Sunday, November 11, 2012

How I Spent My “Fall” Vacation Episodes 10 & 11

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Episode 10 - November 9 – After Sergio settled Art down last night, I was able to get a fantastic night’s sleep. That was fantastic until Sergio decided to wake me up at 6 AM to give me my pain meds. Hmm...patient sleeping soundly; that must mean he’s in a great deal of pain. Still I’m able to very quickly get back to sleep. So an hour later, Sergio wakes me up again to check my glucose levels. Now I am up for the day.
I shouldn’t be too harsh on Sergio, he means well and he is dealing with some serious health issues himself
My day nurse today is Regina. It seemed to be quite a busy for the nurses so I didn’t interact with her much.
I did wake up to a pleasant surprise when I logged on this morning. There was a sweet note from another classmate, Carol, who had gone through a much worse traumatic event when we were in school and was laid up in bed for months. Coincidentally, Janice and I were talking about her and her mother, a teacher at our school, yesterday. It is little surprises like this that brighten my day.
Breakfast arrived and lo and behold cream of wheat and a banana. I’m a sport and tried a couple of bites of banana and gagged. So it was a slice of whole wheat toast with dietetic jam and 2% milk to last me until lunch.
Dr. Haaf stopped and we discussed my pain meds. When I told him I was having very little pain if any, we decided that rather than regular dosing, my meds would be as needed. This was designed to solve the other problem with the pain killers. Unfortunately it is going mean more bed pan dancing.
It’s time to gross you out again but just a little. I normally go through a lot of tissues because of my allergies and bad sinuses. I was beginning to notice a lot of blood traces similar to what happens to me in the dessert and it didn’t make sense because the humidity is high in here and my BiPAP delivers a fine mist over night. The answer dawned on as I was being jabbed in the stomach with my daily shot; your on blood thinners to avoid clotting, you idiot!
Today my mind was on a different hospital, my mother was scheduled for surgery at Langley Memorial so my big brother, Pat was keeping me posted and her operation was cancelled at the last minute due to breathing complications. I know how stressful that had to be both the anxiety anticipating the surgery and then the cancellation. I love you, Ma!
My physio treatment consisted of sitting in the wheelchair again today but I was able to stay considerably longer getting a lot of writing done and enjoying the view. The southern exposure of our room although causing added heat has a great vista looking over the inlet at downtown Vancouver.
Now speaking of views and southern exposure; shall we discuss Charlie in the opposite corner? God bless, him. His rehab from his hip surgery has progressed that he can briefly manage a walker to get to the washroom facing me although he is still supposed to have someone assisting him. I think the assistance is primarily to make sure his robe is closed at the back. *shudder*
While still sitting in the chair, the nurse’s aide came around with afternoon snacks and you guessed mine was a banana. I dismissed her summarily.
Finally my luck changed with regard to breakfast, the food service person came around to take my breakfast order.
Another bonus was that the occupational therapist brought me a reacher. My universe has been extended by a radius of 30 inches. Beware!!
The night nurses on our ward tonight were Hiroko and Fellie.
Fellie is hilarious. She was giving one of her co-workers grief for working too much and turned to me “Typical Phillipino she thinks she has to work 2 or 3 jobs but then again I think my friends are beginning to think I’m not really Phillipino because I’m happy only working one job.
Episode 11 – November 10 – I awoke from a great and almost rejuvenating sleep to greet my new day nurse, Samantha or Sam.
Breakfast for once was bearable and dare I say almost enjoyable. I had Rice Krispees, scramble eggs  and a pancake with dietetic syrup; and best of all no gruel. However, I must state once and for all time, margarine is not a butter substitute.
Esther was working in a different section of the floor but she dropped by to say “good morning” to everyone in the ward. She’s too damn chipper for 8 AM.
During my morning wash up, Sam introduced me to “no-rinse” shampoo because my hair was feeling grossly matted and grungy and it brought it down to mildly matted and grungy.
Bill, in the bed had a couple of visitors, his niece and her husband. Her husband spent a lot of time chatting with me. It was quite interesting because he was another East End boy. He told about playing football for the Renfrew Trojans in the 60’s. I had played ball in the Renfrew organization for a few years and I have countless friends who had played for the Trojans.
The gentleman also had to help me with another of life’s little ironies. My reacher had fallen off the side of my bed so I could not reach my reacher.
Bill’s full name is William Wallace, apparently norelation to Braveheart but he could have been a contemporary. Bill wears hearing aids but I’m sure they are doing him no good. His answer to every question subjective or objective is “Yes” and they keep letting off a high pitched squeal. He’s therapy is progressing as well so he can used his walker a bit. Currently, he’s waiting for a bed to open up at St. Mary’s in Gibsons where he lives so his wife can visit.
I had been feeling a bit lazy today and was not too upset that there was no physio team visits today. I’ve been content to sit here and write and follow the NCAA football scores especially my undefeated, number 3 ranked, Notre Dame Fighting Irish. I am so bored I may even follow Sunday’s NFL scores. Go 49ers!
I received a few more n*** notes from a couple of former classmates, Ruth and Dorothy. I had known both since elementary school. In fact, Dorothy and I were in the same kindergarten class. Hearing from everyone brightens my day and when I hear from someone a little less expected it brightens it up even more so.
The Crown Prince was due to come up so I had Sam empty my urine bottle because I told her, he was such a pussy. She threatened to tell him I had said that. I didn’t care because I’d stand by my word.
Bryan showed up about fifteen minutes later with a few sundries I had asked him to bring up and my week’s mail.
The mail included my Hobbit stamps from New Zealand and a letter from the Vancouver Sun that included two tickets to see Brent Butt at the River Rock Casino as prize for participating in one of their surveys. It’s not someone I’d normally go see but would have no problem seeing at that price. Then I looked at the date, November 23. Uhh...kinda busy. I handed them back to the Prince and told him to find a buddy to go with him.
Sam came in to change my dressings and just the mention of it brought a green pale to Bryan’s face. His only comment “I think I have to leave”. I turned to Sam and said “told you he was a pussy”. ;-)
Fellie came in as my night nurse and immediately started to lecture me about not resting my feet on the foot of the bed because it’s considered weight bearing. She’s an absolute tyrant about this. She did figure out a way to adjust the bed to eliminate the pull of gravity that was pushing me down. She did reward me with a n*** wash down before sleep. ;-)
With the Oregon Ducks game well in control, I decided to retire.
As I lay back to sleep, the frightening thought occurred to me, “oh shit, the food services lady didn’t come by to take my breakfast order”.  **heavy sigh**
To be continued...

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