Surgery officially scheduled

[Christina L]

Such nice words

Such nice words

Runner,

Just like Ross, you are making me cry!! ~

Thank you so much for the nice things you had to say and the wonderful suggestions. You know, I think I will do every single one of those things you mentioned!! I used to knit (not a very advanced knitter, but I could knit a simple sweater for myself) - and that is a GREAT idea - why didn't I think of that!! - I will go buy some yarn and start knitting and that will give me something to do while recovering also. It is very relaxing.

You know, I don't feel like a very strong person, but I want to be like my Mother who was the strongest person I know (she died two years ago of cancer at 63 years of age) - she had many hardships and trials in her life (losing her only son at four years of age being one of those trials) and she never questioned "why me" - I have questioned "why me" more than a couple of times, but I am trying to be strong and to have faith in God as she did.

I will think of all on this board when I am at a low point (of which there are more than a few right now) - all the love and encouragement I have been shown - I don't know what I would do without this board right now and all of you. Such dear people.

Thanks again, Runner. You are too sweet.

Chris

 

[Ross]

Just gotta do it!

 

[Christina L]

Ross,

Now you're making me laugh again, which you also do very well!! Thanks!

Chris

 

[bigbob54]

Chris,
They had me out of bed and standing for a few minutes and then sitting in a chair while still hooked up with all the IVs and tubes. This was while I was still in ICU. I still had the catheter and the chest tubes when they took me for my first walks. The chest tubes will be the last ones out. They left an IV in in case of emergency but it was just taped to my hand. Once the chest tubes are out you can walk around on your own if you feel well enough and I know you will! You're young and strong and this will be a piece of cake.


Bob

 

[catwoman]

My first cardio (in Fort Worth TX) wanted me to go to Cleveland or the Mayo in Rochester, MN, but I thought quality medical care here in TX and neither Cleveland nor Mayo were on my insurance plan. I changed cardios to one in Dallas & had surgery at Baylor Medical Center near downtown Dallas. It has a 1-year-old Hamilton Heart Hospital attached.
I **think** all the bills have come in. Total is about $110,000 (invoiced to insurance and I know that's not what was paid out, of course). I paid only $100 co-pay for room/board because all providers were in network. Thank heavens...

Marsha

 

[M&M]

Hey Bob, they are pushy aren't they ??? Wasn't that the same day as your surgery??? Can't they give you one or two days to rest before you take that leap to the floor..

I guess with me I'm a 'all or nothing' kind of person - everyone tells me that anyways. If I felt good enough to get out of bed - I'd want to run. There's no inbetween with me.. I hope I'm in alot of pain the first week or I'll be running down those halls. Even then its not like I've never run with pain !!! Maybe they should keep me tied up for a few days. My husband would just love that.. He'd be saying: STRAP HER DOWN - FAST - before she takes off. When I was in the hosptal last time I saw some patients walking down the hallways - as I ran by - they were kind of hunched over and walking real slow - and it looked slightly painful.. I felt really bad for them. Maybe if you ask for more pain killers - then you can walk without pain. Pain killers always make me depressed - but it won't matter cause if I can't run - I'll probably be depressed anyways. Whenever I couldn't move around well - you know what I would go for - the wheelchair - YES, wheelchairs are a great source of entertainment - I've had many races with other patients up and down the hallways.. The best would be if you could find an electric wheelchair - cause your arms probably wouldn't have to much strengnth right now. But Oh the FUN I had - racing - in that old hospital that I use to go to - they had this long down ramp - off to the side of the nurse's station and it was rather lengnthy - anyways, I had a BLAST - Up - Down - Up - Down - me and another guy raced each other alot on one of my visits - I think that was the only time I didn't walk out of that hospital before my discharge.. But I could be wrong - I hated that old hospital - I love my new hospital - but they have no 'ramps'.. :-( Oh the suffering we must endure - I mean when I got my ICD inplanted I think it was like $65,000 and I never got a electric wheelchair race down the hall - :-( all that and no race.. At least when they put me in for 'new' meds - I got to run up and down the hallway..

