The Good, the Bad and the Blackout

It's been a while since I posted because I've been focusing my energy on recovery: eating, walking and resting.  I am 5 weeks 4 days post-op as of today and am down to one pain med.  Thank goodness I'm weaned off the other pain meds!

Update on Ma's back issue.  She hasn't been able to start physical therapy until today and Pa said that she had a good session, but is definitely tired now.  She returns for more therapy tomorrow so please keep her in your prayers.

My in-laws are here this week helping us and we are so thankful.  Today is Lizzie's 12th birthday and Nana baked her a birthday cake.  Looking forward to dessert tonight!

The Good
Had my first big outings from the house this past weekend since the not-so-successful outing on Dec 24th to see Christmas lights.  On Saturday, Jeremy took me and Lizzie to the hair salon.  I was a bit apprehensive about the hair washing part since the chairs are low to the ground and recline backwards.  We brought my pillow and it actually turned out better than I expected.

On the way home, we had lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant.  I've been walking through the house without my walker for about 2 weeks, but brought the walker with us in case I needed it.  Our server recognized us right away (it's been a couple of months since we were there last) and was extremely accommodating when he saw the walker.  He was kind to pull the table toward me to make sure I was comfortable.  I must say, it was a beautiful, sunny day and it felt so refreshing to be a part of society again.

Driving home, the pain hit me full force and thankfully we had my med with me because I knew my dose would be due prior to getting home.  We learned on this outing that my current maximum time in a car is no more than 30 minutes one way and to be away from home no more that 3 hours.  We were actually gone 4 hours and it was just a bit too much.

On Sunday, we took Lizzie to a pre-birthday lunch with her friend.  We were well planned with the distance of the restaurant from home, meds and water in hand, pillow and walker packed.  When we arrived we were given a choice of waiting for a table with chairs or to be seated right away in a booth.  My first choice was table, but since I didn't want to wait, Jeremy and I figured that if I sat at the outside end of the booth and he sit across from me, that might work out in terms of him helping me in/out of the booth.  Our plan was good but my execution was off which leads me to...

The Bad
As I was lowering myself onto the booth bench, I miscalculated the height of the bench and wound up dropping down onto the much lower than anticipated bench.  This sent a jolt up my spine that was quite painful to say the least.  Despite my faux pas, we had a delightful lunch but opted to take dessert home because the pain was increasing.

The Blackout
Sunday evening started out as my typical routine of going to bed.  I woke up about 4am to use the toilet and soon realized the little room where our toilet is located within our bathroom started to spin and that I had to get out ASAP.  I opened the door and started yelling for Jeremy.  What I don't know is if I was yelling in my head or just whispering because Jeremy didn't hear me.  I must have made some sort of noise because the last thing I remember was our dogs barking.  I woke up but I could not see anything except total blackness but I could hear Jeremy's voice.  I told him I didn't know where I was.  He said, "Drink this, keep drinking," he was holding a glass of Gatorade.  Next thing I remember was lying in bed with my vision restored.  I asked Jeremy what happened.

Jeremy explained that the barking dogs woke him up and instead of looking for me in bed, he said jumped out of bed and looked toward the bathroom.  He said he saw me trying to brace myself in the doorway of the where the toilet is located, but that I let go and was falling face first toward the bathtub.  Jeremy said he doesn't know how he did it (of course it was God that gave him the necessary speed), but he caught me from behind right before my head hit the tub but knew that he had to keep my back straight.

As Jeremy told me the story, he said he called out to Lizzie for help and asked her to bring a glass of juice.  I have a habit now post-op of keeping both water and juice at my bedside, but I had already drunk my juice which is why there wasn't any upstairs.

As Lizzie tells the story, she heard Jeremy yelling, "Oh God! Oh God!"  She thought she was dreaming until Jeremy yelled her name.

I asked Jeremy did I say anything after I fell.  He explained that I was out cold and was limp in his arms like a rag doll.  I asked how did he get me off the ground.  He had Lizzie push an office chair toward me and he somehow got me up into the chair and then rolled me to bed.

What caused this incident?  Initially we thought my hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) may have been the culprit.  If I don't eat small meals/snacks throughout the day, my blood sugar will drop to the point where I experience loss of vision (only able to see blackness) and the feeling that I will faint.  I haven't had a hypoglycemia incident in many, many years.  Since the surgery, Jeremy and I have been careful to keep water, juice and snacks at my bedside before I go to sleep at night.  The next day, I kept thinking about the entire event and something wasn't making any sense.

