Today I basically did nothing but sleep. Did some work, did my exercises and made sure I got my walking in around the house, but mostly just slept. I think I was drained from Monday and Tuesday, plus I really have not slept for any more than 20-30 minutes at any time for over three weeks. And I'm sorry, but small naps just aren't the same as normal sleeping patterns! What was great today was that I was able to sleep for hours without waking up, so that's a plus. I actually slept for six hours straight last night - what a victory!
It's not a fun way to spend New Year's Eve - and it's even more pathetic that people need to keep reminding me that it's New Year's Eve! But it really doesn't bother me.
In terms of pain, it's pretty much the same except my knee and ankle joints are really killing me today. I can't take any anti-inflammatory medication, so I just have to live with it. I feel like today was a pretty useless day, but am hopeful tomorrow will be better.
I know 2008 was rough for a lot of people, so here's hoping 2009 brings everyone some much needed good health, happiness, laughter and good memories.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Day Sixteen - We're Home!
Brad and I woke up early this morning (3am for me, 6am for Brad), got some work-related stuff done, packed up the car and were driving out of the hotel parking lot by 10:15am. That was a good time considering I had a really bad afternoon yesterday and had an even more difficult evening, which prevented us from doing much pre-packing on Monday.
Instead of a lot of short stops during the ride, we did three longer stops along the 380 mile trip. With a pillow behind my back I found myself quite comfortable, with the exception of front incision and right hip irritation/pain. The weather was sunny and perfect, and we managed to make it home around 7pm.
Brad and I have never been away from home before this long; in fact, the longest was a ten day vacation we took back in 2000 when we lived in Minnesota. Pulling into the garage, walking in through the door and seeing our beautiful home was like being in heaven. Brad unpacked the car, I got supper ready (thanks to my mom, who had dropped off a home-cooked meal that just needed to be reheated), and then we sat down and had dinner at our home. It was wonderful.
The ultimate part for me is our couch. I love our couch; it has nursed me through hundreds of bad pain days. I've had this couch in my mind the whole time I was in Baltimore, and I must say it did not disappoint. The moment I sat down I knew my road to recovery was going to be that much easier. It's like sitting on a cloud, absorbing every ounce of pain I have and removing it from my body. I could not be more content right now.
There is truly no better place than home.
On a separate note, still nothing new to report on Brad's mom. She is still in the hospital; Brad will be talking to the nurses tonight to find out anything new from today. It's always tough talking with nurses on the phone, as the patients are first priority so most conversations are 30-60 seconds before they have to run off and tend to someone. I'm hoping he can get some much needed answers tonight.
Instead of a lot of short stops during the ride, we did three longer stops along the 380 mile trip. With a pillow behind my back I found myself quite comfortable, with the exception of front incision and right hip irritation/pain. The weather was sunny and perfect, and we managed to make it home around 7pm.
Brad and I have never been away from home before this long; in fact, the longest was a ten day vacation we took back in 2000 when we lived in Minnesota. Pulling into the garage, walking in through the door and seeing our beautiful home was like being in heaven. Brad unpacked the car, I got supper ready (thanks to my mom, who had dropped off a home-cooked meal that just needed to be reheated), and then we sat down and had dinner at our home. It was wonderful.
The ultimate part for me is our couch. I love our couch; it has nursed me through hundreds of bad pain days. I've had this couch in my mind the whole time I was in Baltimore, and I must say it did not disappoint. The moment I sat down I knew my road to recovery was going to be that much easier. It's like sitting on a cloud, absorbing every ounce of pain I have and removing it from my body. I could not be more content right now.
There is truly no better place than home.
On a separate note, still nothing new to report on Brad's mom. She is still in the hospital; Brad will be talking to the nurses tonight to find out anything new from today. It's always tough talking with nurses on the phone, as the patients are first priority so most conversations are 30-60 seconds before they have to run off and tend to someone. I'm hoping he can get some much needed answers tonight.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Day 15 - Part 2
Brad wanted me to pass on his sincere thanks for all of the messages and prayers regarding his mom. She was transferred to Des Moines and has received a blood transfusion; she'll likely be in the hospital for a few days. There are still lots of tests being done, so there are still a lot of unknowns.
