Surgery, etc., update from Athens

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  • #12365
    Leeny
    Participant

    Hi, folks.

    Checking in to let you know how things are going, which I’m afraid isn’t as well as I’d hoped. I was taken to surgery about 5:00 Thursday evening, and the first time I remember seeing a clock afterward, it was 9:40 PM. The operation went smoothly, but I awoke from anesthesia with a headache. I went home about 10:00 Friday morning, and by 3:00 Saturday morning, the headache had gotten so bad it felt like the top of my head was going to blow off. The only thing I’d ever felt similar to it was a headache I got as a side effect of a spinal tap. I had to go back to the hospital’s ER, and they gave me Benadryl and Toradol, which knocked it out completely. I found out later from a cousin that members of my family characteristically have this reaction to a certain anesthesia drug, and that administration of Benadryl along with it prevents the reaction. I’ll have to find out from the surgeon if the problem drug or anything similar was given; that’s important medical history information to know.

    Now, I have a stabbing pain in the upper right abdomen, and had to stop taking my blood pressure medicine (a mild diuretic that normally just prevents edema) to keep from dehydrating from putting out a lot more fluid than I’ve been taking in. I’ve been out of work all week, and will have to be out a couple more days. It’s possible that my recovery’s been hampered by the unsanitary/uncomfortable conditions in my house–coughing from the dust all over everything, having to rest on a broken-down bed that slants. We’ve hired a cleaning service that’s going to spend Monday and Tuesday (yes, it’s going to take 2 days) thoroughly cleaning and organizing the house, and hauling away all broken furniture and major trash. We’ll have to go to a motel to get the cats and my husband out of the way while the professionals do their work. The manager says her crew is really excited about getting a shot at the place! All this, of course, is going to be very expensive, but it just can’t be avoided any longer. At least I get a couple of days’ rest in a real, sturdy, comfortable bed (!!!!) with feline companionship.

    My husband was excellent, taking care of me at home with great affection and consideration, up until yesterday. There was no dramatic change; he just started reverting back to his characteristic self-interest. Part of the reason for getting him out of the house is to keep his obsessive-compulsive disorder from running rampant as he sees other people taking control of his domain, even though he can’t handle it himself the way it is now. Realistically, he’s probably done the best he can.

    I took a printout of the other thread to the hospital with me and read it until they took me in the back to get ready. It was lovely to hold onto it, and you.

    I’ll be here in my office for a while writing a letter to the secretaries to explain my continued absence. If all goes well, I should be back regularly Wednesday afternoon.

    Has anyone heard Bruce Springsteen’s new song, “Radio Nowhere”? The refrain includes the question, “This is Radio Nowhere; is there anybody alive out there?” I listen to it a lot because I often wonder that myself. Along with the cousin who told me about the anesthesia reaction, you TDKers make me able to answer that question “yes–there IS somebody out there.”

    #95257
    Crazycatman – CA
    Participant

    Eileen, sorry to hear about the problems..you are in my prayers for a speedy, full recovery.

    Hugs, purrs and headbonks from my kitties..

    #95258
    AZDEBRA 5/27 & crew
    Participant

    Eileen, glad to hear that you are alive and kicking after the surgery, and that the house is being taken care of! Not realy glad to hear about the problems with the anesthesia, I know the feeling have it here too with some types.Just think of it (The house cleaning) as a cleansing not only of the house but of the soul, so-to-speak. And you can find another nice bed at yard sales if nothing else. Sorry I have a thing about paying full price for furniture when it can be found elsewhere, no actually I just like the hunt. Most of all, rest and get better for yourself and the family.

    #95259
    MerD
    Participant

    Eileen, I hope the remainig days of your recovery go well!

    Purrs and gentle head bonks!

    #95260
    paulajeanne
    Participant

    Eileen, people have been wanting to know how your surgery went, so glad you posted and so sorry for the side effects. After you go back home will there be help to keep the house up? Will your husband allow someone else in his space to do that? I can’t imagine the problems you have been facing and pray that you have the strength to get through them. Yes, there is someone out here, lots of someones, who care about you and your welfare. Blessings to you and yours.

    #95261
    miu
    Participant

    Eileen, I send healing white light and reviving kitty kisses to promote your recovery.

    #95262
    gatakitty
    Participant

    Eileen, were you at Regional or St. Mary’s? My cousin is an administrator at Regional, and our aunt and her step-brother are active in the diocese (indirect St. Mary’s connections). What can I do?

    #95263
    Leeny
    Participant

    Ginny, I was at Regional. Originally I was scheduled to have the surgery at St. Mary’s, on November 16; the surgeon operates there only on Fridays and the 16th was the soonest date open. I was too sick to wait that long, however, and when I checked about having the operation done sooner at Regional, the surgeon found he’d had a cancellation on November 1.

