Well, I survived. Last Tuesday began at 6am at the hospital. Carted off around 7, IV started, a bunch of nurses checking my neck for size of airway, drugs, and...lights out! I woke up what seemed a couple minutes later thinking "well, it's gonna happen soon", then felt my back, and realized it was over. Next thing I remember is being in my room, family all around. Someone pointed out the morphine button. After several "almosts", and lots of meditation, I could no longer hold out, and puked all over myself like a rock star! Switch morphine for demerol, and life was good.
Wednesday, met my therapist Tom, who was awesome. Walked a bit in the hallway, kinda painful, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Especially with a catheter hanging between your legs. Was able to eat OK. Not much else, just tired from the previous day. Oh, and my first roommate, a hillbilly from Missouri who watched TV 24 hours a day and talked just as much, was taken home by his lovely 4-toothed wife.
Thursday, got another roommate, an old guy with one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel, whose wife kept talking about not allowing any extraordinary measures to be taken to save his life. He must have had a good life insurance policy. All he was in for was a leaky morphine pump in his back. Another 24 hour TV watcher. Thank God for a 40 GB iPod! Walked 4 times this day, paid the price on...
Friday. Very sore from previous day's activities. Walked without the walker about 50 feet. Not a bad day. Removed IV and catheter (ouch). Beginning to get concerned about not moving my bowels since Monday. At night, after a 2 hour attempt and a suppository... success, well kinda. Not too much. I remember sitting there thinking, "so this is how Elvis died..."
Saturday I met myself coming up the down staircase. Oxycontin (sp?) introduced me to my first hallucinagenic experience. Maybe if I had done drugs when I was younger I could have handled it better. Never have I been so sick. On one trip, during which I was listening to Floyd on the iPod, I was having visions of all the characters from The Wall movie, but they were all midgets. There was another that involved fighting an invasion of aliens alongside Steven Wilson. However, in between trips, I did manage to walk stairs with Tom, but spent the day in bed for the most part. And I was supposed to come home...
Sunday. Completely wiped out from the previous day. And... having chest pains on the right side of my chest. Chest X-rays, EKG, blood tests. Heart OK. Checking for pneumonia and bloodclots. Need a lung scan but can't get that til Monday. In the meantime, I'm on a mission. Two doses of Milk of Magnesia, four cups of prune juice, and a suppository, and... nothing. Bring on the enema. After another 2 hours in the toilet... again, not much to write home about. That ordeal ended around 1:30 am. Poor Chris...
Monday, had my lung scan. Was injected with some radioactive stuff, heard the Spiderman theme in my head. Scan came back negative, good to go home. 7 days. Thanks to Chris for being there constantly, and without whom I would not have had the wonderful treatment I received.
Today I had a shower, what a relief. And speaking of relief...YES, finally. Something about being in your home environment. Had a good meal in town, got some fresh air (it was a bout 60 F today). Now just getting adjusted to being home, getting caught up on things, learning how to navigate around the house with a walker.
I taped an Interstellar Overdrive show which will air tomorrow. Hope you all enjoyed my demo last week. IO will return to DLBN, LIVE, next Wednesday, March 31. Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes and prayers during this experience. Chris and my sister Peggy were printing the threads from the forums and bringing them to me. Your friendship will always be appreciated. God bless you all!
Ahhh the memories of surgery and hospitals this post brings back. Reminds me of the first 10 years of my life. Great to have you back! Looking forward to when you're live!
Author
Logged
