Susan is back at work!

Susan is back at work, teaching first grade. She is back in her old classroom, and is doing well.

Update

Susan is doing better. She is now able to walk unaided, but if she over does it, she needs the crutches. Her muscles are still giving her issues, though it is improving.

It's been a while!

The recovery has been a slow process. The day to day routine doesn't change much. I make all Susan's meals, and she does PT twice a week. There have been a few setbacks with her knees acting up, and swollen ankles. I have to keep reminding Susan to take her time and to let me do things.
Susan is now on crutches, and can move around the house. She is still under movement restrictions, as well as fall risk. Doing something like taking a shower is a big ordeal, and is quite tiring for her. I have to do things that are below her knees for she can't reach. On the 29th, she is going to the doctor to be x-rayed to see how things are progressing.

Monday - resting at home

Susan is doing ok. She is using crutches to get around for it is easier than a walker. The only trouble is she says she can't carry anything. My retort is simple - thats why you have me!
She is still having trouble getting into and out of bed. I know she is looking forward to getting the staples on the right side out tomorrow.

Were home!

Friday afternoon we get moved up to the 5th floor. This is the Acute Rehab area. Last weekend when Susan was there she had an Occupational Therapy session for 30 minutes Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This is where they teach you how to do everyday things like get dressed. She also had a Physical Therapy session for and hour Saturday morning, another in the afternoon and one Sunday morning. So this was our expectation and the whole reason for us trying to get back up to the Rehab area. So, first thing Saturday morning the P.T gal stops by to do an evaluation. When Susan asks about when she would have P.T. that day, she is told that she may get a P.T. session that afternoon, and probably get a session on Sunday. This did not sit well with us. The whole reason we got on the 5th floor was to get intensive P.T. sessions so Susan would get stronger, and would be able to do things more on her own. Then the O.T. gal stops by for a chat and sees that Susan can already dress and take care of her hygiene needs. Seeing how she would be doing basically nothing for a couple of days, we didn't see the point of staying. Susan had had enough and was ready to come home, so we decided that it was time to get checked out. This was at 10:30am. By the time we finally left it was 2:30pm. But in the meantime Susan's cousins Michelle and Michael came by and helped us get ready to leave. Our many thanks goes to both Michelle and Michael for all the help they gave us.

Now to the trip home. We had Susan setup with the air mattress in the back of the van so she could lay down. Doesn't that sound like a nice idea? Unfortunately it was a lot trickier that it sounds. The air mattress has a felt top, so Susan stuck right to it. But once we put a blanket down we were able to SLOWLY lift her feet and skooch her in. Then it was a matter of getting her situated and comfortable. Finally, we leave the parking lot, make a quick stop a McDonald's and we are on are way for at least 30 minutes. Then we stop for gas. Well, as long as we were stopping, Susan decides this would be a good time to take a bathroom break. On a normal trip this would take maybe 5 minutes. For this occasion it took about 30. First we has to get her our of the back, then use the walker to get inside to the the bathroom. We had parked in a handicapped stop thinking this would make things easier, but it turned out that the bathroom was on the opposite side of the store from the handicap parking, so it was a very long way back and forth. Finally we managed to get back into the van and get on the road to Richmond. Susan soon falls asleep, so the next three hours are blissfully uneventful. We did make one last pit stop before home to get prescriptions filled and then we were finally home!

So, the big news is we are home!

Up on the 5th floor

We are now on the 5th floor Acute P.T. unit. We got the suite. It is bigger than the last place. The suite area is twice the size of the old one. Susan is getting a EKG done to check her heart. There was a issue with the CAT scan, and the doctor had Susan get a ultrasound of the thyroid area to check. It was a fluid cyst, so there is no need for alarm. The EKG was also just fine. She is scheduled for a PET (??) scan on Monday. I do not know how that scan works. More later...

-m

Doing OK.....

The test was fine. Susan's heart rate continues to drop. It is now in the low 90's, which is getting into the normal range. She is now in the P.T. gym working with Kate. Trish and Kate showed Susan how to get into bed by herself. Susan was able to do it using the leg lifter. I know Susan is happy about being able to do that. We are now waiting on Dr. Reinstein to clear Susan for the 5th floor.

