Well, I left Deb today. Only for a day or two, and she's in her mom's capable hands, but I still feel kinda bad about it. Still, I do have a long-standing commitment to attend to in Knoxville this weekend.
Deb ended up sleeping in the same recliner that I found her in yesterday when I got to Kingsport. I don't think she's quite ready to try sleeping flat on her back yet. I ended up sleeping on the sofa next to her. She slept pretty well, only waking up at 0215 when I gave her her next Percocet dose, and at about 0600 when she went to the bathroom and took her Percocet and antibotic. We then slept until about 1000. I hadn't meant to sleep that late, but I guess we both needed it.
We got Deb some breakfast and then I helped her bathe around the bandages around her chest. Her mom helped her wash her hair as well, so I know she was feeling a bit more human after that. I left around noon, but I have talked to her on the phone since then (and will again in a little while) and she is taking the opportunity to just sit in that recliner and relax as much as possible. I'm going back up on Sunday, so maybe by then she'll feel up to going outside for a walk down the street and back. Or maybe not, but I will still make the offer.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
New Recovery Ward
We arrived in Kingsport this afternoon and are now at Mom-Linda's house. We didn't arrive at the same time, though. Deb got here about two hours before I did. She rode up with Mom-Linda in her car, saying that riding in the pick-up truck would be too rough for her to be comfortable. I can believe that. I once rode in that same truck (back when it belonged to my friend John) from Gainesville, GA to Knoxville, TN with a broken clavicle, fractured superorbital, and fresh stitches in my forehead - without the benefit of painkillers - and I can see what she might mean.
I decided to take a shower and get a bite to eat before heading up to Kingsport myself. I hadn't had a chance to shower at the hospital, and I didn't get breakfast there either, and it was almost noon when Deb finally got discharged. By the time I got to Kingsport Deb was firmly planted in a nice recliner and talking with Frank and Kathy, who had driven over from Elizabethton to see her. I figure that I was between an hour to two hours behind Deb getting here.
As I sit here typing this post, Deb is back in that recliner (after having had dinner at the table) and reading her new book. At this point after the last surgery, she was still to miserable to think about reading anything, or even holding a full conversation. She's still having pain - don't get me wrong on that - but I think it is much more manageable for her this time around. Of course, having a Percocet every four hours is certainly helping with that.
I decided to take a shower and get a bite to eat before heading up to Kingsport myself. I hadn't had a chance to shower at the hospital, and I didn't get breakfast there either, and it was almost noon when Deb finally got discharged. By the time I got to Kingsport Deb was firmly planted in a nice recliner and talking with Frank and Kathy, who had driven over from Elizabethton to see her. I figure that I was between an hour to two hours behind Deb getting here.
As I sit here typing this post, Deb is back in that recliner (after having had dinner at the table) and reading her new book. At this point after the last surgery, she was still to miserable to think about reading anything, or even holding a full conversation. She's still having pain - don't get me wrong on that - but I think it is much more manageable for her this time around. Of course, having a Percocet every four hours is certainly helping with that.
Recovery - Day I
Well, Deb made it through the night with no problems. She slept soundly most of the time except for the few times that the nurses came in to check her vital signs or when she needed to go to the restroom. I didn't sleep quite so well. They have chairs in the rooms that fold out into "beds", but they aren't exactly comfortable to spend the night on. Still, I wasn't there for my comfort. I'll make up for my lack of sleep a little later today.
We've had a few a few visitors since my last update. Amy showed up last night for a visit (and brought Deb some mugs and tea bags). Kelly also came by after she got off from work. Todd came in this morning for a good visit. All have noted that Deb looks a lot better after this surgery than after the last.
Mom-Linda just showed up as Todd was leaving, so we're starting the discharge process. The discharge nurse is here now taking the IV out now, so we should be leaving within the next half-hour. I will try to post another update later after we all get to Kingsport, so I'll be able to report how Deb does with the two-hour trip to travel up there.
Things are much better this time. Something to be happy about for now. Of course there's still the next three weeks to get through, but I think it will all be relatively OK.
We've had a few a few visitors since my last update. Amy showed up last night for a visit (and brought Deb some mugs and tea bags). Kelly also came by after she got off from work. Todd came in this morning for a good visit. All have noted that Deb looks a lot better after this surgery than after the last.
Mom-Linda just showed up as Todd was leaving, so we're starting the discharge process. The discharge nurse is here now taking the IV out now, so we should be leaving within the next half-hour. I will try to post another update later after we all get to Kingsport, so I'll be able to report how Deb does with the two-hour trip to travel up there.
