More Rehab

Yesterday I started my graduate's class at rehab after a three week hiatus. The day after I graduated I had my stomach wrap surgery, then it was dr. appts., then a week in the hospital battling mild rejection (which has been overcome so don't get alarmed). Anyway, I made it back to rehab and it felt good to be back. Now that I'm a graduate I kind of do my own thing. I still have to do the same four stations, but after the floor exercise I can choose which station to go to next instead of being directed by the staff. I like to do the bike, weights, then walk last. It's nice that I can do it that way now. It doesn't take as long either to do the whole day. I guess because I'm not having to wait for one of the staff to be at a station before I can get started or trying to run down my chart to log my progress. I get there at 12 and by 2:30 I'm done. Before it was 12:30-3:30 and that was taking few breaks. I'm working at my same pace, I'm just on my own. I like it that way. It takes me back to the time when I was independent. I'm slowly getting my independence back. Patience, Patience.

Clinic's Today

Today was spent at Duke clinics. I had two appointments and had to get an xray. The xray was to SEE if the fluid has decided to return AGAIN. It better not. I haven't heard anything from it yet, but I'm sure I will, good or bad. I had a follow up with the doc that did my stomach wrap. I'm done seeing him unless I have problems, whew, one less doc to see! The other doc was deciding when to stop the anti-fungal meds and the anti-viral meds. I've been on them both since tx and I am so ready to be iv free! Even though I'm not struggling for air anymore, I can't help but think of CF antibiotics everytime I hook up an iv med now. I am happy to be alive and I don't want to waste any of it complaining about things that can't be changed. Things that are to my benefit. I know I received a miracle and I am thankful everyday that I am here today. I am on the downhill slide and I will get home soon. I'm keeping the faith!

Another Sleepless Night

Thank goodness the last dose of IV steroids is done. I don't know if I could stand many more nights on 3 1/2 hrs sleep. I got some good news today, well potentially good news. I may get to go home today. I got an xray early this morning and am waiting for the doctors to look at it and decide if the chest tube can come out. The fluid has quit draining any significant amount so maybe the tube can go! One less hose to carry around. I still have the wound vac for the fluid leak. It's slowly healing, but last night the wound vac dressing had a blowout and apparently the nurses here don't dress these things very often. The new dressing lasted about two hours and it was leaking again. I ended up trying to patch it myself to no avail, so I just went to bed looking like I had peed my pants =D

After talking with my dr. this morning, it's looking like I will be here till around the first of November instead of mid October like originally planned. It's just minor setbacks. Doc just wants to keep a close eye on the fluid situation to make sure it doesn't come back, AGAIN! I can live with an extra couple weeks.

The second xray looked good so the doc decided I could go home. I finally got out of the hospital about 8pm tonight. I had to wait and take my nightime meds at the hospital because the company that makes the home ivs won't be able to make them up until early in the morning. I'm just glad to be out of the joint. I have another pill to take now in addition to the 25+ I already take everyday. I'm now on high blood pressure meds because of being on such a high dose of prednisone. It will be temporary, just until the steroids are tapered down. What's another pill at this point? Let's just hope the fluid doesn't come back and I can stay on track to go home in November! God Is Great! I am a blessed woman. I will stay as long as it takes. I'm just loving life and Love To All!

It's 4:15am Why Am I Awake?

This isn't a trick question, this is what happens when the doc ups the dose of steroids in order to get the fluid off from around the lung. Don't ask me how it does it, it's just supposed to work. I was warned that it might make me wired, but I've been up since 8:30am Tuesday morning and it is now 4:15am Wednesday morning. Good Grief I'm not even close to being drowsy. I'll never keep my eyes open tomorrow, I mean today, lol. I went walking around the unit I'm on at 3:00am. I walked a mile hoping that would tire me out. It only made me hot. I'm pretty sure I'll start getting sleepy soon because it won't be much longer till they start coming in here for labs, vitals, meds, docs, respitory, etc. It won't stop for hours. Thank Goodness I start a taper of the steroid dose after tomorrow or else I will sure enough be a dead head.