Still downstairs on 3rd floor

Susan has a small setback and the doctor needed to run some test to see if everything is fine before she is moved to the 5th floor P.T. unit. Her heart rate is a little high for the last few days, and the thinking is it will come down soon. Due to the hematocrit level being low, the reasoning goes along the line of the heart was working faster to make up for the loss of oxygen in her blood stream. We should know by Friday morning the results of the testing. The last check of her heart rate was 104, which is better than the 120 it was running earlier. More info later...

-m

PT Gym

Susan got to go to the PT gym today, and is doing well. She is able to walk with a walker, and is now using the regular bathroom. more later...

She got up! You Go!!!

I went for a walk for a minute, and this is what I find when I get back a few minutes later...
Thank You Charrice! You are the best!

Hooked up

Here is a picture of Susan receiving her blood transfusion. While this is happening, we need to make sure she drinks plenty of water.

Wednesday - blood transfusion

This morning Dr. Spencer came in to see Susan. He reported to us Susan's hematocrit was down to 25. What that means is we had a choice to make. We could do nothing, and eventually it wold go back up. If it didn't go back up by tomorrow, Susan would be kept a extra day. If that happens, we would lose the suite on the 5th floor. Seeing how the odds are like 1 in 2,000,000 something would go wrong with the transfusion, it was a no brainer to go ahead with it.

Funny thing - Dr. Spencer needed to wake me up. I'm wearing eye shades, ear plugs, and my c-pap mask. I've been told it is the "Darth Vader" look. When I'm just getting to go to sleep, it sounds like Vader in my head.

The blood transfusion takes about 4 hours, give or take. Because she will be hooked up to a I.V. , P.T. will be done in the hospital room instead of the P.T. room. I spoke to Trish about it, and she said she would just get Susan from the bed to the recliner. I will be working with Susan while she is in bed this morning on moving her legs to help them from getting stiff.

Yesterday afternoon Clair stopped by for a visit. She gave Susan a present - a pair of hand made earrings. I think they look wonderful.


Around dinner time Michelle brought us food from Millers cafe, (love that sandwich!). She is also running a load of laundry for us. If I haven't said it enough, I will say it again. Thank you Michelle! You are the best!

Susan's parents got here around 4:30. They are staying the night, and coming back in the morning.

more later

sleep

Susan is now sleeping after her second round of P.T. Her parents have driven up here to see her, which made her very happy. Michelle is bringing us all dinner, which means another BIG sandwich from the deli. WOO HOO!

I will find out the name of the place...I swear!

Out of bed - Take #2

Susan got out of bed around 10:30. It was MUCH harder than the first time last week. Lauren, the P.T., and I helped Susan. We really needed a third person to help. I seriously thought I was going to drop her. It was one of those moments where everything in your being is directed toward one goal, and you are not sure you can do it. Scary.
Later today Susan will have P.T.. I do not know if we will be going down to the P.T. room, or they are doing it here. I spoke to Lauren about having a third person this afternoon. Right now Susan is in the recliner sleeping.

muscle spasms

Susan is having muscle spasms in the leg she had worked on today. When it happens, she cries out in pain. We have upped her pain meds as well as given her Valium to calm down the spasms. The only other thing that helps is for me to keep my hand under her hamstring near her knee. I move it every so often, and that seems to keep the leg calm. She hasn't had a spasm in about a hour now, so maybe the meds are working better. I need to get some sleep. More tomorrow...

-m

Susan is now with me

Susan is now here in the suite. She is alert and drink fluids. (Apple juice) I've been getting comments from the staff along the lines of "do you have a brother?"

From what Susan was telling me about her day, she was pushed back on the surgery schedule. She wasn't taken in until 11:00. Everything went well, but she is on Oxygen for she is hooked to a medication pump. (the one that has the button so you can give yourself meds). They also have her blowing into this pipe thing to help with her lungs. (Not sure why on that one)

more later

-m

Moving into the suite

While in the waiting room, Dr Mont comes to see me. He reports everything has gone well, and her blood pressure wasn't so low as last time. Good thing. Last time she had to stay in the recovery area for 5 hours waiting for her pressure to rise.