I received clearance to go home tomorrow. I didn't have a great afternoon, but hopefully Brad and I can get some much needed sleep tonight before the trip. The goal is to hit the road no later than 10am, and hopefully be back in Cleveland in the early evening. I know the car ride will be rough, but I just want to get it over with.
Hopefully the next time I blog I'll be doing it from Ohio!
I received clearance to go home tomorrow. I didn't have a great afternoon, but hopefully Brad and I can get some much needed sleep tonight before the trip. The goal is to hit the road no later than 10am, and hopefully be back in Cleveland in the early evening. I know the car ride will be rough, but I just want to get it over with.
Hopefully the next time I blog I'll be doing it from Ohio!
Day 15 - Part 1
First, Brad's mom was transferred to a Des Moines hospital last night for tests and potential treatments. Brad is having a hard time getting answers from anyone at the hospital, so there is still a lot of waiting and we're still not sure what is going on. I think it's a given that he will be heading for Iowa, but he's struggling with when that should exactly happen. The situation with me complicates things, but I keep trying to tell him to leave me out of the equation. We'll do whatever we need to for things to happen. I would go to the end of the earth and back for him, to help him in whatever way I can for him and his mom. I could care less about my own situation at the moment.
In regards to me, I got clearance from the home health nurse this morning. I'm meeting with the case manager at 12:30 at the hospital to wrap things up so we can head home. They believe the main cause of my pain is from bursitis, specifically in my right hip. If one of the fellow's is still around, they may give me an injection for the pain while I'm there.
I'll write more later, as hopefully we'll know more about Brad's mom soon.
In regards to me, I got clearance from the home health nurse this morning. I'm meeting with the case manager at 12:30 at the hospital to wrap things up so we can head home. They believe the main cause of my pain is from bursitis, specifically in my right hip. If one of the fellow's is still around, they may give me an injection for the pain while I'm there.
I'll write more later, as hopefully we'll know more about Brad's mom soon.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Need Prayers
Though we are still trying to find out information, we just found out that Brad's mom is being taken to a local hospital at this moment. While she is awake and talking to Brad on his cell at this time, her health is such that we are very concerned. We are hoping that it is just a result of recent anemia she has been dealing with, and nothing more. Please keep Brad's wonderful mom Carolyn and the Fairfield family in your prayers at this time.
Day Fourteen
Today the pain got the best of me. Had a lot of trouble sleeping, and even more trouble getting comfortable today. I didn't really sleep at all during the day either, so I'm hoping to go to bed after I'm done with this and hopefully get a few hours of sleep in.
It was a very unproductive day, which is frustrating. My mind wants to do things, but the pain makes it difficult to focus. The biggest thing I did today was update my "story" on an online message board/information center regarding artificial discs. People who have had the procedure or who are looking to have it done usually find themselves there; I've been a member since February 2005. There are a lot of active discussions, and people are encouraged to share information so others may find benefit from it. Given the rarity of my situation, I have been doing my best to keep people up-to-date on my story. If even one person out there is suffering from similar symptoms, maybe my story/path can help them find a solution to their problem. I had not updated my status since before the surgery, so I had a lot to share.
The reaction on the message board has been amazement and shock, as no one realized that an implant reaction was possible. I found this interesting, since it is listed on all artificial disc literature as a potential danger. Even I knew that going in, and asked my surgeon about it. The surgeon blew it off, stating it was just a legal thing and there was no such thing as an implant allergy. I put my trust in the surgeon and dropped the subject, though obviously regret it now. Though there are people on these message boards who have success stories, there are more failures than anything. It reminds you that you are not alone, but also makes me angry that so many of us were mislead down this artificial disc replacement path when information is now coming out that trial results were falsified and other information was withheld. It pains me to know how many other people are suffering out there, and I hope that once things heal I can use what I've been through for some sort of good/purpose.