You know Christina - I use to just sit in bed and think of ways to have FUN in hospitals - really - just think of some ways to have - FUN.. I use to call out for pizza everyday - oooh it was delicious pizza - that hospital food is for the birds - they never give you enough - by midnight I'm starved.. So around 10:00 I'd call out and have a large pizza delivered.. My motto is: Happy, Happy, Happy - and although I lose one or two happies sometimes - I say hey what would it take to make you happy Marilyn - then go for it.. Life is to short to not have at least ONE HAPPY.. besides its always best to try and make the "best" of a bad situation - that's the only way I can do it.. Sometimes the nurses don't see it this way - but my new doc does.. He likes me to be happy. He even said I could run around the nurses' station last time I was in.. I did to - I got myself one of those IV trolley's and I would get a head start and roll it around and then I would "jump" on it and get a weeeeee 'ride' it was loads of FUN.. then I got my IV wrapped all around the trolley and almost pulled my IV out of my hand.. :-(

Another thing I don't know if its true but someone once told me if you put a bar of soap under your armpit - and they do a EKG - that the soap will screw up your EKG !!! I've never tried it - I'd like to - just to see what happens.

When I go to my doctors office I always take one of those latex gloves and BLOW THEM UP and then I bounce it up in the air and see how many times I can bounce it without it hitting the floor - I did it like 235 times last time I was in his office. One time I got up to almost 300 and then the DOC walked in.. :-( I use to HATE going to the DOC's office until I found all these 'fun' things to do.. It's not quite so bad anymore. I just try to have FUN and make the BEST of it.. I make a list of all my medical questions in writing before I get there so I won't forget about them - then I have some FUN and then when the doc comes in I become all business again.. It really works well for me. It took me years to find something that 'works' for me - I'm a much happier and more 'content' person when I'm with the medical people.

If anyone knows of any other FUN stuff to do in the hospital or doc's office -- PLEASE share them....

Runner

 

[bigbob54]

runner,
Yeah, they have an agenda. They had me standing and marching in place a few times. But, I think it is all for your own good. If you don't move around, you run the risk of fluid build up.
The most fun I had was the amusement my room mate provided. After his catheter was removed apparently he forgot and messed up his bed. Then later, he missed his urinal and went all over the floor. The nurses loved him. Then they told him to call when he had to go and he got very impatient if they didn't get there right away.
My room was right next to the nurses station, so it was fun eavesdropping on their conversations.
Sounds like you make the most of your stays in the hospital. Good luck and hope all goes well.
Bob

 

[M&M]

Hey Bob, sometimes those hospital 'roomates' are soooo interesting. I like to have a roomate - I never go private if I don't have to. Last time - I had this sweet little old lady - just the nicest woman you would ever meet. We chit chatted and she wanted to practically adopt me. One time I got this woman - who coughed and coughed and coughed - she didnt' stop all day and night. Drove me nuts.

I like to play with the buttons on the bed - you know up/down - up/down.. I hope I don't get you to excited when I say this !!! I just hate wearing those johnnies - its like your butt is sticking out for the whole world to see.. SO you know what I did last time - I got this little 'shorty' set with spaghetti strap top - clinging and I walked around the hospital in it. Didn't bother me at all. I got some looks you wouldn't believe - it was hilarious - the woman frowned and the men smiled. Some woman nurses were nice and said they wished they had a pair of my pajamas.. But it was the talk of the hospital - I loved it.. Anything to put alittle 'life' in a somewhat dull and depressing environment..

Do you have any neat pajamas - maybe muscle shirts - that would be easy for all the wires - that's why I like the spaghetti straps. its so much easier to work around all the ekg wires. I was wired right up to the nurse's station - every time I got a vt they come running in. ONE time I was doing aerobics (like I always do) and the nurse - came in screaming - don't move.. CUT that out.. I said: Well, I do this all the time. I'm fine - really don't worry I'm fine.. She was kind of snotty nurse - so I kind of liked that. My roomate said: They shouldn't talk to you like that. Have you got a checker board - maybe you could play checkers with you roomy.. I get so bored so quickly - surely there's got to be something exciting to put a little 'smile' on your face for the day.. Let me know if you find something. You cheer up and I want lots of happy's cause in a couple mos you'll be out there chasing the nurses.. Got any cute ones? I love to 'look'... and then of course I need their 'assistance'.. a nice washcloth 'bath' would be nice.. I wonder if they have a hot tub - that would help with the aches and pains.. I wonder if you can do that.. ????? You know when woman gives birth sometimes they do it in water - I wonder if they have a big TUB you could get into and have the jets relax your muscles.. and pains.. I don't know I've never had open heart surgery. But surely there's got to be something to help with the pain..
Runner