We got placed into the suite across from the one we had last time. Since I'm now a old pro (Yea right) at this, I go about getting things ready for Susan when she gets wheeled down from recovery. I discover the fridge in the room has a bad smell due to a food spillage in the freezer section. A quick deicing and wipe down takes care of that problem. I then get Susan her favorite sandwich from the cafe - a turkey & bacon on rye with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. I grab some spare foam plates to boot, and head back to the room. Little things like water cups, graham crackers, and a oatmeal raisin cookie from Starbucks are set. I find Robert, and he secures a good model recliner. I put on a form fitting sheet for the bedadine causes you to stick to everything. Extra sheets, pillow cases, and towels are set. I hope I got everything covered. I'm just waiting now for her to be wheeled down from recovery. I want to make sure she is as comfortable as possible.

Monday - mid day

Susan is in surgery, and I'm in the waiting room. We got the suite, so I moved our stuff in. More later...

Sunday night

Friday afternoon around 12:30 I got a phone call from my Father-in-law. He tells me there is a dinner being held at Sam's house, and asked me if I wanted to come. Spencer, along with other family members were also going to attend. I thought about it for a second, and said I needed to talk to Susan. Susan and I discussed it, and we decided I would go back to Richmond, and return Sunday. A bunch of people were coming to see her Saturday, and I could prep the house for her homecoming. (Sam - Susan's older brother, and Spencer's father)

I leave for Richmond about 1:40 PM. I get there to pick up Sally and Steve about 5:45. Traffic in NOVA was horrible as usual. We get to Sam's house, and the clan is there in force. It is good to see everyone, and we got to hear from Spencer the details that was not in the news about VT. I'm not at liberty to discuss what was said, so I will leave that part alone.

Saturday I work on the house. The O.T. made a big deal about having a handrail for the steps. I priced what it would cost for iron rail, and it cost $$$$$. My neighbor tells me his cost $12oo. I decided to try wood, and after a full day of trail and error, this is what I came up with. cost - less than $50


It is bolted to the porch in 4 places, and the top and bottom 2x2 are sunk into the ground 18 inches in rock hard dirt. It is quite sturdy. When I get back to the house, I will do the other side of the steps.

Sunday morning I do some other things, like moving furniture around, check the height of chairs, width of doors, stuff like that. In the afternoon I drove back to the hospital.

Susan is doing better now. Her next surgery is scheduled for Monday at 10:30 am. I will try to get the suite again so I can stay with her. I will post more tomorrow.

-m

Friday morning -

The house is somewhat loud, in that traffic noise keeps one awake. Thankfully I have earplugs. There are lots of people staying there, with lots of kids. The people that are there seem very happy, so I guess that is a good thing.

Cynthia will be Susan's Occupational Therapist. She evaluated Susan on a bunch of things, and showed her how to do things like how to put on shoes.

Britta - Physical Therapist - She stops by later to also evaluate Susan. Susan is doing well, but is still having trouble getting back into bed.

Rabbi Joseph Katz stopped by for a bit. He is very nice

Susan's best friend Clair came by for a visit. I always enjoy seeing Clair.

more later....

-m

Thursday - moving day

Thursday morning was a repeat of Wednesday morning. Get up, get cleaned up, eat breakfast, and go to PT. This morning I rolled Susan down to the PT room. We had a new nurse named Rena, and she is very nice.

We found out around noon we would be moved to the 5th floor acute PT area of the hospital. Our reaction was "Great! What time when do we go up there?" That seemed to be the $64,000 question.

We finally get told we were moving just when dinner showed up. (5:45) We had them wait, then we gathered our stuff and moved. The room we are now in is much smaller, and I'm having to stay in the house on the grounds as a result. We found out that if we had come up earlier, we could have gotten the suite. Some woman who is here on workman's comp is in there, and she had no desire to switch. I was told by the nurse she was somewhat rude. The woman's attitude was something along the lines of "Workman's comp is paying for all this, so I don't give a ****" Oh well, we will make the best of it. It is hard to do things for to get to one thing in the room, you have to move other things out of the way. To give you a idea of how small it is, it can be compared to a $2000 a month studio apartment in Manhattan.

Susan got to wash her hair in the sink. It made her feel much better. She is learning new tricks on how to manage with the walker and getting around.

