Sunday ; Kelowna General Hospital ; Cardiac Surgery Unit Room 228
Have no idea what the weather is like outside the hospital. I think it's cloudy and cool.
Post Operative Day 2 ; Have been moved from Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit back to Cardiac Surgery "regular" ward. Have been pushing myself very hard to get started on rehabilitation with physiotherapist. Pushing myself too hard ! Have made myself quite ill twice today.
Appetite extremely low. Haven't eaten any solid foods since Thursday early, light supper. Had a cup of tea yesterday afternoon in Intensive Care. Had a small serving of orange juice for breakfast today. Had a small cup of beef broth for lunch today.
Had Foley catheter removed by nurse about an hour ago, at 2 PM. Had my first pee a few minutes ago. I was urinary catheter virgin. Didn't know penis would fart like that during first pee after catheter removal. HA HA HA ! Nurse also changed dressing on wrist to elbow incision on inside of left arm. YUCK !
Waiting for physiotherapist to come take me on third and last walk today. Can't go without her because I have to tow wheeled oxygen tank along. First walk early this morning was about twenty-five feet out of room and back. Second walk about noon was supposed to be five hundred feet. Lots of rest stops ! Third walk supposed to be a thousand feet. I pushed second walk to a thousand feet. Well done, Daniel ... this isn't a vacation !
Have just finished my third walk at 3:30 PM with Physiotherapist Sarah. Pushed it to fifteen hundred feet. Needed only two rest breaks. Asked for another walk at 6:30 PM.
Just finished fourth walk at 8 PM. Just me and the walker holding my oxygen tank. Walked three thousand feet ... post-op day 4 level ! Took a rest at only one thousand feet and again at two thousand feet.
Had half a tuna sandwich and small glass of milk just now. First solid food in three days.
GET OUT OF MY WAY ... I'M COMING BACK ! ! !
Monday ; Post Operative Day 3
Sunny. I can see at least that much out my hospital room window.
I awoke around 6:30 AM and went to the bathroom to urinate, wash my hands and face, use my WaterPik, and brush my teeth. By the time I was finished doing that, and returned to my bed at 7 AM ... I felt like crap ... again ! I had a lot of chest pain, especially on the inhale. My nurse came rushing into my room to check on me, because he could see on the wall display at the nurses' station that I had flipped into atrial fibrillation. Some nurses got me back lying in bed, then worked for two hours administering a variety of medications to control the fast heart rate, and the atrial fibrillation.
I was very disappointed, and worried that I may have taken "two steps back", but ... around 11 AM the heart rate and rhythm returned to normal and the pain disappeared. I had a slice of toast for breakfast, then went for my first walk of the day, a thousand feet with four rest stops. When that was done a physical therapist came to my room to plan with me some physical aids I will require over the next three months. As she left my room another therapist came into my room to invite me to today’s post-operative discharge planning class. WOO-HOO ! I’m still on track to be going home on Wednesday.
I did my second walk of the day immediately preceding the post-operative discharge class. Which might not have been the best of ideas, because ... throughout the class
I was fighting an extremely strong urge to fall asleep. However ... < shrug > ... so were the other three fellows in the class. HA HA HA ! But they at least had their wives present to "take notes" so to speak.
I was expecting Joanne to arrive for a visit today at 1:30 PM. So ... I made sure that my lunch was finished and I was sitting in my room eagerly awaiting her arrival at 1:30 PM. Adding to my rapidly growing list of experiences during the last week where my response has been ... "WELL ! F*** ! DIDN'T SEE THAT ONE COMING ! ! !" ... precisely at 1:30 PM ... < SPUTTER > ... my brother Russell walked into my hospital room.
