The blessings we have experienced in the last two weeks have been too numerous to count. The biggest and best news is that the surgery went perfectly and Dr. Atkinson was able to reattach Vern's colon without a problem. He had to remove 12 inches of his colon. It still amazes me that we have that much or more to spare! 8 days total in the hospital and I got to bring my precious cargo home. Vern is doing great,recovering in leaps and bounds!
The Hospital-We were blessed that our town recently built a fancy new hospital with private rooms. Hospitals are almost impossible to sleep in which is ironic because the people that are there need to rest?! I was thankful for the recliner that the nurses snuck out of the OB ward for me to sleep in after Vern's surgery...oh and that stack of warm blankets from the blanket oven,heavenly ;) As for Vern it was a long frustrating stay filled with worry,pain and then cabin fever. By the time I brought him home we were both so excited we cried.
Our Nurses-First it was Norma the "highballer". We had her the first night after we got moved up from the emergency room. We were exhausted and still in a bit of shock so her apparent incompetence almost went overlooked. We later found out that quickly pushing meds into an IV is called high balling and is done by drug addicts and nurses in a hurry. Nice. Poor Vern would get a hot rush through his body and then tingle through a bout of nausea after she administered his meds. We never saw Norma again after that and that was the end of horrible staff. After that we met Shelly,she became like a mother figure to us while we were there. She is probably in her early 60's and works harder than the Nurses half her age but you always knew when Shelly was on shift because she left a whirlwind of mess behind her. She hated to be bothered with wrappers,knobs etc as she was more concerned with patient comfort...but it was humorous. Since our time in the hospital Shelly has come to see me for a haircut and loved it! I hope to keep in touch with her for a long time. Last but not least our favorite team of male nurses,Brandon and Jeff. The best way to explain them is that they were like typical men..but nurses. Caring and concerned yet also efficient and thorough. Jeff gets special kudos from me because he is the one that tracked down the recliner and warm blankets for me while Brandon took awesome care of Vern.Brandon was easily "won over" with blue (raspberry) Jolly Ranchers and admitted often that he enjoyed his rounds in our room as we joked and ate candy. Apparently the hospital can be a pretty depressing place to work. I understand now why Doctors etc charge what they do...they deserve it. They work hard. I could ramble on and tell you about Tonya the feisty one that made us laugh,Megan,the pretty young nurse (and a really funny catheter story) who was kind yet new and uneasy. How does one make it through Nursing school without learning how to properly dress and wound?! But she was nice...and gentle (so I hear... LOL!) It was a strange feeling to be so happy to get away from people we had honestly grown to enjoy.
The Recovery-Vern has a long scar the starts above his belly button and extends down into his pelvic area. He says it is tender and sore and at first it was bumpy and swollen. He has been great about taking it easy and getting lots of rest. The first 24-48 hours after he came home he was restricted to a liquid diet and then eventually low fiber. For his "first"meal he requested a plain chicken breast and mashed potatoes and I happily obliged. The first taste he had, literally almost brought a tear to his eye after he had been tube fed and on liquids for almost 2 weeks. A week later at his pre op appointment Vern's surgeon also "mentioned" in conversation that he had also removed Vern's appendix. Dr Atkinson is a wonderful surgeon but how do you visit a patient 4 days in a row after surgery and forget to tell them them that you removed more body parts that originally planned?! Did he charge us? Did we get a 2 for 1 special in the OR? ha ha
I have typed away at this blog post for weeks now..saving because I was too tired to finish and post and then always something new to add. Thank you all for the prayers,love,support,flowers,meals,hugs and more! Now we are more motivated than ever to get out and enjoy life while also getting healthy :)
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Really Bad Sh*t....Literally
I feel like I should write about this time in our life while the details are still fresh but I am too exhausted physically and emotionally to compose anything proper...
After a few weeks of suffering from tummy troubles,Vern finally went to the Dr.. Many tests later,Vern was bracing himself to survive his first colonoscopy due to suspected Diverticulitis.
Wednesday evening his Dr called us at home and told us to head to the ER because he was concerned about the results of Vern's CT scan. So,we packed our bags and headed over. It's not very often that you get to walk into the ER and say "Hello,I'm Vern,I think you are expecting me?" and the receptionist says "Vern...oh yes,your Dr called we are ready for you."
After a few hours in ER getting admitted,he was moved to a room upstairs as we were told to settle in for a few days of IV antibiotics. Due to his Diverticulitis,part of his colon had become infected,then ruptured causing a hole in his colon that had begun to wall itself off and block outflow. Mess. A huge mess. My poor sweet man was suddenly faced with weeks in the hospital,surgery,recovery.
And that wasn't even the WORST news....
In cases as extreme as Vern's the infected part of the colon needs to be removed and the possibility of the surgeon being able to reattach it at the same time is highly unlikely.That means a coloscopy bag for a few months so the body can heal and then another surgery later to reattach the colon.
