24 hours in the life of a tingling druggie:
This was supposed to be yesterday's blog, but yesterday turned into a crap-show (literally). So, I'm posting it today on the theory that it will be similar, but without the drama. This blog entry is kind of long and detailed, but when I was looking for a guide on what to expect in recovery, there was nothing like this out there in cyber space. I suspect anyone who has had extended stays in hospitals has a similar story. I was just wanting to document a day in the life in critical care.
2:15am - woken by an aide for two extra strength tylenol and a half dose of Oxycodone quick release pain killer. I debate the oxy, then realize that weaning myself off serious pain killers in just 4 days is what they warned me about. "Don't be a hero". I took the pill and slept well.
5:00 am - my nurse passes by and sees that I'm awake and wiggling my feet. Quick bladder ultrasound and bladder drain. No new drugs yet. I'm wide awake now, so I ask for the compressors to be off my legs for an hour to move my legs around on their own and see what feels like what. If you've ever experienced that "foot falling asleep" sensation to the point where you've had no feeling and have had to physically move your foot with your hands, that's what I'm talking about.
6:15am - my pre-breakfast drugging - 650 mg tylenol, 300 mg Gabapentine (neuropathic pain killer) and 15mg Oxycodone, Long lasting. I'm sill up and just putzing on the computer, so I welcome the distraction.
6:45am - can't keep my eyes open any more and I'm getting uncomfortable, so I suffer the effort of rolling onto my side for a nap
7:15am - nursing shift change over. Meet my new nurse, then suffer the personal indiginities of commode journey to the bathroom, the usual morning nerve testng, more unsuccessful attempts at elimination (they are obsessed with elimination here), and the wash up, gown change, and bed change by an aide. What used to take me 5 minutes by myself, has taken 35minutes, the help of two people, and I'm completely and utterly wiped (HA! no pun intended :) ). It is all I can do to just sit and write.
8:20am - stabbed by a mystery nurse because my doctor apparently ordered blood work. yay.
8:40am - another bladder scan and drain. Another nurse who can't find the right opening and it takes 10 minutes of stabbing and poking. No dignity. At all. Followed by 650 mg of Tylenol, 1.5 mg of Dexamethasone (anti-inflammatory, steroid) and an iron supplement . I decline another hit of the quick-release oxy. And victory of all victories - IV stent removed!
9am - breakfast. Today it's Cheerios, cheese and coffee. Plus fresh fruit that has been supplied to me by my dealers :)
10:00am - physio duo arrive for part I of my morning torture. Push to standing with a high wheeled walker. Try to place weight on both legs, then lift left knee, put back down, lift right knee, put back down. 15 times on each leg. Unbelievably exhausting and on the 13th rep my right spazzy leg gave out. A wee rest, then practice going from sit to stand. Three times. Couldn't do any more than three. They'll be back later. Bwahahaha.
11:00am- it's not the physio duo at my door. My day nurse comes to tell me they're moving me to the spinal unit, then maybe in a couple of days to rehab. All the moving poking and prodding and retesting for the new staff gave me leg pain off the charts, 8 hours later it has still not subsided.
12:15pm - my lunch was delivered to my old room and they couldn't find me, so I got a standard issue. It sucked. My SO happily bought me a club sandwich from somewhere else, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
1:15pm - new nurse finally arrives with drugs. 650 mg Tylenol,. 300mg Cabapentin, 20mg Oxycodone Long lasting, 1.5 mg Dexamethasone, and 5 mg Oxycodone immediate release. Full on drug regiment. Maybe the fire that is my leg will calm down, I can settle down and get my positive attitude back. But no more physio for me today. I couldn't do it if I tried. Everything I could do at 5am this morning, I've lost.
3:30pm - bladder ultrasound. Again. For the first time in 5 days, there isn't enough in my bladder. And oh, all the nurses working the spinal unit today are male ..,, they borrow a female from the next unit over because I refuse their services.
4:45pm - dinner arrives. Hospital food is getting worse and worse, so I guess my mental game is getting better and better
5:00pm - suppository. This place is obsessed with elimination. It's all about the elimination. Crap and pee, crap and pee, crap and pee ... it's all they talk about.
5:15pm - 650 mg of Tylenol,1.5 mg of Dexamethasone, and I decline the iron supplement until they can tell me what my iron count is. They've jabbed into me twice for bloodwork, but no one has actually told me I need to take the iron. Please crap, but we feed you iron. Helllooo !!
5:45pm - another bladder ultrasound, and still not enough liquid to drain.
6:05pm - nurse has checked my iron levels at my request and they are well above the required limits. Go figure, give 'er the pills just because. No more iron for me.
6:10pm - shit the bed ... that's what you get when you mess up the bodily functions of someone who is pretty much paralyzed. No way to run to the bathroom. Sorry. Female nurse is kind enough to step in and clean up. (and agrees that my male nurse owes her big-time). New plan (and mega-planning) for the evening because I apparently do not have bowel control. Let's really hope that is just nerve swelling and will come back with the other progress!
6:30pm - blood pressure, temperature and blood oxygen test. Shock of all shocks, blood pressure that was finally down to normal, was back up again this evening.
7:40 pm - nurse shift change. Meet the new-to-me night nurse and warn her that it is going to be a rough evening. Bowel issues and no sphincter control, do not make for good company. I apologize again to the original nurse for my outbursts today, and he hands me a patient comment card. I guess everyone hates the administration :) It is clear that they have now had time to read my charts and have a better understanding of my situation.
8:15pm - night nurse checks blood pressure, blood oxygen, temperature, incision dressings, leg lifts and breathing. Asks about pain levels and is totally unaware of their contribution to it. Bladder ultrasound but not over 400 ml ... the magic number over which I am exploding, under which I am dehydrated and must drink more.
9:45pm - nighttime drugging of 650 mg tylenol, 20 mg Oxycodone, 300 mg Gabapentin and 1.5 mg Dexamethasone.
11:50pm - wakes me up for a bladder ultrasound. Go away. Says she has to, I disagree, she says she'll come back at 2am, I tell her to get lost and come back in the morning.
3:00am - wakes me up again for a bladder ultrasound. Get lost. Write down on your chart that I refused and I'll take it up with the surgeon in the morning if he has a problem with it. She grudgingly got lost.
24 interruptions in 24 hours. A symptom of dumbing down the front line and tick-the-box management mentality. I am a ward to be managed, not a patient to be helped. Yet again, I must step in and manage my own health care when I should be spending all my energy relearning how to walk.
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