I knew that my sister was not following my blog, so I did not have to worry that she would find out about what was going on by reading my blog. And I was fairly certain that my brother was not reading my blog, either. BUT ... I had not considered that one of Russell's two children might occasionally read my blog. AND ... my niece Olivia obviously chose today as a day to catch up on what weird old Uncle Dan has been doing by reading my blog. DARN ! I had not advised my family of what was going on. And I thought I would not need to for a few more days, until I was home and recuperating. Oh, well ... the cat's out of the bag now ! Before coming to visit me, Russell phoned my sister, assuming that she already knew, and that he was the only one "out of the loop". So ... an hour or so ago ... ( it's now just after 5 PM ) ... my nurse came into my room to advise me that my sister was on the phone at the nurses' station. < sigh > Joanne took the call, spoke briefly to my sister, and will talk to her again later tonight when she ( Joanne ) is back at home. Don't you just love dysfunctional family dynamics ? ! ?
Oh, well ! At least I'm not surrounded by middle aged adult children, and their offspring, the grandchildren, wringing their hands and moaning ... "Grandpa's dying, Grandpa's dying" ... like the rest of the old fellows here. HA HA HA !
Before Joanne left around 4:30 PM, my nurse today came into my room to remove dressings off my left arm and chest, and remove the temporary pacemaker wires which had been left sticking into my heart, and protruding through my chest wall ... just in case they might be needed in the first few days after surgery. Odd sensation to have thin wires pulled out of heart and through chest wall ! So ... pacemaker wires out, another hurdle crossed on journey to release, still hoping for Wednesday. Surgical wound from artery harvest on left arm from wrist to elbow, and another one from neck to navel, not pretty ! ! ! Before Joanne left, she accompanied me on third walk of the day, three thousand feet, two rest stops. Physical therapist has granted permission for one more thousand foot walk tonight .... without oxygen !
Nurse just came in ( shortly after 6 PM ) with supper time medications and ...
WOO-HOO ... ( hopefully ) permanent removal from oxygen flow. Ate my supper ; chicken breast, peas, mashed potatoes ... I think. Might have been LePage's Glue. Hard to tell ! Went for a thousand foot walk. No rests, no oxygen. Had no chest pain. Plenty short of breath ! Let's not mention that to my nurse, shall we ?
Around 9:15 PM Cardiac Nurse Assistant Candace took me to the patient shower room, I undressed, she removed all remaining dressings and wires and leads and whatever else was stuck onto me, she put on a pair of boots and ... < SPUTTER > ... climbed into the shower stall with me ! "WELL ! F*** ! DIDN'T SEE THAT ONE COMING ! ! !" I'm starting to insert that using "cut and paste" function ! HA HA HA ! Apparently I will be unable to shampoo my own head for the next few months !
After washing my hair Candace left me on my own. I washed until ... WHEW ... I very abruptly "ran out of steam" ! I stopped showering, turned off the faucet, and sat there huffing and puffing heavily until I decided if I was going to die, I would rather not do it naked on a hospital shower stall floor. I pulled on my pair of clean sweat pants, picked up the rest of my possessions, and stumbled slowly back to my room where I sat and tried for a very long time to catch my breath !
WHEW ... didn't know my stamina was going to be THAT low ! ! !
Tuesday ; Post-Operative Day 4
The rapidity of which life changing events are overtaking me in the last two weeks in general, and today specifically, have finally overwhelmed me. I'm sitting here crying softly in the dark. Joanne has just phoned me ( at 9:45 AM ) to advise that Bo has died. She advised me forty-five minutes earlier at 9 AM that his death was imminent.
This morning's procedures started early, around 5:30 AM. A decision was made not too long afterwards that I could be released this afternoon. Then it was revoked and I was to remain until tomorrow afternoon. Then it was reinstated and I was to be released this afternoon. Then I spoke to Joanne at 9:45 AM when she phoned to tell me that Bo has died, with assistance from the third veterinarian she visited this morning. I'm not clear on the details.
I sat in the dark, in my room, crying softly for an hour, until a porter came to take me away in a wheelchair for my final chest x-ray. I have just been returned to my room at 11:30 AM. And I think I have recomposed myself to resume functioning today as necessary.
