What??? Can it be??? A second post today??? Well, calm right down because it's true! Here I am again! In fact I have post topics racing through my mind so there might even be a third! Calm down, I said "might". We'll see how the night progresses. Onto the topic at hand.
So, today officially began recovery for Amy. I'll be honest, the day did not start off great. Not at all. First of all, I for one forgot that you don't actually get to sleep really in a hospital. Between someone constantly coming it and the uncomfortable sleeping quarters (guest fold-out chair & patient bed included) it can be difficult. But when you're both physically and emotionally exhausted you find a way and that is what I did. Amy, on the other hand, had an even more restless night than I did (duh!). But we made it through the night and into the morning. Last night around 10:00 (yeah, that's also something about the hospital - there is no concept of time anymore) the nurse finally came to help Amy get up and start walking. It was a no-go. She was able to sit up before becoming extremely pale and stating that she was being overcome by extreme nausea. "Baby steps" I reassuringly (or tried to be) told her.
This morning around 8:00 is was time for her upper GI test. Amy was still quite lethargic, weak, and nauseous so we were very leery of how this would go. She couldn't muster up enough energy or stomach will power to sit in a wheelchair for the trip down to radiology so they got her onto a stretcher for the ride. Once we got there we were both a bit confused/alarmed by how well the other bariatric patients were doing. They were in wheelchairs and were chatty and seemed to be doing well. Amy was pale, flat on her back, and very weak. Hmmmm??? Something wasn't right. However, with much prayer and kindness from the assistants, she was able to drink the barium mixture and stand for the x-rays. Pleased with this small victory it was back to the stretcher and back to the room.
Upon returning to the room we were greeted by an angel. Well, she was to us. She was actually Amy's nurse for today - Staci. She was amazing. She helped us realize what we had been wondering - the morphine was most likely causing Amy the problems she was having. So we stopped that and she gave her some nausea medicines. Turns out Staci had a bariatric procedure done herself here about 10 months ago. She looked great! She talked with Amy and related with her about how she was feeling because she had actually been there herself. It was great. She brightened our day and continued to so so. Sadly, as I'm writing this her shift is ending and we are getting a new nurse whom we have yet to meet. But alas, Staci will be back tomorrow morning!
So, quitting the morphine did the trick and Amy perked up quite well after a nice nap. The results of the GI came back and all is great, everything is connected properly and working well! This meant that the catheter could be removed and she could progress onto a clear liquid diet! Decaf tea for lunch and a sugar-free grape popsicle for dinner! She was quite pleased with the latter and thoroughly enjoyed it. She has gotten better as the day has gone one, more herself. She still has some pain (duh!) but she says she is mostly super tired. She has been up and walking around very well and is in great spirits.
So, the day began a rough but has taken a complete 180! Day 1 of recovery is down and tomorrow we will be able to go home. Another good part about today was Amy did get some visitors. Pastor Black from Trinity came and that was great, Suzanne Kurth (another Trinity member and co-worker came with a goodie bag, and Amy's mom made it by on her lunch break. Those little diversions were great and much appreciated! THANKS! We are just ending the night quietly enjoying the cable (WOO HOO!) and listening to the rain outside. Thanks again to all of our fantastic and invaluable family and friends for all of your prayers, kind words, and support! :)
All is well, and blazing down this new road now, in Drosche Land.
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