Lesson to guys: Learn how to put on stocking. You may need to do this for your wife. Many hospital patients have to wear T.E.D. stockings to help prevent blood clots from forming in the legs. I was given a quick lesson on how to put them on. Susan hates them , but they do help.

Wednesday - a day in the recovery

First thing this morning Dana (Resident for Dr. Mont) comes in to remove the drainage tube. Susan was very happy to be rid of the thing. The drainage tube was hooked to a 1000cc bottle, that was only 1/3 full. Dana said some people will have 5 bottles over the course of the process of hip replacement. Susan only had one bottle, and only 1/3 full at that.

After Dana left, Susan got out of bed and washed up, put on her own clean clothes, and got all beautiful. (which takes very little doing on her part I might add). She put on a nice light green gown she picked up last week. While Susan was doing this, I went to make a couple of phone calls. My mother has no Internet access, so I wanted to call her to let her know how Susan is doing. I had the idea of just reading the blog to her, so that I wouldn't miss any details. Mom said she was going to be picked up by friends to go to Natural Bridge, and she would call me this evening. I called Lauren, (my good friend from work) to say hey. In the conversation, Lauren suggested how I could persuade Susan into letting me take some pictures. I knew Susan didn't want her picture taken, but....you know me.

Note: I was able to get a few pictures later during the day, but I do not have a way currently of getting them off my camera. Ron is supposed to stop by this evening, and hopefully he will have a SD stick for me so I can pull off the pictures.

A little later Robert (O.T.) came in the room. His goal for Susan was for her to get up from the recliner, and get to the bathroom using the walker. Once this was done, she was to get back to the recliner outside the bathroom. I'm happy to report Susan accomplished the goal.


Today Susan gets to go to the PT room for therapy. Robert had her put in the the recliner on purpose. The recliner is on wheels, so it was a simple matter of rolling Susan down the hall to the PT room. The PT room has a large mat type bed that can be raised or lowered, and can handle 2 people. PT is going well. From what Kate (P.T.) tells us, Susan is right where she needs to be. Susan is doing several exercises, from moving ankles to raising her leg. Some things are quite painful to do, so she is doing things slowly and with assistance from either Kate or myself. One thing I really like is the stools they use. They are on wheels, so they can move around very easily. (I could use one for my shop at home)

After P.T., Kate and I rolled Susan back to the room so she could eat lunch and rest. While resting, a social worker named Mary came in to discuss Thursday. Tomorrow we find out where we go. Depending on insurance, Susan will either be sent upstairs to acute PT, or sent off site for sub-acute PT. The difference between them is Acute is 3 hours a day, and sub is 1 ½ hours a day. We are hoping to be here, for it will be much less disruptive. I figured out we probably will not be staying in the Hackerman - Patz House . I'm waiting until tomorrow to see where we will be before making any adjustments.

Later, Kate came back to get Susan for the second PT session. Same drill as the first session, but this time I switched the recliner with a real good one from another room. (No one was in the room at the time, and Pat (Susan's Nurse) helped me with the switch.

I can tell you after all this, my wife is very tired. Now she is sleeping, and soon Ron will be here. More to come...

-m

Observations

Susan is getting the bathroom thing down pretty well now. I still need to help, but I'm not so nervous as I was yesterday. Knowing what to do helps. I really do think things like this should be covered before one gets this procedure done. It sounds silly, but little things like what side of the bed to get out on make a big difference when dealing with pain and how to manage it

One of the things I have discovered is how many things are made for "One time use." An example are the ice pack bags. It says on the bag that they are "single use only", in that they should be used once, then thrown away. This seems so silly to me. I bet the hospital is being charged 2 - 3 dollars each for one of those bags. I've been simply emptying the bags when needed, and refilling them with ice. I hate throwing things away that can be used again right away.

Phone in the room

FYI - We unplug the phone in the room when Susan is sleeping, and after 9PM. It is quite loud, and it makes Susan jump. (That isn't good). My cell is always on just in case until 10 PM. (I keep it low)

Bathroom......

