Update to the CAT scan I had done. I was called by the Cardiologist to go to George Washington Hospital Center's cardio unit for an echocardiogram. What they saw must have been pretty bad because I was told that they would have to do immediate surgery that night, or the chances of me being alive in the next two days were not good.
So, after the shock wore off, Chris and I head are taken back to the ER where I'm stripped and connected to a bunch of wires. I feel so bad for my husband, i've put him through so much and I know he's scared. This is my heart... only got one of those and it's in bad shape evidently.
At 8pm I'm taken to the OR where they put me on a smaller table and strap my arms down. They are doing an arterial IV line and after the 4th time of trying to get this thing in my vein, i'm starting to cry. it freaking hurts despite the 'numbing' stuff they inject. Finally they give me the gas to go to sleep and I suppose that's when they find a good vein. All told, I have 9 holes where they tried to find a vein.
I wake up to "Juanita..wake up, can you hear me" and I remember dreaming about camping because the 'wake up' part coincided with me and Chris coming out the tent door. Nice huh? Even under surgery I dream of camping.
I get rolled to ICU (and share it with another lady) and I can barely move. hell, i don't even have the strength to lift my head, so whatever they knocked me out with is pretty damn potent. The nurse tells me that surgery was great, they pulled 700cc's of fluid (a liter) and that I have two tubes in my chest to help drain off the rest. I'm also on morphine that I can have every 8 minutes, and no limit. Chris talks the nurse into letting him stay, even though he wasn't supposed to be there because it wasn't a private room... i can't say how glad i was that he did. I was scared and having him there was comforting. My neighbor was a very old lady who must have had some hip or back work done because she constantly called for the nurse for more pain meds. She didn't get them but she did ask. poor lady.
I stay in ICU until sometime Saturday and then am moved to the cardio unit (and a private room). I feel so bad for hubby that i talk him into going home to sleep in a real bed. I know he's exhausted and I have plenty of people around checking on me every 30 minutes or so, i'll be okay till him comes back.
By Tuesday i'm getting aggravated and tired, because every time I'd try to go to sleep, someone was coming in to take my blood, or check my pressure, or my temperature, and finally to remove the pee bag. then start hounding me on pooping.
There is an old lady who is giving everyone fits. The first night in Cardio care, she's in the hallway right outside my door giving the nursing staff hell because she's hungry and she wants more food. Then she wanders around kinda lost like and gives them hell because she can't find her room. Or she wants coffee, or she doesn't want to do physical therapy. And she'll scream stuff like HELP ME, NURSE.. HELP ME.. SOMEONE HELP ME.. omg it was nerve wracking. One of the nights my neighbor coded and I hear, "what?.. what are ya'll doing here?" and my nurse says, "your heart stopped" and the lady laughs and said, I was just sleeping" me thinks her heart may have stopped for a second, but it was good to know that the cardio team really jumps into action with a code blue.
My favorite nurse was a guy named Kofi. He was funny, kind, and nice to my husband. He didn't mind that Chris wanted to help, and seemed to welcome it. Poor guy actually had to give me a suppository to help me poop. THAT was a major humiliation, but after all the morphine, toradol, and various other pain meds, I was one blocked up chick. It worked though.
Wednesday morning they hinted that I may get to go home that day, if my wounds looked good after taking out the tubes, and if I kept my blood pressure down. they had a heck of a time getting it below 100. usually it was in the 130's and as high as 147, RESTING. So tuesday was a good day because it was actually 100 all day long and meant i was one step closer to going home.
and that happened on Wednesday. yay!! OH before i forget, taking out the drain tubes was not that bad. I expected a lot of pain because they went in through the bottom rib muscle, but no pain at all.
anyway, that was my exciting, almost meeting my maker moment and i wish to not repeat it anytime soon. I talked to the doctor today wanted to know when I could go back to work and as much as I tried to make it next week, it's not until July 1. And even then, they didn't want a full day, but I told them i didn't do any lifting, just a desk job, and he was okay with letting me go full time.
so, my adventure still continues with trying to find a chemo to kill the CML, but because of what this last drug did to my heart, we're in no hurry to start another pill... i want to enjoy my days on earth upright. not laying in ICU or any place else in the hospital.
the job is a damn fine group of people. I had only been working there 8 days when this happened, and now have had to take nearly 3 weeks off in the hospital and recovery. They told me to take as much time necessary, they miss me and want me well. Hell, i was with NOAA 5 years and not once did they send a get well card or flowers... this place did. I have found my work home. They are great people.
tired and going night night. as i remember stuff, i'll write. things are a bit foggy from my stay but coming back in pieces
and prayers do work.... i had a lot of people praying for me.. and here I am. Thank you God.
and thank YOU darling hubby for being there for me every single step of the way. I lovve you.
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