Too much for one day....
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Three things that make me happy: 1, Pleasant customer service. 2, My homemaker. 3, Don doesn’t need surgery.
The guys finished harvesting on Friday so Don was home for the weekend. He took it kinda easy ‘cause his back has been sore from bouncing around in the tractor on a seat that really doesn’t fit him well. The pain was constant through the weekend until Sunday evening when it became much worse and started radiating to the front. These symptoms mimic the ones he experienced with pancreatitis. (Don suffered a perforation following a routine colonoscopy five years ago and has had multiple complications and abdominal surgeries since.) It was almost midnight when we headed for the emergency room 50 miles away. We’ve had good experiences with this new hospital compared to the nightmares we went through when the old hospital was the only option. Again, I was happy with the care and even happier when they found that no surgery is indicated. They were not, however, able to determine a definitive diagnosis. At 3am, Don was admitted for pain control and further studies. I was in no shape at that time to drive home, so I spent the rest of the night in his room. When I left Monday morning, I drove through McDonald’s for a breakfast sandwich. I was still stressed, worried, tired and dreading the drive home. Would you believe, the gal who was tending the drive-thru was so friendly and cheerful, she actually lifted my spirits! She did not say anything profound, but her attitude was so sincere. It was like she reminded me to take off my blinders and notice the beautiful day. It also reminded me that a friendly smile and a kind word can be very powerful medicine!
The second thing I am happy about is my homemaker. I jsut became eligible for a program that provides homemaker services at a drastically discounted rate. She can come once a week and accomplish in one hour what can take me three days to complete. She will vacuum and clean the floors, clean the bathroom, do windows, and other cleaning projects that Skye used to help with. Monday I wanted her to put clean sheets on our bed – bending over and tucking in sheets really takes the starch out of me – so as soon as I got home I stripped the bed, washed the sheets and hung them outside so they would dry in time. Then I cleaned the kitchen because Don had left the kitchen in chaos when he made spaghetti for supper on Sunday. I don’t understand how he managed to get meat sauce all over! And I certainly couldn’t have my new homemaker coming into a messy kitchen now, could I? Needless to say, I was completely tuckered out by then and just vegetated in my chair all afternoon. I was even too tired to visit with my homemaker. She is terrific!
At 5:30pm I called Don at the hospital to get an update and find out when they expect to send him home. He had been busy with consults and tests and had needed no pain meds after 6am. He reported nothing had been said about when he would be discharged. I started warming up left over spaghetti for my supper when Don called back to say he had just been discharged! I’m glad he is better, but I was SO TIRED. I knew I had already pushed myself too much. Even so, I felt I had no choice but to drive 50 miles again to pick him up. I shouldn’t have. I was dizzy and my eyes were blurry, but my brain was too foggy to think of asking his brother. I made it safely PTL. I think it helped that I brought Mitzi along. She was delighted to have an outing and sat on my knee looking out the window, with her little tail drumming a tattoo on the door.
I slept hard for over ten hours last night but I’m still really tired. I’m glad Don is home, my house is clean, and I’m going back to bed now.
Three things that make me happy: 1, Pleasant customer service. 2, My homemaker. 3, Don doesn’t need surgery.
The guys finished harvesting on Friday so Don was home for the weekend. He took it kinda easy ‘cause his back has been sore from bouncing around in the tractor on a seat that really doesn’t fit him well. The pain was constant through the weekend until Sunday evening when it became much worse and started radiating to the front. These symptoms mimic the ones he experienced with pancreatitis. (Don suffered a perforation following a routine colonoscopy five years ago and has had multiple complications and abdominal surgeries since.) It was almost midnight when we headed for the emergency room 50 miles away. We’ve had good experiences with this new hospital compared to the nightmares we went through when the old hospital was the only option. Again, I was happy with the care and even happier when they found that no surgery is indicated. They were not, however, able to determine a definitive diagnosis. At 3am, Don was admitted for pain control and further studies. I was in no shape at that time to drive home, so I spent the rest of the night in his room. When I left Monday morning, I drove through McDonald’s for a breakfast sandwich. I was still stressed, worried, tired and dreading the drive home. Would you believe, the gal who was tending the drive-thru was so friendly and cheerful, she actually lifted my spirits! She did not say anything profound, but her attitude was so sincere. It was like she reminded me to take off my blinders and notice the beautiful day. It also reminded me that a friendly smile and a kind word can be very powerful medicine!