Here's a thought: When you are a patient in a hospital have you ever had to share a shower with a big brown roach? Aren't hospital's held to a higher standard of sanitary conditions?
I was showering around midnight and as I was rinsing I happened to look down and there was this huge roach by my foot. It was a good thing it didn't crawl onto my foot or I might have ran out into the hallway naked! I managed to get out without exciting the creature and dried and got dressed. I then opened my door to find someone to come and exterminate it. Luckily, there was a guy sitting at a computer and he asked if I needed something. I was like "yeah, can you come kill this big brown roach in the shower?" He had one confused look on his face for a minute, but then realized I was serious. He grabs a pair of gloves and walks up to the shower and picks the roach up and leaves with it. Ewwwww!! Creepy Crawlies I can't stand! I'll be paranoid now. Doesn't matter anyway I suppose, I'll be awake to see them coming :(

Bright Sunny Day

It is so pretty outside. Sunny, no clouds, and I hear the temperature is nice. It would be even nicer if I could be out there in the sun, but noooo I'm still in the joint. The fluid is still draining. It has slowed down even more so maybe tomorrow will be the day.

Now I want to rant on getting my Nissen stomach wrap. Sure I understand that it will prevent me from having acid reflux, but no one told me it wouldn't prevent me from having heart burn. Also, I can't eat half of what I could eat before the surgery. If I do, my stomach just hurts! I'm hoping this is just because it is still healing since it's only been 10 days since surgery. I'm just stir crazy and ready to get out of the hospital!!!

A Room With A View

After being in Duke hospital for the fifth time since June, I finally got a room with a view. I can see the street in front of the hospital and a great view of the blue sky. It makes it feel more like a hotel room rather than a cell, oh I mean hospital room, lol. Also, the room I'm in is one of the bigger ones. It's not a suite, but it's comfortable. When I was in the hospital last week for my stomach surgery I think they put me in a closet. It was the smallest hospital room I had ever seen.

As far as the fluid around my lung, it's still draining but not as much. It's too soon to know when I may get out. Just have to be patient and let the drain tube do it's thing. I've got to get out of the room today and walk around. One thing about being in the hospital at Duke, they encourage walking. I'm actually looking forward to getting back to the fitness center. I graduated over a week ago and haven't been able to go back yet. I've worked hard to build my strength up and I don't want to lose any of it. I'm hoping to be out of the hospital by Tuesday, but hopefully Monday. Love To All!

Going Back In The Joint!

Unbelievable! I had the stomach wrap surgery last Friday and got out of the hospital on Sunday. Tuesday I had clinic and the fluid is still around my left lung so the dr. wants me to come into the hospital and have a chest tube put in to drain all of the fluid. I'll also have another bronch to make sure my lungs are still clear. I've got to be at the hospital bronch suite at 2pm Thurs. They will place the tube and do the bronch in the same place, then I will be admitted. I don't know how long how I will have to be in the hospital. Probably through the weekend. Another weekend in the joint, just great. I know I am on the downhill slide, I'm just frustrated that I seem to take one step forward and three steps back. I'm just ready to go home. I have two friends from rehab and I had my tx before them. Because they haven't had any setbacks, they are going to be released to go home at the end of this month. Don't misunderstand me, I'm happy for them. I'll just be glad when it's my turn. I know I am still blessed, I would not be here if I were not. I know The Lord would not put more on me than I can handle. I feel I am facing these obstacles because the Lord knows I am strong enough to overcome this. I'm sure I've said this before, but this too shall pass. I Love My Lord and I am on this journey with Him carrying me through it all. I'm going to be home soon enough, Whatever it Takes. I'll take it one day at a time. Love To All!

Getting out of The Joint

I am definately getting out of the hospital today. It'll be this afernoon before they get the paperwork done, fgures! Some good news is I'll get to sleep in peace and I haven't had a pain pill in over 12hrs. It seems like I always get a room across from the nursing station. Last night it wasn't the nurses making noise, it was the person in the next to me, well it was the family that was in the room with him. I don't think they had ever been in a hospital setting or they would know to BE QUIET. It wasn't late so my sleep wasn't disturbed, but other patients may have been asleep. They were laughing and talking loud like it was a family reunion.