 

[Gisele]

Runner

Runner

Talking about your cute PJ's reminded me when I was just in the hospital. I never wore johnnies and I had cute PJ's and would wear a color coordinated zippered up sweat shirt to cover up a little bit so I could walk the halls. I even escaped down to the cafeteria with my kids wearing my striped Express PJ's and spaghetti strapped top with matching sweatshirt.....LOL One nurse commented that she noticed I wore matching underwear to coordinate with the color of my PJ's. OK, so I got a lot of looks in the cafeteria, especially with the hospital bracelet showing up, but I thought it was funny.

No matter how much I was in pain, I still wanted to feel comfortable!

 

[Ross]

What is all this talk of cute Jammies and such. Are you people afraid to run butt naked down those hallways? Gotta love the hospital garb. It's the greatest fashion trend ever created!

*Note to self: They'll never know how fast and in how much pain I was in putting my street clothes on when I got to rehab*

 

[M&M]

Exactly my point Gisele - just cause we're 'sick' doesn't mean we can't look good. I've been wondering what I'll wear cause of the scar - either I'll want to cover it - or expose it.. Can't think of a pretty nighty look that would match a zipper look.. But when I had my scar from my ICD I still wore my shorty nighty set. I didn't care - I had a scar - its really not that big -not like an open heart scar - that is bigger. But a sexy muscle shirt might be nice. I have some from THE KEYS - with logo on it that says: I came, I drank, I don't remember !! then I have another that says: So many bars so little time !!! that might be FUN to wear. Of course it could be years before my surgery - so I"ll have plenty of time to 'think' about it. These are important details after all. I want to look 'good' when my hubby visits.. I wonder if you can have a hair dresser come in and do your hair and nails.. THat might be nice.. Goodness I have got to stop thinking - cause I'm getting tired and my 'recovery' will be 'exhausting'. The only problem for me is my hospital is a good hour and a half away from home and I hate to have people drive all that way to visit. So, I kind of entertain myself and I don't even tell anyone I'm in the hospital. They must have hairdressers and manicurists in the hospital. I'll have to check mine out.. They have everything else !!!

Gisele, its sounding better already..



Christina - I wouldn't worry a bit about your post or theirs. Its a rough time for you - and I'm sure noone means any harm. You could be having a panic attack - I get them sometimes and its like I just want to jump out of my skin and RUN.. You know what works for me - take a deep breath through you nose and slowly let the air out of your mouth - it really relaxes me.. I'm sorry to hear about your dog.. That must be worriesome.. I hope he feels better.

Runner

 

[M&M]

Well Ross - I'm sure with your figure you do the hospital garb justice and you no doubt look sexy - but for me - it just doesn't go with my 'hair'.. I suppose if I got desperate for attention I could try a 'streak' down the hallway - who knows I might get some whistles !!! But I bet you have a cute butt Ross - Those white cheeks - goodness you'll be putting my heart into v-fib here soon. But if say the clothes are hard to put on - then wearing next to nothing should be 'easy'... I'm easy - I'm not cheap - but I'm easy.. I think for the amount of money they pay to watch us - then they should make us as comfortable as possible... After all we won't be there very long and we should be 'comfortable'. Before we get home and suffer.. without all spongebaths.. I can't let my hubby do that - cause he gets all excited and one thing leads to another and goodness I'd end up back in the hospital. Which reminds me we showered last night together and he slipped in the tub and pushed me half way out of the tub - I almost landed head first on the floor with my butt straight up.. He is so sick - he'll do anything to get me in that postion. He's such a pig.. I think thats why I love him..

Runner..