7:40 pm -Susan finally managed to use the bathroom without yelping in pain. And.......drum roll......we didn't need help from a nurse. I helped her get to and from. The medication seems to have been worked out now so she is in much less pain. Susan is quite pleased with herself.
Michelle showed up with food from the deli. You should have seen the sandwich she brought for me. I could only eat halve of it for it was so big! I need to find out the name of that place.
Dr. Mont stopped by while Michelle was here. He was saying things about stuff we didn't quite understand. He said Susan's "crit" was a little low. (It is what the word sounded like, but I have no idea if I'm spelling it right. For that manner, if I got the word right.) Michelle thought it had something to do with blood clotting. He said he would come by tomorrow to spend more time. It was very good to see him.

She got out of bed!

Susan got out of bed and in the recliner. Later, they took the catheter out, and she will now need to either go to the bathroom, or use the port-a-potty. Well, in thinking I'm being helpful, I figure out I can wheel the recliner into the bathroom. I do that, and a nurse helps me with Susan. It works OK, but the next go around we try try the port-a-potty. Susan had gotten back in bed at this point, so it is more of a challenge to get her from the bed to the port-a-potty. Moving the rebuilt leg is causing her large amounts of pain. Some of it is due to the fact she is trying to take as little medication as possible.
We have her back in bed now, and under lots of blankets. Hospitals are cold by nature, to keep the bacteria down. I'm thinking of going to WalMart to get a electric throw to help keep her warm. It would make it a little easier for her.
Later today Susan's cousin Michelle will be stopping by for dinner. Michelle called us ahead and said she is going by the deli, and said she was buying dinner. You know what I always say - never pass up a free meal.

Tuesday - Getting out of bed

Today Susan gets to get out of bed. For most of us, it is no big deal. For a hip replacement patients, it is very hard, and very painful. The reasoning behind it is quite simple. The sooner you start moving, the sooner you get well.

The drug they have Susan on is called Dilaudid. They wanted to use morphine, but Susan would have nothing of it. She tried Tylenol 3, but that made her loopy, and that wasn't a good idea. From what I understand, Susan's family doesn't handle medications like morphine very well.

Dana, the resident for Dr. Mont, came by this morning to see how Susan was doing. From what Dana said, everything is fine. Tuesday is a clinic day, so Dr. Mont should be paying us a visit. I'm looking forward it. He and his staff are giving my wife her life back. For that, I will always be grateful.

Breakfast was good, but Susan made a face on the honeydew when she tried it.

Recovery from Surgery #1

2:55 pm - Susan is now in a private room. It is quite nice. There is a guest room for me that has a pull out couch, small fridge, and microwave. The bathroom is sweet! The shower is designed for someone in a wheelchair, so it is quite roomy, and has no front to it. My first reaction when I saw it was “I WANT THAT!!!!”

Susan is sleeping on and off. The anesthesia used was a general just to put her under, with a spinal to stop the pain. This method keeps the nausea down to very manageable levels if even observed. They have her wearing a special leggings along with a machine that for no better word “massages” her legs to help prevent blood clots from forming. We ordered room service, and are waiting on food.

Sally and Steve left a little while ago to drive back to Richmond. I was informed of the shooting at Va Tech. My nephew was there along with his girlfriend's younger sister. They are both ok, but I'm still somewhat un-nerved by the events.

Surgery day #1

Sunday morning: Susan and I drive up to Gettysburg to have lunch with Bob and Janice. It was great seeing them again. The ride for Susan was difficult, but she was in good spirits. She really wanted to see them before we went to Baltimore. The weather was horrible, and we once again ran into traffic issues on 95. We didn't get past Kings Dominion before we see a sign that said there was a wreck around exit 104 blocking all lanes. We turned around in the medium strip, got on US 1, and went around. Other than that, the roads were manageable.

We arrived in Baltimore around 4 and checked into the hotel. Susan's father Steve had booked us in the Raddison. Steve and his wife Sally were up for the weekend seeing relatives. It was a real treat having them around, and I know it made Susan more at ease.

Susan and I unwind for a bit after the long road trip, and then we went to dinner in the hotel restaurant with Sally and Steve. I think the hostess looked at me funny when I replied to her question of were we like to be seated. I said “It needs to have very soft seats.” Nice place. I would definitely stay there again.

