Well, me and my big mooth! Unfortunately, after I left last night, her chest drain started filling again, so she hasn't had it removed yet. We're now 4 days post-op, though, and there's been virtually no further seepage at all today, so I'm pretty sure it will be removed tomorrow, and they'll take her off the morphine.
On the matter of chest drains (our more squeamish readers may wish to skip this paragraph), she told me that she had had chest pains on Friday, and the on-call doctor couldn't be sure whether they were her usual heartburn, or irritation from the end of the drain tube (I warned you - if you did read it, don't think about that too long!). So you can see how the drain may well be a big factor in her discomfort. She's got her heartburn medication (acid-suppressants) with her, and is taking it regularly rather than "at need", to be on the safe side.
She really enjoyed a surprise visit lunchtime, and says the cards he brought were really nice, although she nearly broke his fingers when she grabbed his hand for support during a coughing fit. If any local readers have time (and want) to visit, she is much more alert and chatty now (she kept me there for 3 hours tonight!) - email me on any of our addresses for visiting hours/directions.
She's sleeping better, and her obs are now down to 4-hourly; her blood pressure is back up to normal (actually a smidge above her normal, but still a little lower than most - she doesn't do "normal", this girl). She has past experience of several operations, and was well prepared by what she has read on the forums and blogs, but is still surprised how washed-out she feels, even now. She asked me to take her MP3 player in yesterday, but so far she can't be bothered to plug in the headphones and press the buttons!
On a slightly down note, she thinks she has lost a patch of feeling in one leg (shame - she doesn't have much anyway!), but isn't sure how extensive it is, as she can only check the bits she can reach with her hands (kind of like the old joke "Doctor, I can't feel my legs" "It's OK, sir, we've amputated your arms"). This is not likely to be a problem for most scoliosis patients, though - it is likely a result of her tethered cord, and it may not be entirely coincidental after all that they stopped the op at T10, which is just below the point of tethering. She has owned up to one or two other little concerns about her "wiring", which I will leave her to explain to the clinically interested parties when she gets home.
She's sitting up to 60 degrees now, (when she feels like it - bed goes up...) and the physio has started her on breathing exercises to breathe from her diaphragm (stomach-breathing ratehr than shallower chest=breathing). But too much tends to provoke coughing (and you just don't want to go there - ugh!)
Anyway, that's about enough for tonight. I hope there are not too many mistakes in this - it has been very difficult to type with one cat sat in front of the screen and another rubbing herself all over my hands! (We're too soft with these animals, but our cat-loving readers will understand.)
10-10
"Hubby"
1 comment:
Hi Nige - Good to hear things are progressing, albiet a bit of a roller coaster ride. It sounds as if Pip is making good progress though and if nothing else, it sounds as if she has got her tongue back and is able to keep you talking for hours!!!! Just in case you didn't get around to wathing it, 24 was absolutely fantastic so she needs to get home quickly so that we can ring each other in the adverts!!!! Anyway, tell her she's got lots to look forward to, so she must be patient and let those physioterrorists do their best, and keep pressing that happy button!! Love to both as always. Ali & Terry xxx
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