The second thing I am happy about is my homemaker. I jsut became eligible for a program that provides homemaker services at a drastically discounted rate. She can come once a week and accomplish in one hour what can take me three days to complete. She will vacuum and clean the floors, clean the bathroom, do windows, and other cleaning projects that Skye used to help with. Monday I wanted her to put clean sheets on our bed – bending over and tucking in sheets really takes the starch out of me – so as soon as I got home I stripped the bed, washed the sheets and hung them outside so they would dry in time. Then I cleaned the kitchen because Don had left the kitchen in chaos when he made spaghetti for supper on Sunday. I don’t understand how he managed to get meat sauce all over! And I certainly couldn’t have my new homemaker coming into a messy kitchen now, could I? Needless to say, I was completely tuckered out by then and just vegetated in my chair all afternoon. I was even too tired to visit with my homemaker. She is terrific!
At 5:30pm I called Don at the hospital to get an update and find out when they expect to send him home. He had been busy with consults and tests and had needed no pain meds after 6am. He reported nothing had been said about when he would be discharged. I started warming up left over spaghetti for my supper when Don called back to say he had just been discharged! I’m glad he is better, but I was SO TIRED. I knew I had already pushed myself too much. Even so, I felt I had no choice but to drive 50 miles again to pick him up. I shouldn’t have. I was dizzy and my eyes were blurry, but my brain was too foggy to think of asking his brother. I made it safely PTL. I think it helped that I brought Mitzi along. She was delighted to have an outing and sat on my knee looking out the window, with her little tail drumming a tattoo on the door.
I slept hard for over ten hours last night but I’m still really tired. I’m glad Don is home, my house is clean, and I’m going back to bed now.
Replies
Oh, my dear one, what a journey this has been! I am so sorry that Don has had so many complications and so much pain. I can understand why you are very exhausted. You did what you had to, but it took a toll for sure. I will keep you and Don in my prayers. I want a homemaker! How does one go about getting one of those? I have some Mexican friends who have offered to come and clean for me, but I hesitate to do it because I doubt that they would let me pay them and then I would feel bad taking their time. Much love to you, dearest. Heather.
I\'m so glad you\'re both home safely and more or less sound. Be good to yourself until you recover.... Wait. Be good to yourself always! Hugs.
PTL that you both are now home in one piece. I\'m SO surprised that he recevied this perforation from a colonoscopy! Jeepers! The poor man must truly have bad pain. I would have sued~! Period? Is that not Christinalike advice? LOL....maybe you did, I\'m just sayin. Ya know? That NEVER should have happened to him. Lord bless you for being such a wonderful wife/caretaker. What a job, eh??? I\'m just glad you made it home.
Happy that you have help at home. You are SO RIGHT about changing the bed linen! It\'s killer. Happy, that you\'re happy.
You need to rest now, hon. Know that you are loved~ ! xox xoxxo
Thank you all so much. It is great to have you in my corner. Heather, my homemaker comes to me through the SD state Department of Social Services, Division of Adult Services and Aging. I imagine each state has a similar program. Contact your local Social Services Department to see if there is something available to you.
Darla, perforation is a risk included in the consent for colonoscopy, so there is no legal recourse for us. It was performed by a general surgeon who provides outreach services to our rural hospital. When it came time for my colonoscopy, I followed a relative\'s advice and traveled 150 miles to have it performed by a gastroenterologist. There I learned that Don\'s general surgeon had a reputation for perforations and that the gastroenterologist frequently fixed the general surgeon\'s mistakes.
Thanks again for the love and hugs! xoxo