Back to theatre today for my last wound dressing under anaesthetic. The most boring place in the world must be the inpatient holding area for theatre - a group of narrow bays, only slightly larger than the bed itself, with just enough space for a nurse to stand and ask you the same questions you've been asked five times before. Theatre staff love order and protocol. It is a good thing. But it is still a little frustrating repeating yourself. The omnipresent hospital curtains block you from at least looking out into the hallway. On the wall, for entertainment, there is a laminated (so wipe-clean) picture of two baby black bears.
Today theatre was fun because everyone I encountered I'd met before. It got rather jolly. I went under cracking jokes. There wasn't even time for them to give me the standard 'think of your happy place' talk.
Today theatre was fun because everyone I encountered I'd met before. It got rather jolly. I went under cracking jokes. There wasn't even time for them to give me the standard 'think of your happy place' talk.
After waking it was PICC line time. This went to take the rest of the afternoon. It wasn't so much technically difficult as dependent on other people and services to be available. Unlike the first time I had a line inserted there was no assistant for the nurse. This makes working in a sterile field challenging. So she was forced to ask whoever was nearby for help. An X-Ray is required to validate the position, this must be signed off by a anaesthetist - all of whom were in theatre. There was an hour delay - and then no one could agree on if the line was in the right place. They decided to make it 2cm shorter, then X-Ray again. After five hours in recovery I finally made it back to my room. Dinner had long passed and I was starving. I think this is a good sign, as I haven't felt hungry in a while. It took awhile to find food suitable for my current diet, I was though very glad for my banana, yoghurt and egg sandwich!
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Saturday
There has been a lot of back and forth over weekend leave, discharge, the last minute requirement to have two weeks of IV Vancymycin and my wound vacuum arrangement. I was supposed to have most of Saturday and Sunday at home, until it dawned on the nurses that it takes 3.5 hours to infuse the antibiotic. For some reason, my day nurse started today's dose at 10am so it was well after lunch before I got home for a few hours. I have to go back this evening for a further dose so will sleep over. To be frank, I'm much weaker than I thought. All I feel like doing is sleeping, but I miss the kids so much that I don't really want to do that.
The current plan is that the surgical team will now try and change my wound dressing on the ward on Monday. They will get out the big gun pain relievers (morphine and fentanyl) in case there is a problem. If they can change it without me being in too much pain then I will be discharged and the district nurse will do future changes. I will have to come back to clinic appointments to review the wound.
It actually sounds like the next stage will be quite challenging: I'm so weak. Going to appointments will be hard work.
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Saturday
There has been a lot of back and forth over weekend leave, discharge, the last minute requirement to have two weeks of IV Vancymycin and my wound vacuum arrangement. I was supposed to have most of Saturday and Sunday at home, until it dawned on the nurses that it takes 3.5 hours to infuse the antibiotic. For some reason, my day nurse started today's dose at 10am so it was well after lunch before I got home for a few hours. I have to go back this evening for a further dose so will sleep over. To be frank, I'm much weaker than I thought. All I feel like doing is sleeping, but I miss the kids so much that I don't really want to do that.
The current plan is that the surgical team will now try and change my wound dressing on the ward on Monday. They will get out the big gun pain relievers (morphine and fentanyl) in case there is a problem. If they can change it without me being in too much pain then I will be discharged and the district nurse will do future changes. I will have to come back to clinic appointments to review the wound.
It actually sounds like the next stage will be quite challenging: I'm so weak. Going to appointments will be hard work.
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