All is well. On Thursday afternoon, 19 April, I arrived in prep room. It seems I needed a spine or rather a spine adjustment. Doctors at the Anne Arundel Hospital
Spine and Brain Institute plunged two IVs the size of fire hoses into my arms
(one simply as a backup) and asked me count backwards from 10. I
got as far as "What?"
Three and a half hours later I woke up in the recovery room with several pink elephants in surgical gowns milling about my bed making sure I was comfy. (nice) That night and for the next day I was on morphine drip and Vicodin (happy day). For details on the surgery see below.
Most of Friday was spent being peppered with vital sign checks and frequent walks around the 5th floor using my geriatric walker helped by the elephants who overtime morphed into penguins and really did extremely well at managing the pain (sorry I had no fish).
Saturday, they wheeled me to Xray to see what they did and after a good long laugh the penguins asked me if I wanted to stay one more night and I said morphine? They laughed... NO! I stayed anyway, Who doesn't like being pampered .
Now, I can honestly say the numbness and pain in my leg and burning in my foot is gone after 2 1/2 years so the operation is a success. (back pain from surgery not withstanding)
Come Sunday morning the penguins had morphed again into short haired alley cats who pranced around the ward and seem to ignore me except to check occasional vital signs. (which by the way I’ve not seen so low in 20 years, 121/69 wow). They replaced the new high tech 'foam bandage' from the operation located in the middle of my back with a simple gauze and tape that day. Now, I'm not sure what part of hell they obtained this new kind of 'foam' bandage from. I might as well have been getting a wax job across my furry back. If I had known of the oncoming bandage drama, (which they conveniently kept secret), I might have preferred to stay a gimp for the rest of my life.
Three and a half hours later I woke up in the recovery room with several pink elephants in surgical gowns milling about my bed making sure I was comfy. (nice) That night and for the next day I was on morphine drip and Vicodin (happy day). For details on the surgery see below.
Most of Friday was spent being peppered with vital sign checks and frequent walks around the 5th floor using my geriatric walker helped by the elephants who overtime morphed into penguins and really did extremely well at managing the pain (sorry I had no fish).
Saturday, they wheeled me to Xray to see what they did and after a good long laugh the penguins asked me if I wanted to stay one more night and I said morphine? They laughed... NO! I stayed anyway, Who doesn't like being pampered .
Now, I can honestly say the numbness and pain in my leg and burning in my foot is gone after 2 1/2 years so the operation is a success. (back pain from surgery not withstanding)
Come Sunday morning the penguins had morphed again into short haired alley cats who pranced around the ward and seem to ignore me except to check occasional vital signs. (which by the way I’ve not seen so low in 20 years, 121/69 wow). They replaced the new high tech 'foam bandage' from the operation located in the middle of my back with a simple gauze and tape that day. Now, I'm not sure what part of hell they obtained this new kind of 'foam' bandage from. I might as well have been getting a wax job across my furry back. If I had known of the oncoming bandage drama, (which they conveniently kept secret), I might have preferred to stay a gimp for the rest of my life.
Several Alley Cats would on occasion prance into the room, look at their kitty
watches,
and tap their kitty paws on floor and say 'anytime your ready Mr. Meow'
So with one final sigh and Vicodin, I said yes and wham! Wheel chair throw, IV
yank, flurry of
papers to sign, brief training about back braces, exercise and something about the use of the tongs they gave me were
not meant for use on the grill. Then with a "here's your hat what's
your hurry" I'm down at the main floor lobby waiting for my Stage
Coach.
Home at last-is another story. But throughout all of this I can only say that none of the successes of this adventure would have been remotely possible without my own personal Care Giver, Leigh my wife. She was my guide at my side, my Border Collie (always keeping me and the nurses in line) my Spirit, my Hero. She is my Love, and truly my Adventure. But I still think the pink elephants were cute.
Home at last-is another story. But throughout all of this I can only say that none of the successes of this adventure would have been remotely possible without my own personal Care Giver, Leigh my wife. She was my guide at my side, my Border Collie (always keeping me and the nurses in line) my Spirit, my Hero. She is my Love, and truly my Adventure. But I still think the pink elephants were cute.
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