Things are much better this time. Something to be happy about for now. Of course there's still the next three weeks to get through, but I think it will all be relatively OK.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
En Suite
OK, Deb is now resting semi-comfortably in her hospital room, at least as comfortably as possible. She reports that the pain this time is not nearly as much as it was for her first surgery. In fact, they don't even have a morphine pump on her this time. Instead, she is sampling her own company's wares by taking Percocet for the pain. She's still a little groggy from the anaesthesia, but that is to be expected for a while.
Deb got to her room at around 1430 (that's 2:30 pm for those who don't speak 24-hour clock time). They had warned me at about 1315 that she was indeed having to wait for a room to open up and that it could take as much as two hours. I was thinking that two hours wouldn't be a problem since I had to leave at 1330 to make a 1345 Dr. appointment of my own. Sadly, I was still sitting out in the Dr.'s lobby waiting to go back at 1430 when Mom-Linda texted me with Deb's room number. I had hoped to be back and in her room when she arrived, but I didn't make it back until closer to 1630.
Thank you to those who have sent messages of support. I am sorry that I haven't had time to answer all of them, but then, that's what this site is for - to keep you informed about how she is doing.
And right now she is lightly dozing. That's a good thing.
Deb got to her room at around 1430 (that's 2:30 pm for those who don't speak 24-hour clock time). They had warned me at about 1315 that she was indeed having to wait for a room to open up and that it could take as much as two hours. I was thinking that two hours wouldn't be a problem since I had to leave at 1330 to make a 1345 Dr. appointment of my own. Sadly, I was still sitting out in the Dr.'s lobby waiting to go back at 1430 when Mom-Linda texted me with Deb's room number. I had hoped to be back and in her room when she arrived, but I didn't make it back until closer to 1630.
Thank you to those who have sent messages of support. I am sorry that I haven't had time to answer all of them, but then, that's what this site is for - to keep you informed about how she is doing.
And right now she is lightly dozing. That's a good thing.
Surgery Complete
Deb's surgery was completed at around 1130 and she's now in the recovery room. I just got back from talking with Dr. Kleto, and he seems pleased with the results. He gave me a list of do's and don'ts to follow for the next week until he sees her next Tuesday in his office (to remove the drain - we hope). He'll see her again the following week to remove the sutures.
Our friend Duane has been out here sitting with us since about 0900. He came and sat with me during the last surgery as well. I was also able to walk out to the truck and give him a small woodworking project I had done for him and his wife, Angela, over the last few days.
I was told to expect that Deb will be in the recovery room for about an hour, but I seem to recall being told that the last time and it was closer to 2-1/2 hours. If I remember correctly, that may have had something to do with having to wait for a room to be cleared. With luck, we won't have that issue this time.
I've been having a bit of an issue with this computer this morning. It has locked up on me a couple of times and I've had to reboot. I mention this as a segue to a new term that Deb coined this morning on the way to the hospital. She was having similar issues with her laptop and mentioned to me that all she was getting was the ire-glass.
Ireglass (Eye-er-glas, n) - the term used to describe the constant hourglass symbol that you get when your system locks up, creating a state of extreme frustration.
More when we get to a room...
Our friend Duane has been out here sitting with us since about 0900. He came and sat with me during the last surgery as well. I was also able to walk out to the truck and give him a small woodworking project I had done for him and his wife, Angela, over the last few days.
I was told to expect that Deb will be in the recovery room for about an hour, but I seem to recall being told that the last time and it was closer to 2-1/2 hours. If I remember correctly, that may have had something to do with having to wait for a room to be cleared. With luck, we won't have that issue this time.
I've been having a bit of an issue with this computer this morning. It has locked up on me a couple of times and I've had to reboot. I mention this as a segue to a new term that Deb coined this morning on the way to the hospital. She was having similar issues with her laptop and mentioned to me that all she was getting was the ire-glass.
Ireglass (Eye-er-glas, n) - the term used to describe the constant hourglass symbol that you get when your system locks up, creating a state of extreme frustration.
More when we get to a room...
Surgery Day
Well, they just wheeled Deb back into the OR, so I now have time to create this post. I tried to do it while I was back with Deb in the prep rooms, but I was having trouble getting enough signal to my Blackberry to make it work.
We arrived at the hospital just before 0700 and Deb came and checked in while I was parking the pick-up. Unlike the previous surgery back in June, this time Mom-Linda (Deb's mom) and Rusty are here, too. They drove down from Kingsport last night, and Deb and I will go back to Kingsport for Deb's recovery. Since we moved most of our household items to Seattle, there isn't anything more than a bed for Deb, and no way to heat or even serve food. Plus, this way Mom-Linda will be able to keep caring for Deb when I have to leave and head back to Seattle.
