Yesterday marked one week post surgery. It was a great day filled with removal the removal of the J drain and the first sip of cool water in 8 days. This followed by two scrumptious meals the first consisting of green jello, beef broth, and Italian ice; and the second consisting of red jello, chicken broth, and Italian ice!
We have been constantly haunted by the irregularity in David's heart rate though. On Wednesday night Lydie, our nurse of the evening shift, came in while we were asleep to see if David was feeling ok. He asked if he shouldn't be and she said his heart rate was back up. He told her he was in the middle of having a dream in which he was driving in a Nascar race! His rate immediately went back down. This didn't last though. She came in again and he told her he was having another dream. David said perhaps he should stay awake so we both stayed up and I got cleaned up for the day.
The rate has changed drastically without much notice. Dr. Gibson, our cardiologist, says not to worry too much. At least David can tell when it's happening now and focus on relaxing and slowing his heart rate down. David is amazingly in touch with his body and seems to do well at calming himself when he needs to.
Yesterday I spent lots of time visiting with friends and family downstairs. Walter Fletcher, my GP and old family friend, popped in our room unannounced. He was in Nashville to receive his TN doctor of the day award. It was nice of him to stop by as he and David had never met. Nancy Kim arrived while Walter was still here so I walked him down and introduced him to her. Aunt Myra arrived while Nancy was still here and I introduced Nancy to Aunt Myra and Uncle Marvin. I went up to see David and needed to get some cash so Dad could pick up our newly used stationary bike from the rec center. While at the cash machine, Dad and Lagena walked up so I visited with them for a while. Then, I dashed up to check on David as I hadn't known I would be gone that long. I had 10 minutes before Ana was to arrive. In trying to keep people out of David's room, I had to be downstairs more so I didn't see him much for the afternoon.
We had a pretty quiet evening and a few bouts of arrhythmia during the evening. This morning we were hoping to get the last iv out, but things have moved slowly. David is on an all liquid diet today which evidently means oatmeal and grits? Strange. His heart has been causing some problems again and we are just trying to get things regulated so we can go home tomorrow without worry.
I called Nancy and Aunt Myra, who both wanted to visit again today, and said perhaps we should wait. Charlie just called. When can he visit and do we want to stay with them for a few days after we are released in case we need to check back in. He is so thoughtful...so we could be near the hospital. He has been so great this week and that has been one of the positives of the hospital stay - reconnecting with my brother some. Still, we just want to go home. I am starting to feel the stress of fielding constant emails, text, and calls for 9 days and am ready to turn it all off. Still, I know it's just because people care and love us. We are so lucky. Julie D just called. She loves us too. Maybe I just need to power down for a while and check all the love at the same time. Controlled love...perhaps that is the solution.
More music in the halls yesterday and today..that old song that sounds a little "Sandmanish", but goes "because I love you..". I also heard Ride of the Valkyries early this morning when waiting in line at Starbucks.
The photos in this place are quite strange and I keep forgetting to comment on them. There are photos everywhere in the strange musical hallway downstairs. Most of the people look near death actually. David and I have observed that there are absolutely no young people in this hospital. David is the youngest patient I have seen the entire time. The photos are pragmatic in a sense, and I appreciate that, as not all hospital stays end with the release of a happy and healthy patient. I also like it that they don't feel compelled to put some skinny ass Victoria's Secret looking model in the photos that looks like you could bounce a quarter on her stomach, but all these people look like they might have already died in the time since the photos were taken. They could at least have thrown us a bone or two and given a slight glimmer of hope that one or two people in the pictures would survive and look slightly healthy and happy again. You can tell they really struggled to find an Asian for the photos. They use the same Asian guy three times in different hallways. I find the photo of the cooks in the cafeteria frying up some eggs in bacon grease juxtaposed against the photo of the heart patient to be the worst paring of pics in the hall.
We have had some more lovely nurses and care givers back up on the 7th floor in 796. Arlene is my absolute favorite and we had her and a new nurse, Allison, last night. They were just supper. Catherine is our daytime nurse again. She is good, but very over worked today. We had another Lindsay yesterday with cute pink stripes in her hair.
We are starting to go a little crazy I think, but knowing we will probably get out tomorrow is rainbow enough. I can't wait to be in our home again. Hope everything is ok there.
Well, tomorrow is soft foods like mashed potatoes and such. David should get his staples out today or tomorrow as well as his last iv and then he can shower again.
If all goes well, we'll be released on Saturday afternoon February 13th. The next blog entry should be done from home.
Signing off St. Thomas.
Julie
Signing
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