Not only do I currently feel overwhelmed by grief, but I feel ... I'm not sure what the right words are ... overwhelmed by emotional pain that these circumstances force me to sit here helplessly while Joanne had no choice but to find the strength to do what the last few hours required her to do. I'm so sorry, my love, that you had to endure that misery on your own, and I could not be there to help you shoulder that burden. I'm not going home today simply because she needs to get back home from Penticton, and clean the vomit and diarrhea that Bo spewed all over the house during the night, before she takes me home.
Godspeed, my dear little Bo Bo. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to say goodbye to you. I'm glad that your suffering was relatively brief. I will miss you so much. We had a great thirteen year life together since we rescued you in Alabama shortly after Hurricane Ivan. I'm going to lay down in bed and cry now !
Okay ! Enough of that ! It is not fair for me to indulge myself in the luxury of grief, while my circumstances forced Joanne to shoulder the burden of the last ten hours or so alone, and she must continue to do so alone for at least twenty-four more hours. While she was stuck with the most difficult job that pet owners must ever face ... alone again ... not the first time ... the only job that I can do ... and therefore must do ... is get myself as strong as possible in the next twenty-four hours, to minimize the enormous burden that caring for me for the next three months will entail.
I went for a thousand foot walk with no rest stops. I had the physiotherapist take me for my final pre-discharge physical activity test... climbing stairs. I climbed the cardiac surgery ward's three stair physiotherapy unit seven times up and seven times down, simulating walking up two flights of stairs. I sucked on my little three ball respirometer. I can consistently raise the second little ball to the top, and make it hold there for a second or two. Some of the time I can get the third little ball to rise to the top. I went for another thousand foot walk. I did my coughing exercises and horked up a lot of mucous out of my lungs. Good job, Daniel ! It certainly does hurt my wired together sternum to cough !
Around 4 PM I was walking to the patient fridge to get myself a serving of apple juice.
I had just finished a private conversation with a senior member of the staff of this cardiac surgery unit. We had been discussing some of my unsolicited complaints about this unit. So ... that was a bit "distressing". As I reached the patient fridge an incoming staff member inquired about my day. I began to express my grief over the death of Bo, and he was expressing his sympathy, when suddenly people began to rush towards me from different hallways and out of doorways, etc. Apparently, the monitors all over the walls of the unit were showing that room 228 had flipped into atrial fibrillation. Oh... shit ... that's me !
My nurse got me back into my bed, and a woman rushed in with an ECG machine to make a "hard copy" ECG. By the time she was finished my heart was returning to normal rhythm. My nurse gave me some advice about handling stress in the future. HMPH ! Might have to become a little less Type A.
NAAAAAHHHHH ... who am I kidding ? ! ? HA HA HA !
Have just received a phone call from someone looking for Similkameen Trailer Towing Services. Sorry, pal ... Similkameen Trailer Towing Services is out of commission for at least the next three months. Probably six months. Perhaps forever !
Just went for a thousand foot walk ( around 5 PM ). Took a long rest break halfway around. Well ... I can see from the monitors all over the place that my heart beats just fine ! As long as I'm standing still ! It's only when I move that there is a problem. HA HA HA !
I spent a few more hours snoozing ... crying in bed ... walking slowly around the Cardiac Surgery Ward ... trying to eat more of this horrible food. Not surprisingly, I'm constipated, fairly common after surgery, and even more of a problem for people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease / Crohn's / Ulcerative Colitis. The hospital does not want to release people who have not yet had a bowel movement after surgery. And that was a part of my many discussions with staff today. Their precautions make sense. I'm not resistant to them.
8:20 PM ; Successful bowel movement. Mark that down ! ! ! Send me home ! ! !
8:55 PM : Sucked on that respirometer so hard that I slammed all three little balls to the tops of their chambers ... and held them there ! In front of staff ! TWICE ! ! !
CLEARED TO GO HOME !
Wednesday ; Post-Operative Day 5 ;
Sunny and cold ! What happened to summer ?
Well ! DID see THAT one coming ! Went to sleep last night knowing that flare up of Ulcerative Colitis was imminent. Slept very poorly and suffered throughout the night. Awoke this morning and suffered illness throughout the day with nausea, cramps, and heavy rectal bleeding. Colon dehydrated, inflamed, bleeding, probably ulcerated.
