a week). He tells me that I'll be out for several weeks. I start to cry, thinking of all I'll miss, because that's the end of the year. I tell Cody he has to call Lynn and request some subs, I need Mrs. Grasso or Mrs. Pearson, or someone who is going to take care of my kids. Donna tells me that she will keep my mom updated. Then they wheel me away. The next thing I know I'm waking up in a bigger room, and I have no undies (not even the fishnet guys!) First order of business is I NEED underwear. Cody has gone while I was in post-op and given Castro his insulin for the morning, but Donna is still with me. I'm allowed some ice chips, and I'm so thirsty. After a little while the neurosurgeon comes to visit. He says that the surgery went well. The disc was the 2nd or 3rd largest he has ever removed and he even took a picture (it's graphic) and emailed it to me. He said if I had waited for a day or more I would have likely been paralyzed from the waist down. He tells me that with any luck if I get up and walking around today that I can go home tomorrow. I have to be able to pee on my own (they have me on a catheter). Cody brings my iPad, a magazine, a book, and a picture of Castro on his phone. Donna stays until early evening, we ask the nurse if I can get up and take a walk (which is what the neurosurgeon wanted me to do) but she says there is no order for a back brace, and she can't take the chance that I hurt myself walking without a brace, so no walking for tonight. They also won't remove the catheter. Which means I need to practice walking and peeing tomorrow if I want to go home tomorrow. Donna leaves to go spend some time with Gordon, and Cody stays the night (after he goes home to give Castro his insulin).

You Have Got To Be Kidding Me (Part 2)

Cody drives me back to our side of town so that we can go to the E.R. for the MRI. I call my mother in law and let her know where we are headed, she says she can leave work, but I tell her not to worry and we'll keep her updated. Thank goodness the P.A. gave me the shot of Toradol, or the pain in the car ride back would have been unbearable. When we get to the ER, we get another wheelchair, because the left leg is giving me problems still. I let them know every step of the way that I was just here a week ago. We have to wait for about 90 minutes before we get to the back. The pain is escalating, the Toradol must be wearing off. They ask for me to get into a gown, I do. The insurance lady comes to get my card and info. I have to give a urine sample. So I wobble over to the bathroom (I'm almost as far away from it as you can get) wait for the person who is currently in there (because of course there is only one) and then finally work on the urine sample. When I take it back, they kind of freak out. But, because if all of this back stuff isn't bad enough, I'm also menstruating, isn't it just great to be a woman? They nurses come back and ask about the symptoms again. I let them know that I'm experiencing numbness in the pelvic area and left leg. They ask about the urine, I tell them. What is my pain level, I'm at about a 5. They ask me to turn over, they're going to perform a rectal exam. I do, they put on the gloves and I know they're getting ready to stick their finger in my bottom... but I don't feel anything. They ask me to squeeze, I tell them I can't, I can't even feel their finger. Now they're worried. They give me a shot of Valium and Demerol to prepare me for the MRI. They leave... I start to get a little sleepy, Cody is still there, then all of a sudden I'm on fire. I feel like every nerve ending in my legs are on fire and as if someone has scooped out my uterus and its hollow. I'm now at like a 20 on the pain scale that goes to 10. Cody is very concerned that I'm going to pass out from pain. As I'm writhing around in pain the insurance lady comes back in and wants us to put down some money (we just gave them $500 last week when we were here). Finally a nurse comes in and gives me a shot of Dilaudid and things start to come back under control pain wise. They wheel me for the MRI, and the Dilaudid is starting to wear off and my left leg feels like it is on fire, but I have to stay perfectly still during the MRI or they will have to do it again. I somehow manage it. I get back to a room, and Donna is there talking on the phone to my mom, Kathy, because Cody had to go home and give Castro his insulin (for the first time by himself). I want a glass of water so badly (those of you who know me, know I'm not a water girl), but they say that I have to wait for a neurologist to review the MRI before I can do anything. A nurse comes back in and tells me that I will be having back surgery in the morning. I can have some dinner or something to drink, but nothing after midnight. I call my mom, and try and reassure her that its going to be okay, I'm going to be okay. Cody comes back, then leaves to get me a salad for dinner. I'm put in a bigger room for pre-surgery. I'm allowed to have Dilaudid to help control the pain, and the goal is to make it through the night.