Melissa haven't seen any posts from you in a couple of days

[Nancy]

Hi Melissa-

You're usually on the site a lot and have missed your posts these past couple of days. How are you doing? Give us a holler, please.

 

[MelissaM]

Nancy - you're a sharp one! You must have some great intuition. I've been holed up at Lancaster General with a bit of pericardial effusion. My original complaint was tachycardia. They performed cardioversion to return me to a sinus (albeit still tachycardic)rhythm, and then found the effusion.

They decided to put me in the ICU last night for closer obeservation. Oh-so-painful! I had them page the doc at 11:30 pm to spring me out of there b'cause all the beeping and surrounding sickness was driving me NUTS!!!! After much haranguing, they agreed to relocate me to a room with a door to block out some of the din.

Actually, it was all a bit traumatic, and the orneriness I usually direct at Ross was let out on the nursing staff. The doc came in this morning for rounds and I tearfully asked him to spring me from the joint. "I am too ambulatory, too lucid, and too tired of hospitals to be here." Luckily, he agreed, and lickity-split, I was outta there!!

Thanks for keeping tabs. . .

Melissa

 

[Nancy]

I'm sorry to hear about that episode. It must have been scary for you. Little things sometimes happen to impede the progress temporarily. But eventually, everything gets straightened out.

I knew something was amiss, because you were so bouncy and doing so well. It wasn't like you not to rag on Ross a little.

Take care and I hope this is the end of it for you.

 

[Creed3]

Hi Melissa!
I've been checking up on your progress through all of the posts. It sounds like everything is going really well for you. Congrats!
What a small world; I used to work at Lancaster General back in the 80's and 90's. Who was your doctor there? I was born and raised in Lancaster. Later moved to Schwenksville. Now I am in good ole Virginia.
I am glad you are doing well and I pray that your recovery continues to be a smooth one.

Take Care!
Gail

 

[bvdr]

Hi Melissa,
Sorry about your set-back. One of the first things I was told waking up was about not worrying about the license tag of the truck. What were your symptoms?

 

[Ross]

Umm, you stop that stuff right now ya hear! We can't have the model patient doing flip flops a week later. Not that it's related but do you think your doing too much too fast? Take it easy for a while please.

 

[MelissaM]

Thanks for your notes. Gail, Dr. Corbally is my "new" local cardiologist here in Lancaster. Everyone was very nice at Lancaster General, despite my being a royal pain. After they took seven tries to put in my IV, I wouldn't let them pull any more blood, much to their frustration (I am really quite an easy stick. . .). My symptoms were just tachycardia - the local Eckerd's had one of those blood pressure machines, which measured my pulse at 122. When it was still in the 120's the next morning, I figured something was wrong. . .

And Ross, you are sounding like my father. . .
"I told you not to climb so many steps!! You are not resting enough!" yada, yada, yada. . . thanks for caring.

The hardest part is having a searing pain rip from the front of my chest to just behind the shoulder blade. Only regular intervals of Advil are keeping it manageable. Otherwise, the slightest movement will send me cringing.

A bit of a gimp, but at least out of the hospital. . ..

Mleissa

 

[Ross]

Oh but do I know that pain your talking about. I thought mine would never quit. Move just a bit the wrong way and wham. It will go away in due time, but till then, take it easy. It's not pleasant. It kept me up many a nights!

 

[Georgia]

It's LAUNDRY

It's LAUNDRY

STOP doing the laundry! Your heart knows instinctively when you're doing the laundry and alerts all the pain-makers in your body so you can't do it. You're post-major surgery - take advantage of it. Sit down, breathe, relax, walk, nap, breathe, and post. That's all you have to do.

Sorry about the little bump in the road; you sound a lot like me in the hospital. I'm sure they're really glad to see me leave, too; even tho I do everything they tell me and don't gripe, I've been known to tell them they can't do a test or blood draw, or whatever. They really really don't like to hear that, do they.