< taking slow, deep breath > ... Need to get home and get better care ... and meals ... from Joanne than I can get in hospital.
Well ... sometimes ... I guess life isn't quite as complicated as it seems. I haven't slept well for two nights. Around 11 AM I was feeling such fatigue I decided to go back to sleep for awhile, knowing that Joanne wasn't going to be arriving until 1 PM or later to take me home. I lay down in bed, and soon thereafter ... I began to experience deep throbbing pain on the top right side of my sternum. When it reached an intensity level of about "4", I pressed my nurse call button. I was worried about that affecting the discharge order that had already been prepared, but ... the pain was increasing. There was a bit of a delay while my nurse sought and obtained authorization to administer me a narcotic analgesic. In the meantime ... my pain level had increased to about an "8", and I was getting scared. Desperate for relief, I sat up on the side of the bed and began to breathe as deeply as I could.
OH ! The pain began to immediately subside. The nurse brought me a strong pain killer, and I went for a slow walk. Within minutes all the pain had gone ! And while the pain killer and walk probably helped ... I think the problem may have been no more complicated than ... I had pinched a nerve or something in my wired together sternum when I lay down !
On the way to Kelowna to pick me up Joanne stopped at Red Cross in Penticton to pick up some health aids that had been requisitioned for me by the Kelowna Hospital ; a raised toilet seat, a shower chair, a bed side rail to help me get into and out of bed, those sorts of things. She arrived at Kelowna General Hospital around 1 PM. A nurse spent quite awhile giving Joanne and me instructions on care after discharge, including teaching Joanne how to change the large dressings on my chest and left arm. Because ... they are "oozing" The one on my chest, in particular, is still oozing a lot of gunk.
I was finally released, and we were on our way out of the hospital about 2:45 PM. The drive home took over three hours ! Because ... about once per hour I needed a brief rest break from sitting in the car. And there were a few important errands to run, like refill the minivan with fuel. And I am of no help whatsoever ... can't even open and close my own car door ! We talked ... and cried ... about Bo on the way home.
Despite the heavy grief of Bo's death, it was good to see Emma and Ozzie. We'll help Ozzie with his grief, he'll help us with ours. As soon as we were out of the hospital
I began to rehydrate myself ... and my colon ... with Gatorade. Within a few hours, by bedtime my Ulcerative Colitis illness was diminishing. Yes, yes ... I AM aware that I still have an excess of fluids in my body from surgery. BUT IT'S POOLED IN MY LEGS BETWEEN MY KNEES AND ANKLES, AS EDEMA ! REMAINING ON FLUID RESTRICTIONS IS NOT GOING TO HELP MY COLON ! ! ! ! !
Take a deep breath, Daniel, before you make your newly fixed heart explode !
How wonderful it feels to be back at home, in my own bed, lying next to my sweetheart. BUT ... why is the left side of my scrotum all mangled and abraded ? Did my left nut get used as first base in a hospital baseball game while I was having surgery ?
Thursday ; < GRUNT > Did that ever hurt ! Had my first sneeze ( shortly before
7 AM ) since sternum was cut open and rewired closed.
Today was sunny and mild. And thanks to that, the best thing that I did today was spend some time sitting outside in a chair, enjoying warm sun on my face.
Joanne spent a long morning making repeated phone calls and repeated trips into town trying to get all my new prescriptions filled, something which was supposed to have been done by us on the way home last night, but did not. The process became arduous only because everything that the Kelowna General Hospital Cardiac Surgical Unit and Pharmacy Department were supposed to have done ... they did not do ! ! ! A few days ago, I had a meeting with two women, one of whom was a Pharmacist at the hospital, about "after discharge". The pleasant young Pharmacist, who seemed quite competent, carefully recorded what pharmacy I wanted my prescription orders sent to, and she was supposed to arrange for those new prescriptions to be waiting for us to pick up on our drive back home after discharge. Seemed like a simple enough task for a smart woman with a university degree !