    Paulajeanne, I’ve told my husband that, as the homemaker, it is his responsibility to keep the home comfortable and sanitary, and that he can either do it himself or pay someone else, out of his own discretionary money (which I give him out of my paycheck so that he will have the adult dignity of having money to spend without having to check with me first), to do it for him. This mess actually took several years to develop, dating back to his mother’s death. In his depression over that, he pretty much stopped doing everything for about a year, they took him off of his Paxil and tried an array of medicines that weren’t much help, etc. This cleaning service also does normal weekly/ monthly cleaning, and I think he’s planning on hiring them.

    My biggest problem is not having a bed, but I’m going to make it a top priority to do something about that as soon as possible.

    #95264
    gatakitty
    Participant

    Eileen, if you need it, I will give you my cousin’s name at Regional. Just e-mail me at catspringginny AT yahoo DOT com. {{{hugs!}}} I was going to say “headbonks,” but at second thought that didn’t seem like a very good idea.

    #95265
    feral
    Participant

    Eileen…glad to hear the surgery is over with & your on the mend again. It’s a good thing also that you only had a mild reaction to the anesthesia. It could’ve been so much worse. I’m sending lots of healing Prayers your direction & by all means,take advantage of the extra time for just resting with your kitties. I’m sure your husband will love the new look of the house. Iy will be so much easier to keep ahead of then. Hugs & Kitty Kisses. Susie

    #95266

    You are in my prayers for a swift recovery, Eileen. Thanks for letting us know how you are doing. {{{gentle hugs}}}

    #95267
    anncetera2
    Participant

    Eileen, glad to hear you’re on the mend, despite the bumpy bits. Definitely keep the anesthesia info for future reference. And I hope that soon, you, hubby & cats will return to a significantly improved home environment.

    #95268
    Emma
    Participant

    Love and prayers, dear, coming your way from Auntie Em. Take it easy and cuddle the kitties.

    #95269
    Shelley
    Participant

    Wishes for a speedy recovery and prayers for a continuing harmony between you and your husband. Blessings also.

    #95270
    AnnF
    Participant

    All good thoughts heading your way.

    #95271
    KYKAT 12 23
    Participant

    Glad you are back Eileen. Hugs and positive thoughts are coming your way as you heal.

    #95272
    Elene_YorkPA_7/21
    Participant

    Eileen, so glad the worst of the ordeal is over for you. Had one of those headaches when my son was born caesarian and it took two tries for the spinal. Horrible headache.

    Having the house cleaned will be a godsend. You and your husband will probably feel very refreshed. Maybe with it clean and straightened he will feel more able to keep it up so maybe just hire the cleaning crew once a month. I wish you lived closer because I have a wonderful mattress set and frame (Ethan Allen) that I have to get rid of. I know it will just end up in the dump because Good Will and others don’t take them.

    Wishing you all the best while you continue to heal. My horde of 21 sends their sandpaper kisses.

    #95273
    anncetera2
    Participant

    Elene, for getting the mattress & frame to a new home, you might want to try Freecycle, if there’s any kind of group in your area.

    #95274
    Leeny
    Participant

    Hi, folks, I’m back again. I was away longer than I thought I would be because, on Monday the 12th, I called my surgeon’s office to ask about that stabbing pain I was having. They told me to come to the office that afternoon to be checked. After they had determined that the sutures were all right and that I didn’t have an infection, I asked if lifting something 4 days after the operation could have caused the abnormal pain because that’s when it began. The something that I lifted was a leakly air mattress that I put on the broken-down bed to keep me from rolling off of it. They said that definitely caused it, and the doctor put me on bed rest for an additional week! Today’s the first day I’ve been “allowed out.” I’m going to have to see about getting a computer and internet service at home, though. If I can’t go to my office, I’m “cut off” from everything. I’m going to have to do some juggling of funds on my credit cards to pay one that went overlimit because I couldn’t monitor the balance online and to keep another from going that way when the statement drops (my credit rating was updated this month–I can imagine what it’s like). Of course, I’m also cut off from TDK–all the adorable kittens and my friends.

    The house is the bright spot. It is fantastic! A cleaning crew of five women spent two and a half days transforming my home. The dust is gone, the grit on the floor is gone, the junk and broken furniture are gone, and everything else that was lying around has been sealed neatly in boxes and stacked in the corners of the bedroom. That arrangement is only temporary. I’m going to sort through the boxes and throw out everything in them that I don’t need. There’s probably a lot of that, because the crew boxed up all the mail that was lying around for me to sort. Most of it’s junk. After I’ve finished the sorting, I’m going to get the service to help me organize what’s supposed to be our storage room. The crew tells me there’s plenty of space in it, it just needs to be organized. I also bought a $35 air bed and am sleeping on that for right now.

    Again, thank you for all the good wishes.

    #95275

    It is great to see you posting again, Eileen! How wonderful your house sounds not that the cleaning crew has been through it. It can be very depressing to have things around you piling up in disarray. Hurrah that it is now uncluttered and tidy! I hope you are able to get internet at home so you can stay in touch with your TDK family. We have missed you!

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