I went back to the prep area with Deb (only one person is allowed to go with a patient back there). I sat with her while they came in and put in the IV, put little footie things on her that blow up every minute or two (I would assume they help keep blood flow active in her legs), and quizzed her on who she was and why she was there a half-dozen times. Dr. Kleto, her surgeon, came in and made a series of arcane marks on her to help guide him during the surgery. Dr. Kleto is a nut. The CRNA confirmed that he's always entertaining to be in the operating room with.
They finally took her back just after 0830 and sent me back out to the waiting room. Apparently spouses are not allowed back in the OR. Not that I'd want to be there when they take a scalpel to her anyway.
So now we just sit and wait. Mom-Linda had gone and gotten breakfast at the cafeteria for her and Rusty when I got back out here, and as soon as I finish publishing this post I will head down there to get something for myself. Happily, they seem to have pretty decent food here as I remember from last time.
More updates as I get more news.
We arrived at the hospital just before 0700 and Deb came and checked in while I was parking the pick-up. Unlike the previous surgery back in June, this time Mom-Linda (Deb's mom) and Rusty are here, too. They drove down from Kingsport last night, and Deb and I will go back to Kingsport for Deb's recovery. Since we moved most of our household items to Seattle, there isn't anything more than a bed for Deb, and no way to heat or even serve food. Plus, this way Mom-Linda will be able to keep caring for Deb when I have to leave and head back to Seattle.
I went back to the prep area with Deb (only one person is allowed to go with a patient back there). I sat with her while they came in and put in the IV, put little footie things on her that blow up every minute or two (I would assume they help keep blood flow active in her legs), and quizzed her on who she was and why she was there a half-dozen times. Dr. Kleto, her surgeon, came in and made a series of arcane marks on her to help guide him during the surgery. Dr. Kleto is a nut. The CRNA confirmed that he's always entertaining to be in the operating room with.
They finally took her back just after 0830 and sent me back out to the waiting room. Apparently spouses are not allowed back in the OR. Not that I'd want to be there when they take a scalpel to her anyway.
So now we just sit and wait. Mom-Linda had gone and gotten breakfast at the cafeteria for her and Rusty when I got back out here, and as soon as I finish publishing this post I will head down there to get something for myself. Happily, they seem to have pretty decent food here as I remember from last time.
More updates as I get more news.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Part II Has Begun
Welcome back to the website that chronicles Dr. Deb's adventures as she goes through the surgery and recovery process following a diagnosis of DCIS, a form of breast cancer. First, a little catch-up synopsis from where I left off before - Dr. Deb (with husband - me - in tow) has moved to Seattle, Washington to tackle a new work assignment. However, since we started the surgery process in Knoxville, we decided it would be a good idea to finish it up with the same surgical team we had in June. Thus, we are back in Knoxville and Deb's final (we hope) surgery is scheduled for 8:30 am tomorrow.
We arrived back in Knoxville late on Friday and had a full weekend of stuff to do, including volunteering as kitchen staff for our favorite chef, Bruce Bogartz, at his restaurant, RouXbarb. He has started doing a thing called "Feeding Forty", which brings in people from across the socio-economic spectrum and gets them to interact in a positive way over a great meal (which he provides free of charge). There were probably a dozen of us acting as kitchen and serving staff, and we all donated our time as well.
Yesterday we went to the hospital where Deb's surgery will be to do all of the pre-operative paperwork and blood work, and then went to see our general practitioner for a check-up and to let them in on what's happening.
Deb is working today, which will be the last day for a few weeks (three, I think). We have to be at the hospital by 7:00 am tomorrow, and as I said before, her surgery is scheduled for 8:30 am. I will be sitting in the waiting room after that, and will be posting updates across the day as I get them, so check back here for those. I will try to keep this space as up-to-date as possible.
So, on with Act 2, Scene 1...
We arrived back in Knoxville late on Friday and had a full weekend of stuff to do, including volunteering as kitchen staff for our favorite chef, Bruce Bogartz, at his restaurant, RouXbarb. He has started doing a thing called "Feeding Forty", which brings in people from across the socio-economic spectrum and gets them to interact in a positive way over a great meal (which he provides free of charge). There were probably a dozen of us acting as kitchen and serving staff, and we all donated our time as well.
Yesterday we went to the hospital where Deb's surgery will be to do all of the pre-operative paperwork and blood work, and then went to see our general practitioner for a check-up and to let them in on what's happening.
Deb is working today, which will be the last day for a few weeks (three, I think). We have to be at the hospital by 7:00 am tomorrow, and as I said before, her surgery is scheduled for 8:30 am. I will be sitting in the waiting room after that, and will be posting updates across the day as I get them, so check back here for those. I will try to keep this space as up-to-date as possible.
So, on with Act 2, Scene 1...
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