Adam Update #4

9am: He slept through the 1am chance for Morphine and ended up not waking until almost 4am. After receiving a dose, he promptly returned to sleep until 5:30 ish when the vampires came poking around looking to draw some blood. Breakfast came and other than the ice cream scoop (I kid you not) of eggs it looked pretty good. I helped myself to the bacon and Adam declined everything. He asked Taj to bring some grapes today and we are awaiting their arrival. The catheter has been removed and we are waiting for the doctor to get out of surgery to remove the drain. Then we can get the Physical Therapy lady here and try to get him off this bed. Hopefully he will be moved to another room today.

11:15am: the doctor just left, he removed the drain from Adam’s wound and checked out his throat. He has a lesion of some sort, we think from the intubation during surgery. Since he was under for so long they intubated him just in case. So now he has ordered an Ear Nose and throat doctor to come and take a look. PT is set to start today, hopefully the drug dealer will be close by at the same time. He has also been cleared to move if this department needs the bed.
From what I have seen, a bed doesn’t stay empty in this area for more than 10 minutes, so I have high hopes that he will be calling Uhaul soon. Adams concern over moving was could he find a new pusher up there. I assured him there were pushers all over the hospital, the minute he leaves the hospital, is when rehab starts. Now he is not so keen on going home, all I have are Tylenol 3’s with Codeine there. Big whoop!

During the early afternoon there is an episode of not being able to "void" and a temporary catheter is inserted, voided and removed. This is not a pretty scene.

At about 4pm Adam is moved upstairs to athe same medical/surgical ward that he was in last March, as he should have been under normal circumstances. What a difference a floor makes. The ward he was in was dark, dank and depressing. More than 1 person died during our stay down there, and the employees I think are a product of working in that atmosphere.
Up here now on the 6th floor, it is bright and white and cheery. The nurses are ever so helpful and informative. Immediately they notice that he is not situated correctly on his bed and not only do they take the time to inform us why it is incorrect but they rectify it as well. Marina is the day nurse and as she leaves she says see you tomorrow. We may actually have the same nurse two days in a row. The night shift comes in and introduces and acquaints themselves in a congenial manner. The assistant, Zuby (yes that’s right Z u b y), asks me if I will be staying the night and I inform her yes I will. She did not look at me like I would be an imposition, she immediately looked at the chair I was sitting in and exclaimed, not in that you won’t. I will get you a recliner. I told her this was the same thing I had been sleeping in downstairs she asks where we were and when I tell her a sad look came over her face and she said "Oh I don’t like it when I have to work down there, it is depressing". OMG!

When they bring dinner, Adam is his usual unreceptive self and she says no worries, let me know when you are ready to eat and I will warm it up for you. I think I love her. She talks Adam into a sponge bath and doesn’t give him a choice about changing his position, just brings in a strong arm and does it. Can I bring her home with me?

He actually eats the meatloaf and potatoes that have so graciously been reheated and is watching tv and using the computer. A sight better than we have seen the past few days.
More drama in the evening relating to a temporary catheter (also known as an In n Out). And a smooth night is looming ahead.

HA!
Mid night comes and Adam asks for morphine. He also feels like he needs to "void" (pee), but you can only do an in n out every 8 hours. So while they are deciding, he falls asleep from the morphine shot and I turn them away when they come.

1:30 am and Adam is writhing in pain on his bed. His lower back is in excruciating pain (all you women that have given birth will recognize the "back labor", the ob/gyn tells you when you have back labor it will feel like a really bad bowel movement needs to happen. My
16 year old son is experiencing back labor. And has the nerve to tell me that he doesn't believe that labor could feel this bad. Just don't ever tell your wife that honey!). Bowels have not moved since Thursday. We call Eva (our nurse) and she tries a bedpan, but to no avail. Now his bladder is really in pain as well and a full time Foley catheter is reinserted to stay. Prune juice is administered and here I sit at 2:20 while he sleeps. His bladder empty from the Foley, but his bowels another story. They can’t administer an enema without doctor’s orders, and I guess that isn’t urgent enough to wake him up. The fact that I am awake and Adam was doesn’t count. Oh well, he is sleeping now, so that is what is important.

Tomorrow, Physical therapy should begin; I brought his crutches from home today in anticipation. He should also be getting a visit from an Ear Nose and Throat dr., to look at the lesion on his tonsil and on top of that they may need to include an (a) urologist to figure out why he can’t pee on his own.

All of this on TOP of having 11 screws in your leg and knee. Thank God he is young and healthy otherwise!

Keep those good thoughts going, we aren't out of this yet. I have no idea as to when he will be released, I am thinking Wednesday or Thursday.