And yes, Nancy knows instinctively when to worry. She has made an art-form of being alert to things not being right. Guess she'd have to with Joe's track record. So don't ever think you'll put anything over on anyone on this site. I'm just surprised that Ross didn't cotten on faster.

You be good and walk and breathe and nap and don't do laundry and listen to your dad because he's right and let yourself heal. Glad you're feeling better.

 

[MelissaM]

After 12 days of doing too much (by everyone else's accounts. .. ), I have been restricted to the upstairs and told DO. NOT. COME. DOWN. Breakfast was brought up on a tray, then mid-morning refreshments. . .hmm. . .I could get into this "recovery" business. Funny thing is I am starting to feel better. Huh. Funny, except for the pounding head and aching chest, it didn't FEEL like I was doing too much. . . Guess those things tell you somethin'. I'll flip through the channels today, take it easy, and rest up in hopes of getting well enough to start a little bit of walking again.
Melissa

 

[Ross]

You certainly have to walk, there is no question about that. We just have to keep you from bailing hay, doing laundry, wrestling with the town folk, etc. As you can see, your body will bark at you if you do too much. We told ya so didn't we!

Bye the way, Father knows best.

 

[MelissaM]

Ross, your signature says it perfectly. . .

Why learn from others? mistakes, when you can make them yourself?

M.

 

[Kathy]

Melissa-

I'm sorry to hear that you are having pain. I understand that it is difficult to sit! My aunt had come from NY to help take care of me after surgery. One time when I jumped up to get something in the kitchen she said, "If you don't go sit down, I'm going home." I wasn't sure that she meant what she had said, but I had no intention of pushing her.

Someone reported in a post while you were in CCF that you were in Room 100-29. I was in the same bed a few weeks before. You never reported about the male nurses. I thought there were a lot of nice-looking ones even though they were too young for my taste.

Kathy

 

[MelissaM]

Hi Kathy,

Pretty wild we were in the same room - ! I thought the bed was pretty comfortable. . .how 'bout you? The only issue was my roomie, who liked to watch horror flicks and re-reruns of Knight Rider. In fact, her name was Helen, and she had been in for a few weeks - perhaps you also got the pleasure of knowing her?

As for the male nurses, the only one I had was pretty short with me (literally and figuratively!), but looked like there might have been some prospects. . . Dahling, I am having pain again. . .would you mind rubbing my back. . .? lol.

Take care,

Melissa

 

[Kathy]

Hi Melissa,

I never had the pleasure of meeting Helen. I was in 29 for a few days with a wonderful roomate who was 86. He daughters were in their 50's (like me) and we were all teachers, so we got along famously.

I then moved over to the window and had a roomate who was having a second surgery and she and her husband were very ANGRY and expressed that anger loudly with colorful phrases. My husband wouldn't open the curtain, so I was always nervous that the man was going to pop around the corner and scream at me. I don't know what they watched, but it was loud. I would put on my cd player and cover my ears.

Fortunately, I had been on a waiting list for private room and was able to move after two days of that (in fact that was Mike's room who sometimes posts here). It was a good thing because I was in for 15 long days.

Kathy

 

[Ross]

It was a good thing because I was in for 15 long days.

Pffft, I'm jealous now. I think Letittia is trying to tie my record.

 

[nadi]

Melissa,

I am glad they caught the effusion early! I was STUPID and did not listen to all here and ended up with a 2nd surgery 3 weeks post op. Just remember to report any changes to the Dr's.

Do "TRY" to pamper yourself a little longer! limited it to napping, breathing and walking.

Take care,

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi melissa!
you sounded so great before i left... and now i read your posts about you not feeling so great and having some minor setbacks....
i'm so sorry. i hope you realize that you are not alone and that "bumps in the road " are very common.
as long as you are being watched and taken care of, things should ease up a bit.
i look forward to hearing that you are home and doing well and recovering fine.
wishing you all the best for a smooth recovery, sylvia