Thursday was a rough day. Shock. Tears. Hugs. Tons of phone calls,texts,facebook comments and messages. Our friends and family have been so amazingly supported and have provided a much needed source of strength. The last 48 hours have been educational to say the least. All the IV hoses and machines are becoming a lot less intimidating as we don't hesitate to hit the "silence" button when it beeps constantly for no reason. Finicky machine! We know what every IV bag is full of and what it's doing as the Nurse's appreciate our input as the shifts change every 6-8 hours and we keep them up to date. We walk the halls of our floor a few times a day,it's hard for Vern to sit in bed all day and we are trying to take advantage of it while we can because it looks like surgery is tomorrow. Vern is such a good sport,strolling the halls in his camo slippers,athletic shorts and hospital robe. Rolling his IV machine in front of him with one hand and holding my hand with the other.
So I end this blog for now,I should've been asleep hours ago...
Prayers are appreciated,we really need them tomorrow. We will get through this and everything will be fine... or so I keep telling myself.
Man,I really need a hug.
After a few weeks of suffering from tummy troubles,Vern finally went to the Dr.. Many tests later,Vern was bracing himself to survive his first colonoscopy due to suspected Diverticulitis.
Wednesday evening his Dr called us at home and told us to head to the ER because he was concerned about the results of Vern's CT scan. So,we packed our bags and headed over. It's not very often that you get to walk into the ER and say "Hello,I'm Vern,I think you are expecting me?" and the receptionist says "Vern...oh yes,your Dr called we are ready for you."
After a few hours in ER getting admitted,he was moved to a room upstairs as we were told to settle in for a few days of IV antibiotics. Due to his Diverticulitis,part of his colon had become infected,then ruptured causing a hole in his colon that had begun to wall itself off and block outflow. Mess. A huge mess. My poor sweet man was suddenly faced with weeks in the hospital,surgery,recovery.
And that wasn't even the WORST news....
In cases as extreme as Vern's the infected part of the colon needs to be removed and the possibility of the surgeon being able to reattach it at the same time is highly unlikely.That means a coloscopy bag for a few months so the body can heal and then another surgery later to reattach the colon.
Thursday was a rough day. Shock. Tears. Hugs. Tons of phone calls,texts,facebook comments and messages. Our friends and family have been so amazingly supported and have provided a much needed source of strength. The last 48 hours have been educational to say the least. All the IV hoses and machines are becoming a lot less intimidating as we don't hesitate to hit the "silence" button when it beeps constantly for no reason. Finicky machine! We know what every IV bag is full of and what it's doing as the Nurse's appreciate our input as the shifts change every 6-8 hours and we keep them up to date. We walk the halls of our floor a few times a day,it's hard for Vern to sit in bed all day and we are trying to take advantage of it while we can because it looks like surgery is tomorrow. Vern is such a good sport,strolling the halls in his camo slippers,athletic shorts and hospital robe. Rolling his IV machine in front of him with one hand and holding my hand with the other.
So I end this blog for now,I should've been asleep hours ago...
Prayers are appreciated,we really need them tomorrow. We will get through this and everything will be fine... or so I keep telling myself.
Man,I really need a hug.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Totally Snowed
The "Snowpocolyps" of 2012 looks like it's finally over. 3 days of snow,rain and ice making dangerous messes of the roads and freezing trees to their breaking point causing power to be out. We sat in the quiet listening to trees snap and fall all around us,checking on neighbors all the while to make sure they were prepared,this place was like a war zone! We really roughed it,not 30 minutes later the guys had the generator up and running. I started a batch of soup as Vern ran around gathering candles,gas and other supplies as we were told to prepare for a 3-4 day outage. We were happily surprised when the power came back on just hours later! Buuuut with the cable and internet still out we snuggled in for the storm. We watched movies played cards,cleaned house and cooked goodies trying to avoid boredom as our apparent addiction to technology reared it's ugly head....oh good times.
Now everything is melting,creating a town full of sudden lake front property. The cable and internet finally came on tonight...we were delighted as Vern got to watch a favorite show before bed and I was able to log in and get some much needed work done on my virtual ranch! Oh what have we become?! Ha ha. BUT IN MY OWN DEFENSE...I will be extra thankful in my prayers, for all the luxuries and comforts we enjoy and appreciative of the opportunity to be reminded and grateful for them ;)
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Talking About Something Besides Snow For A Change
Oh winter…..you have crept into my spirit you sneaky villain! I realize my gusto for just about anything has gone out the window. I really haven’t cooked or baked in weeks, no motivation to tackle any house projects except the usual upkeep and I have been forcing my stubborn anxiety to let me make it through my days at work. Draining. Also Vern has been very sick. Without a “TMI” I will just say he is having some extreme tummy issues. At this point the Dr. is running every test he can think of until we find the problem. Poor guy has been miserable for weeks! L And then it snows…and snows.. and makes all of the above that much more complicated…..(digs for big girl panties) ugh.
