Week in review...

gonna bullet this week out...so I don't forget anything.

• Monday - 6 am (well 620 since I slept through my alarm clock!) I get to the hospital to settle in for my spinal cord stimulator. It really was pretty uneventful at first, no problems getting the IV in, the warm blankets felt soooo good, my nurses were great, my doctors came in smiling and in great moods, my new BFF (HAHA) - the rep for my box came in smiling as well, the anesthesiologist eased my concerns about me being put to sleep in just a twilight sleep. (I was a little freaked out thinking I might wake up when they were doing the big stuff! But they needed me awake for placing the leads to make sure they were in the right place.) It started out pretty good. But umm then...it just kinda went down hill. I don't remember anything once they got me into the OR. I remember thinking my doctor is cute and dang it he is gonna see my butt and boobies...SIGH!
• I wake up in recovery and am bawling. The pocket he made for the stimulator (looks like a pacemaker) hurt like crazy. I couldn't stop crying! CRAZY. Anyways, they have me there trying to make sure now that I am awake that the leads are still in place and I am getting coverage in all the right places. The rep cranks it up and WAMMO...the left leg lights up. Nothing in the right leg. I cringe. My right leg/side is the main reason for this box and it wasn't getting any of the sensations. She turned it 10 ways to Sunday and still none/very little on the right. Dr. P was puzzled as in the OR when they were putting it in the left had no coverage. They took me to x-ray and the leads hadn't moved. So, they programmed me and told me that when the swelling goes down and such, that it should start working normal. *I freaked out when I got home...I don't remember ANYTHING from the surgery...what if I was so out of it I lied inadvertently to him saying my right was covered instead of my left. I am still worried that is what happened!!!*
• The doctors leave me, the nurses trying their best to cover my pain and nausea. I am still crying like a baby. I just can't stop! I turn over in the bed multiple times. I kick the covers off at one point I was hot. My eyes are so swollen from crying I can't really open them. My blood pressure is very low and it made me a little loopier than normal. About 3 hours into recovery I realized that my gown was just laid across me - my arms were not in it. My boobs were out there for anyone to see!! Scott wasn't paying any attention. Doctors, patients, patients families walking by getting a show. I wondered why the nurse kept covering me up...I was like dang I am hot...stop that. I thought that, I didn't say it. Yeah, not my finest moment.
• I guess it was 5ish and I wanted to go home. The nurse said if I was ready I could. So I sat up and started putting clothes on and then I stood up to pull my shorts up and I almost hit the floor. Nausea, dizzy, weak...not fun! My nurse came in and checked my blood pressure and it was 70/40!!!! Needless to say I stayed a bit longer, drinking fluids and eating a few crackers. Finally it got up a little and Scott was able to take me home to his parents.
• I get there and crashed in their bed, to wake up a little later to about 8 itchy places on my legs and torso. I thought bug bites, but not sure why I was the only one. And they were like blisters more than anything else. But, I stuck with bug bites and my fearless protector did kill a tiny little ant while he played some cowboy game on the xbox.
• The next day I woke up to a sore throat. I thought hmm, I must have snored a lot while not using my crap C-pap mask. Running a low grade temp, but thought it was just my body responding to surgery.
• Wednesday I wake up and the blister like things on my legs/torso are red around them and hard. Not bug bites. Then that night I found the flashlight and looked in my mouth...EEEEK! White little blister like things all over the roof of my mouth and a few sores on my tongue. Temp was a little higher but not over 101.
• Thursday I had a dressing change appointment with Dr. P. Everything looked good under the bandages. Yes, bandages...what I thought would be one incision ended up being 2 due to having difficulty getting one of the leads in...GRR. I showed him my 'sores' on my body and the things in my mouth and he thought strep maybe, but said I should see my primary care physician.
• Ok, I call my PCP and it is Thursday...they are closed Friday so they were slammed and couldn't see me. I was scared it was strep and that it might be like last time and I end up with a picc line and IV antibiotics for 6 weeks. So the nurse said to to express care/ER. We go and sit for about 4 hours. To have a PA come in and say, just to cover any issues let's just give you an antibiotic. WHAT? He hadn't even seen what I had going on. Scott and I flipped out a little and he sent us over to the ER side. That doctor knew my history of an infection at the surgical site and he ordered blood work, cultures and swabbed my throat. He gave me a shot in the butt too :( for pain and nausea.
• The rapid strep came back negative. My sed rate was 64 but my cell count was mostly normal. He did give me an antibiotic.
• Friday when I woke up, my throat was so much worse. My hangy down thing was so swollen it was making me gag. It looked like someone had a snow ball fight in my mouth!! I think it looks more like thrush/yeast. So, I started doing salt water gargles and today did vinegar. The vinegar seems to be the most helpful - that and throat spray. Food sucks, it hurts so much to swallow.
• I am eating yogurt to hopefully help with the yeast, and it feels good on my throat. Temp is still up and down....crazy thing. My mysterious lesions on my body are going away - Thank you God!
• Good news is, other than the surgical pain my back is feeling better. I really think this was just the miracle I needed to get to feeling better. Even though it is like I got a pacemaker in my butt.

Can't sleep dang it. I took meds to help with that and I just got a lot on my mind I guess. When sleep does come I am sure it will be deep and good.

Scott didn't get his wish that this box had a mute button - HA!

I really am excited that this 'bionic' status will make my life much better. It is crazy how it works, but I am glad it does. I wonder how someone thought this up? Well, they are my hero!

Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts during the past two years. 4 surgeries on my back, 1 D&C, lots of medications and doctors appointments has been a long journey. Things happen for a reason I know, all of this was part of a plan that He has for my life.

Ooo it is after 2 am, gotta go to sleep or else I won't get up for church tomorrow and I need church...I have a lot to be thankful for!