Sunday a very Sunny Day

Well the sun came out today here in Durham and we are feeling very sunny also. We were very tired today. We are taking medicine about every four hours and having to walk ect at that time, so we didn't get up until 10:45. We ate breakfast and mom was feeling really good. She got dressed today for the first time in a cute brown sweat suit and put makeup on and then we had to go to sleep for the afternoon...we got back up around 4:30 and mom again was feeling pretty good and she did her hair. We needed a few things from the store, so I took mother with me in the wheel chair...we had to get out of our little cave...this made mother tired but it was a change of scenery. Mother is on a roller coaster...feeling pretty good and then she will have pain and cold shaking will come over her. Her nerves and muscles seem to be reacting in unpredictable ways. I know that we are on the road to recovery but I believe that she will continue to have these good moments and then painful moments throughout the day. We both want to get back to Goose Creek to familiar ground but it will be a really hard trip on mom. We need to stop about every hour per the doctor to get out and have her walk ect...a 4 1/2 hour drive may be 6-7 hour drive. Please pray that the weather will be nice on Wednesday and the road smooth...mom will get her staples out on Wednesday morning and then we will hit the road.

I may not be updating the blog everyday from now on but I will try to keep everyone up to date with changes. I hope that mom will be able to get on soon and tell you how she is feeling about this experience. Stay tuned!

Good Saturday!! March 28

Have you ever paid $44.00 for a shower???? Today we did right here in North Carolina. We are staying in a handicap room but we do not have a walk in shower. Mom was feeling better today and I knew she would even feel better after a shower...hence I found a room in the hotel we are staying in that had a handicap shower. I rented the room for the day and the planning and moving began. I started carrying everything over to the room...you can imagine all the things that we would need plus more. I put mom in the car drove her around to the other room. Into the room we rolled and we got started...I would say this all took a couple of exhausting hours on mom and me but it was so worth it. She is doing so much better today. We have the pain controlled right now and she is moving around better. She is eating a little better and staying awake much longer to talk and watch tv. Gosh, what a difference a day can make...God is Good!!! I hope that we have a really good night...we are both really tired but are hopeful with a good day behind us...I would truly say this was our very best day and that is really encouraging. We still need to get the swelling out of her legs and feet and get the internal plumbing working better but even on another rainy day the sun is shining in our little room. Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers...they have been working and God is blessing us greatly.

Friday 8 Days after Surgery

Well another bad day that started very early. I couldn't get on the Internet last night we had bad weather here. I stayed up late trying to get on the Internet and then gave mom her 2:00 AM pain medicine...we had done so well with pain control on Thursday, I didn't want to go backwards. Oh well a curve was coming, mom started throwing up at 3:30 AM which was very tough on her. She throw up again later in the morning and felt queezy the rest of the day. Mom has also not been able to get the internal stuff working, so she was extremely uncomfortable and we had to go to drastic measures around 11:30 AM. She got some relief in that area but we lost the pain control and had to start all over this afternoon. We are still not back to were we were yesterday and she is very weak, so that shower she was looking forward to was cancelled. We hope to have the pain under control by midnight tonight and a nice shower planned again for Saturday!! Please pray that we make the turn and we don't have to have these backsliding days that are so disappointing. Weather is raining outside and can feel gloomy inside...we need some sunshine!

Thursday--1 week since surgery

We had a very good day today...we have pain medicine under control and we have watched tv and talked thru taking a shower tomorrow. Mom is still unable to eat much and not interested in eating. She has had some discomfort getting her internal body working again but we have taken medicine to help in that area. Mom read the blog tonight and was alert to everything. We hope to have a good night tonight.

Wednesday 6 Days after Surgery

Well I was apprehensive to bring mom home to the hotel today but she and the doctors were gung ho. Well we left the hospital at 11:00 and went to pick up her medicine. One of the prescriptions is a back ordered unavailable medicine at any Pharmacy!! The challenges begin. I called Dr office and had to leave message...never called me back but I did call the Patient Advocate Nurse and drove back to hospital to drop off prescription at the hospital out patient Pharmacy...would take several hours to pick up. Mom and I got to hotel ate a bit and then went to sleep for a few hours. When I woke mom up at 4:00 she couldn't stop jerking her hands and then it move to her legs. When she was standing up at the sink her leg jerked out and I had to catch her. Jerking seem to get worse and I called the Dr on call...I was told to load up and head to the ER...got to ER at 5:30 and we got seen around 6:30 but saw Dr at 8:00...they believe that she might be having a drug reaction to Lyrica and that would take 72 hours to flush through her system. They let us go about 10:00 and then we had to find a 24 hour Pharmacy for more medication. We are back at hotel now and we have had something to eat...mom is in a lot of pain and we both have had a small emotional breakdown!! Mom said a prayer for us and we are hoping to get through the night...it is now 1:30 AM on Thursday one week since surgery...I can't say that it has been easy on mom or me but we love each other and some how we will make it through this and laugh again.

Tuesday--Day 5 after surgery

Well I was really tired today and called mom to say I wouldn't be in until noon. She seemed fine. I was hopeful that she would be better...she said she was staying one more day. I took her some yogurt, celery and peanut butter and other snacks. Once I got to the hospital she was a little sleepy...she ate lunch...the best food we have seen yet and she "liked it" and then she took some medicine. Mom was zonked all day long...she could hardly wake up for dinner and she was in a fog...could not start a conversation with me...she could answer questions fine but just looked glassy eyed to me. Mom was zonked out again at 7:00 pm. Needless to say, I am very frustrated and I will not bring her home until her pain is controlled and she is not a sleepy zombie. They are saying she will be discharged tomorrow but we will see...I am not comfortable with bringing her home to the hotel in the present condition. I will be at the hospital earlier to get the update and to see what they want to do. Keep praying for mom, pain control and an easy transition from hospital to hotel.

Monday--Day 4 after surgery

This was a very good day...at least until 9:00 pm. Mother was feeling really good and walked 3 time today. She worked with occupational therapy to learn about getting clothes on and shoes and socks...she did very well and it will only get easier. She isn't eating very well but I will work on that every day. She should get out tomorrow. I went shopping for things for our home away from home in the afternoon. We had Chick-fil-a for dinner and enjoyed watching Dances With the Stars until at 9:00 pm... mom had extreme pain...three Oxycotin later and we still had pain across back, abdomen and down the upper part of thighs. We called for a doctor and finally saw one around 12:00 am. Mom was still in pain. After talking to doctor, she added a muscle relaxing medicine to the mix and Mom got some relief. This was a tough period of time...hope tomorrow is better.