NOPE ! Didn't get done ! The manager at our local pharmacy had received nothing from the hospital. And we didn't have copies of all the prescriptions. And it was my first morning home after discharge. I was supposed to be taking some of these medications ... NOW ! ! !
UH-OH ! After everything I have been through in the last week, I certainly hope that
I am not going to die because I didn't get the right medication at the right time this morning ! ! ! ! ! The manager of the local pharmacy did not panic. She had Joanne locate a particular discharge document in the thick pile of documents given to us by the hospital. When Joanne drove that form into town for her, she gave Joanne the medication that I REALLY needed immediately, deferred the payment for it until later, and sent Joanne back home with the drug. Two hours later everything else I needed was ready to be picked up !
Well done, Connie ! Good job ! ! ! No thanks to Kelowna Hospital !
As I said, I sat outside for awhile this afternoon, enjoying warm sunshine. A few neighbours noticed me sitting outside, and wandered over to offer best wishes. And condolences !
Joanne and I each spoke very briefly to our sisters this afternoon, and advised each of them of Bo's death on Tuesday. < sigh > Seems so long ago already !
Friday ; Cloudy and cool.
This lengthy recuperation period of mine that has begun, has turned us into old folks very quickly. It took us half a day to get ready to go into town to do an errand. It took us a quarter of the day to get the errand done and return home. And then we rested and recuperated for the remaining quarter of the day ! Not funny !
Half a day to get showered and dressed and fed and filled with medications. We drove into Keremeos where I had an appointment at the South Similkameen Diagnostic & Treatment Centre, at the Home Care Nursing Office, to have my dressings changed and surgical wounds examined. We stopped at Keremeos Home Building Supplies to look for an item, which they did not have. We stopped at Sanderson Farms and
I waited in the car while Joanne went to buy some produce, including a twenty pound bag of freshly picked Ambrosia apples. Unfortunately, this past summer's weather produced an annual crop of apples lacking the usual sweetness found in Ambrosias.
Late this afternoon Joanne took Ozzie for another very long walk. He has been enjoying daily multiple long walks with Joanne. I wish I could go with them. Before Joanne left with Ozzie she got me dressed for the outdoors ... I felt like a child being put into a parka in Winnipeg in the winter in the late 1950's ... and while they walked around for an hour, I shuffled around on the road behind our house for awhile, sitting in a chair much more than I actually walked around.
Joanne thinks that my recovery is going well, today being post-operative day seven.
I suppose she's right. My wounds look clean, no infections. My breathing ability is slowly improving. And most importantly, I discovered that some of the sternum pain issues I have been experiencing have been lessened with a change of dressings. The new dressings do not "fit" quite as tightly, and are not as restrictive to the ever so slight movement and interaction that must take place between the chest skin, the now wired sternum underneath, the expanding and contracting lungs underneath all that, etc. At bedtime, before lying down, I detached the very top of the adhesive dressing cover material at my throat. That makes it much easier to breath while lying down.
Saturday ; Mostly cloudy, chilly, windy.
My mobility was improved today. This afternoon Joanne went into Penticton to run some errands. She took Ozzie along for a "drivey". Ozzie loved going for "driveys" with Gord and Marcie, and has not been getting his fair of share of "drivey" during the last year and a half of Gord's illness. When she was finished errands in Penticton, before returning home Joanne took Ozzie for a long walk around Skaha Lake Park. When they returned home around 6 PM Ozzie was in excellent spirits, and doing a lot of "happy dancing".
I spent about an hour outdoors while Joanne and Ozzie were gone to Penticton. I was trying to "exercise", which right now means walking from one chair on the edge of our property to another chair on the edge of our property, a distance of about thirty feet. My stamina is still very low, and I was disappointed in my "performance". I spent about eighty percent of my hour outdoors resting in either of the two chairs, and perhaps twenty percent of the time I was actually shuffling along from one chair to the other.
After my hour outdoors I spent a couple of hours indoors trying to catch my breath after doing that much "exercising". < sigh > It certainly is going to be a long, hard journey over the next three months, isn't it ?
DSK
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