More good news, I may get to go home by mid October. It isn't for certain, in case something else happns ;). I have faith in God and so far everything has run smooth. I'm still taking it one day at a time. Love To All!

Still in the Hospital, Dangit

This is short, but I wanted to let everyone know that I didn't get out of the hospital today. It's almost four in the evening and I haven't seen any doctors that make the decision about when to let me out. I still feel good, just sore from the incisions, and I wss looking forward to a quiet nites sleep. Just because it's the weekend the doctor's shouldn't ignore their patients. Oh well, I'll hope to get out tomorrow, but until then I'll continue to eat my broth, jello, and fruit juice, oh boy! Love To All!

Surgery Sucess

I'm stil here and doing great after my stomach wrap surgery. I haven't been in too much pain like I thought I would be. I'll have five more scars when the latest holes heal. It'll be worth it if it keeps acid reflux from contaminating my lungs. I'm so thankful that I'm alive an able to breathe!

A downfall to this surgery is I'll be on a liquid diet for a week, then soft foods for a few days. The doc said after that I could slowly incorporate regular foods into my diet. Here's a question, if anyone has been on a clear liquid diet, what types of things did you eat. I know things like broth, protein drinks, etc. I'm wondering if anyone invented something that tasted good and gave nececcary calories and energy.

I'll have more to update later. I haven't seen any doctors this morning, of course it is only 8:00ish. I'm hoping to go home today. I'll update again when I find out for sure. Love To All!

I'm A Pulmonary Rehab Graduate!!

Woo Hoo! I finished my 23 sessions of rehab today. I will still go to the center until I leave for home, but I will be on my own more without the instructors guiding me what to do next. I'm excited because Philip can go with me too. The only bummer to it all is after my surgery tomorrow I won't be able to lift more than 10lbs with my arms and legs. I've worked my way up to 75lbs on some of the leg exercises. That irritates me because the rehab center said it would be that way for six weeks.

Sooo, EARLY in the morning I have to get up to be at the hospital by 5:30am for the stomach wrap surgery. It isn't scheduled until 7:30am. At least I won't have to wait too long and I'll get to go back to sleep ;) I'm not looking forward to staying in the hospital overnight, but this too shall pass. Then I'll spend a week on a liquid diet. Next I'll slowly ease back into regular food starting out with soft foods. It'll probably take a few weeks for my tummy to get back to normal.

I went to clinic today and everything looks good except I have fluid around my left lung AGAIN. I don't feel like I'm breathing worse, but my PFT's (breathing test) show my numbers have dropped. I feel like it is the fluid. It was actually there last week too and doc said it was a little better this week so she isn't going to do anything for now. I go back to clinic Tues., so I'll find out what she wants to do next.

That's all the news I have for now. I probably won't feel like blogging, so I hope everyone has a Great Weekend. Love To All!

Nice Long Weekend With No Surgery

I was supposed to be in the hospital today recovering from my stomach wrap surgery. Turns out Friday when we went to the clinic to do the pre-op screening, we were actually supposed to be at the hospital. We arrived at the clinic at 7:30am and found out we were supposed to be at the hospital at 5:30am. Apparently, the surgeon's secretary tried to call me, but the number she had was our home number in Mississippi. I know the hospital has my cell phone number, good grief! So the surgery was cancelled and re-scheduled for next Friday. At least I got the pre-op done so I'll just go straight to the hospital.

I decided to ditch rehab Friday. I was so aggravated having to wait another week that I just wasn't in the mood. The rest of Friday through today has been a great down time, although I have been walking around the hotel at least a mile so it's not like I have been a total couch potato. I still want to exercise my breathers. I'll graduate from rehab next week. I have completed 20 of the 23 sessions so Tues., Weds., and Thurs., will complete my mandatory sessions. I'll still have to go to rehab, but I will have more freedom to exercise in the order of each station that I choose. I was hoping to be home by sometime in October, but with the surgery scheduled for Sep. 10th and recovery will take 6 wks; I don't know when I'll get home.

I'm just taking it one day at a time and am concentrating on getting stronger every day. I hope everyone has a Great Labor Day! Love To All.