Tomorrow I meet with my home health nurse and also my case manager so I can be discharged. I can't believe that in less than 48 hours I should be back at my comfortable home; I can't wait!
It was a very unproductive day, which is frustrating. My mind wants to do things, but the pain makes it difficult to focus. The biggest thing I did today was update my "story" on an online message board/information center regarding artificial discs. People who have had the procedure or who are looking to have it done usually find themselves there; I've been a member since February 2005. There are a lot of active discussions, and people are encouraged to share information so others may find benefit from it. Given the rarity of my situation, I have been doing my best to keep people up-to-date on my story. If even one person out there is suffering from similar symptoms, maybe my story/path can help them find a solution to their problem. I had not updated my status since before the surgery, so I had a lot to share.
The reaction on the message board has been amazement and shock, as no one realized that an implant reaction was possible. I found this interesting, since it is listed on all artificial disc literature as a potential danger. Even I knew that going in, and asked my surgeon about it. The surgeon blew it off, stating it was just a legal thing and there was no such thing as an implant allergy. I put my trust in the surgeon and dropped the subject, though obviously regret it now. Though there are people on these message boards who have success stories, there are more failures than anything. It reminds you that you are not alone, but also makes me angry that so many of us were mislead down this artificial disc replacement path when information is now coming out that trial results were falsified and other information was withheld. It pains me to know how many other people are suffering out there, and I hope that once things heal I can use what I've been through for some sort of good/purpose.
Tomorrow I meet with my home health nurse and also my case manager so I can be discharged. I can't believe that in less than 48 hours I should be back at my comfortable home; I can't wait!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Day Thirteen
If you believe in unlucky 13, then I guess it makes sense that today - day thirteen - was not a great day. I still don't know if the meds I'm taking are right; I don't want more, I just want something more effective. I went through a horrible pain spell last night and most of this morning, and nothing I did made things better. It's still focused around my hip/groin/leg area. It's been less than two weeks since the surgery, so this is expected for the short term. It's something I'll talk with the case manager about on Monday when I see her.
Brad spent most of the day with his relatives who live in the area, so I was on my own today. There was no way I could do a 40 minute car trip and back, plus sit in a house for several hours that was unlikely set up for a recent back surgery patient! I made it on my own here just fine, though it was definitely boring and lonely. I started writing some people back (I have a huge list of people to get back to), but would fall asleep in the middle of writing something. A typical day - can't sleep well at night, so then you start falling asleep in the middle of various activities throughout the day! I feel like a 90 year old about now. :-)
Tomorrow I'm hoping I'll have a bit more pain relief, as I'd like to get some job-related work done. My parents also bought me "The Office DVD Board Game" as something to keep me entertained after my surgery, so Brad and I will break that out tomorrow and try it out. We're both big fans, but I've seen the episodes a lot more. On the other hand, he's not on medications and has a better memory. It will be interesting to see who wins!
Brad spent most of the day with his relatives who live in the area, so I was on my own today. There was no way I could do a 40 minute car trip and back, plus sit in a house for several hours that was unlikely set up for a recent back surgery patient! I made it on my own here just fine, though it was definitely boring and lonely. I started writing some people back (I have a huge list of people to get back to), but would fall asleep in the middle of writing something. A typical day - can't sleep well at night, so then you start falling asleep in the middle of various activities throughout the day! I feel like a 90 year old about now. :-)
Tomorrow I'm hoping I'll have a bit more pain relief, as I'd like to get some job-related work done. My parents also bought me "The Office DVD Board Game" as something to keep me entertained after my surgery, so Brad and I will break that out tomorrow and try it out. We're both big fans, but I've seen the episodes a lot more. On the other hand, he's not on medications and has a better memory. It will be interesting to see who wins!
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