But on the lighter side of things…I realize I have become a scissor happy Mom with Maxine. Poor kid, in all this wet weather she gets mattes at the blink of an eye if I am not CONSTANTLY brushing her. So to save all of our sanity I snip them out and then sometimes I trim a few more places here and there and well ..we all have a good laugh! She is a good sport about all the hair maintenance and thankfully she is so adorable that her less than perfect haircut often goes unnoticed.
In other news, Del is pushing for grey paint in the living room. I don’t know if I have mentioned it before but for someone who only has 20% of his sight he sure is opinionated about color! He is STILL complaining about the kitchen color yet the remodel he did over a year ago still sits unfinished and our house is 4 different colors on the outside. So I am embracing grey, I look at it as a challenge! Mwahaha (evil laugh) A challenge to find a color as brown (what I want) as possible but that still looks grey enough to fool him. Then I will decorate the room with beautiful bright deco and crisp while trim and molding. (Thanks to my ex husband I have TONS of experience polishing a turd and tolerating stubborn men! LOL Oh I crack myself up sometimes …) I might even throw in a few bits of purple just for kicks…er I mean contrast. ;)
And now for a little laugh...I went out for my birthday and had a few drinks, a few more than I have had in a long time. Tara returned me home safely around 9:30 pm and not ten minutes later my parents called to wish me a happy birthday! As I fumbled with my phone trying to decide what to do, I swiped down on my screen by instinct and answered. Crap. Sooo… I played it cool (what am I?! 16!?) ,thanked them for the card and mentioned I had been out for a few drinks with the girls. I think we chatted on for 30 minutes about things I really don’t remember …. something about me wanting them to look at a house/mobile over here in a nearby “senior community” since they are going for less than 5k at the moment…and then the part that still makes me laugh..
“I really appreciate the phone call and all but… I am just drunk enough that it is hard to talk on the phone.”
BAHAHAHAHAHA!
I didn’t laugh at the time, I was completely serious and trying to maintain just one single ounce of tact.
I think they were as shocked to hear me say it as I was!
“Really? But you sound good to us, talked just fine.?” my Mom replies as she laughs.
They totally understood and we said our good byes. I am so glad to have the kind of parents I can talk to about anything to and that can share a laugh with me when I have a rare buzz. I will be looking forward to our next phone call ;)
But on the lighter side of things…I realize I have become a scissor happy Mom with Maxine. Poor kid, in all this wet weather she gets mattes at the blink of an eye if I am not CONSTANTLY brushing her. So to save all of our sanity I snip them out and then sometimes I trim a few more places here and there and well ..we all have a good laugh! She is a good sport about all the hair maintenance and thankfully she is so adorable that her less than perfect haircut often goes unnoticed.
In other news, Del is pushing for grey paint in the living room. I don’t know if I have mentioned it before but for someone who only has 20% of his sight he sure is opinionated about color! He is STILL complaining about the kitchen color yet the remodel he did over a year ago still sits unfinished and our house is 4 different colors on the outside. So I am embracing grey, I look at it as a challenge! Mwahaha (evil laugh) A challenge to find a color as brown (what I want) as possible but that still looks grey enough to fool him. Then I will decorate the room with beautiful bright deco and crisp while trim and molding. (Thanks to my ex husband I have TONS of experience polishing a turd and tolerating stubborn men! LOL Oh I crack myself up sometimes …) I might even throw in a few bits of purple just for kicks…er I mean contrast. ;)
And now for a little laugh...I went out for my birthday and had a few drinks, a few more than I have had in a long time. Tara returned me home safely around 9:30 pm and not ten minutes later my parents called to wish me a happy birthday! As I fumbled with my phone trying to decide what to do, I swiped down on my screen by instinct and answered. Crap. Sooo… I played it cool (what am I?! 16!?) ,thanked them for the card and mentioned I had been out for a few drinks with the girls. I think we chatted on for 30 minutes about things I really don’t remember …. something about me wanting them to look at a house/mobile over here in a nearby “senior community” since they are going for less than 5k at the moment…and then the part that still makes me laugh..
“I really appreciate the phone call and all but… I am just drunk enough that it is hard to talk on the phone.”
BAHAHAHAHAHA!
I didn’t laugh at the time, I was completely serious and trying to maintain just one single ounce of tact.
I think they were as shocked to hear me say it as I was!
“Really? But you sound good to us, talked just fine.?” my Mom replies as she laughs.
They totally understood and we said our good byes. I am so glad to have the kind of parents I can talk to about anything to and that can share a laugh with me when I have a rare buzz. I will be looking forward to our next phone call ;)
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Just the weekend....
Sombreros and Bloody Marys
McDonalds=Hangover cure
Accepting a grey living room
Snuggling
Choosing Walmart over a walk
Facebook.
Snow
Chex Mix
Hoping Vern starts feeling better :(
Messy people
Reno
Wet dogs
Considering more tattoos...
lots of them.
Love
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