Monday morning: 10 45 am: We arrive to the hospital at 6 am. We are given a pager to let us know when to call us. We end up waiting in the waiting room for a hour before Susan is called back to be prepped. I end up waiting for another hour before I'm paged. They tell me I can go back to sit with her before she goes in. I get to go in only for a minute, then they take Susan to surgery. She is somewhat loopy from the drugs they gave given her, but she is smiling. That smile Susan has will stop me in my tracks every time.

After they take her to surgery I run to get some breakfast in the cafeteria. After words, I head back to the hotel to shower and pack up. Steve helps me with the luggage, and then they follow me over to the hospital. When we get to the hospital, I'm informed Susan just came out of surgery and is in recovery. So far, everything is going well. The waiting room is packed with people. I'm glad Sally and Steve are here.

MDA day

Today we got up at a eye opening 4 am to drive to Mt. Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. The weather at the start was raining when we set of around 4:40 am. I like to think of myself as a good driver, but when driving in the dark in the rain....well, my nerves get fried real quick. We needed to arrive by 8, and thinking we have enough time, we take 95 instead of Rt 301. Once we got to Woodbridge, we ran into trouble.
Now, for those who do not know this, driving in Washington D.C. traffic is different. Different as in you are stuck in rush hour traffic jams at very odd hours. It is 5:50 in the morning, and we are at a standstill on I95. I have learned my lesson. Take 301. It may be a bit longer as far as mileage, but the traffic is not nearly as bad.
We arrived about 15 minutes late, but Joan had not yet started the class and people were filling out paperwork. There were 3 presenters; Joan, LaMonte, and Joe. We found out they are known as "Patient Advocates" who help the patients with any needs and get answers to questions. These folks are quite good at what they do.
The class we attended is called MDA day, (Multidisciplinary Assessment Day). It is designed to provide the patient with a opportunity to learn about their surgery, ask questions, and find out about rehabilitation - while in a supportive setting. The class takes about 2 hours, and after words Susan had some blood work done. Afterwards, Joan and LaMonte took us across the street to the Hackerman - Patz House. This is where we will be staying in between surgeries.
The manager of Hackerman - Patz House is Bill Turner. When you first meet him, you get a big hello, and a great smile. He took the time to show us around, and really made us feel right at home. I really liked the place, for it is right across the street from the hospital, and it is small, just 10 rooms. We heard stories of who had stayed there - one woman came all the way from Hong Kong. In the foyer there is a map of the world with push pins all over it. Each push pin showed where someone came from. China, Africa, Europe, you name it, it had a pin. It was amazing.
After the tour, Susan and I got lunch from the hospital cafeteria. The food there is quite good. We then drove home, arriving home to lonely but very happy dogs. What a day!

-m

Changing life experience begins

Tomorrow I will be going on FMLA to take care of my wife. For those who do not know what FMLA is, it is the Family Medical Leave Act. In the case of my company, I get paid leave for the time I'm out. If it wasn't paid leave, we would have had to make some difficult choices.
The procedure Susan is having done is called Hip resurfacing. She will have her left side done on April 16th, and the right side done on April 23rd. It is amazing how far doctors have come in joint replacement. The doctor who is doing the work, Michael Mont along with his staff are by far an outstanding group of folks who have gone out of their way to do everything possible to help and improve Susan's life. They return our phone calls, and take a interest in what is happening. I can not speak more highly of this team of medical professionals.
We will be driving up from Richmond Thursday morning to Baltimore for the day to do the prework. I have to put a air mattress in the van so my wife can make the trip. She wants something to do, so she has decided to finish the quilt she is making while laid up. We did the basting last night, so now she will do the quilting part by hand. She normally has this part done by machine, but since she will have lots of time with nothing to do, she thought it would be fun. I suspect she will see it will take days to do this. Then again, what do I know. She is the smartest person I know.
Early Sunday morning, we will first drive to Gettysburg to have lunch with friends, then return to Baltimore to check in to a hotel for the night. Then on to the hospital first thing Monday morning. We expect we will be there for about 2 weeks, and if everything goes as expected, we should be back home to sleep in our own beds April 26th. I plan to write about the experience here so our family and friends can keep tabs on what is going on with us. More tomorrow.

Peace
-m