I began to recall 4 mild episodes about 3 weeks prior to the blackout that only occurred when I got up in the middle of the night to take meds and use the restroom.  These 4 other episodes felt as if I might have been starting a hypoglycemia incident, but because I wasn't fully awake at these times during the middle of the night, I kinda thought maybe I was just dreaming or that the combination of meds were making me think strange thoughts.  Immediately I realized the connection that these episodes only occurred in the middle of the night, so perhaps this had nothing to do with my hypoglycemia since my past incidents with hypoglycemia only occurred during the day.

Suddenly, I remember my doctor telling me about some side effects of the sleeping pill (Ambien) I was taking post-op: sleep walking and doing things in the middle of the night that patients have no memory of the next day like eating a lot of food out of the refrigerator and not knowing the next day where all the food went.  Jeremy and I talked about it and agreed that the sleeping pill might be the primary issue that caused the blackout.

After speaking with Dr. Lenke's nurse, Kelly, she explained that blackouts can be common post-op for a few different reasons:

1.  The combination of post-op meds can lower blood pressure.
2.  Blood counts can continue to be low several weeks post-op.
3.  Sitting up and getting out of bed too fast can cause blood pressure to drop quickly.

Kelly said she feels confident that because I normally have low blood pressure, the blackout was probably caused by a combination of the reasons listed above.  I immediately stopped taking the sleeping pill and am down to one pain med.  Since then, I have not only been able to sleep through the night one evening, but am very clear headed the times I wake up in the middle of the night, waking Jeremy to let him know I needed to get out of bed.  This is a precaution Kelly recommended for several days since the blackout that I don't go into the bathroom alone and to turn on all the lights.

Kelly told me that Dr. Lenke recently had a patient who blacked out in her bathroom, hit the tub on her way down and broke her neck!  I'm passing along this information for those who are scheduled for surgery so you can be aware that blackouts can be common.  I found relief in talking with one of Dr. Lenke's patients who also experienced a blackout.  She, too, tried to brace herself in a doorway but blacked out and hit her head on the door frame on her way down.  My relief was in learning how common blackouts can be; that my episode wasn't the first by any means.  Kelly said that if I had broken any of my hardware, I would have known it right away by experiencing excruciating pain.  The only thing I felt was some stiffness the next day in new places which was most likely caused by Jeremy catching me and having to move me off the floor.  

I continue to thank God for this journey, including the "hiccups" along the way, because each day is a bit better than the prior day.  As I mentioned in my first blog, I hope that by sharing my experiences, it may help someone leading up to their scoli surgery.

Warmly,
Doreen

Special Prayer Request

I've been trying to update my blog but just simply haven't had the energy.  Shortly after arriving home, my mom developed severe back pain.  After visiting a doctor near our home, an x-ray revealed a compressed disk.  Because her pain has been increasing, Ma and Pa left this morning to return to Florida where she will see her family doctor tomorrow.  Please pray for Arlene that God protect her and put the right people with the right solution in her path.

Most days of my recovery are a bit better than the day before, but not always.  I recently discovered that the stabbing rib pain that I've had for several months in the lower right rib area is completely gone.  I can actually lay on my right side hugging a pillow in comfort.  The front of both sides of ribs feel as if I've been beaten with a baseball bat.  That was caused from having to lay on my stomach during the surgery.

I'm completely weaned off one of my many narcotics and am working on weaning of a second one.  Pain starts to increase in the afternoon, like now.  I really dislike being on narcotics so I am doing the weaning process slowly and am listening to my body.

I still don't have the courage to look at pictures of my back, but Jeremy continues to take pictures for me.  My sis-in-law came by with my brother recently.  She is a nurse and was so kind to remove the remaining steri strips from the incision.  She said it was one of the best looking incision with the least amount of bruising.  Bruising?  That didn't cross my mind I would be bruised.  Oh well.  I'm able to shower myself which is a BIG accomplishment, but really wears me out.

Running of out steam to wright more, but a nap is calling for me.

Warmly,
Doreen

There's No Place Like Home!

What a wonderful moment it was pulling into our garage and seeing my daughter and parents stepping out to great us!  Their eyes were huge with shock at how tall I am having regained the 4" I'd lost this year.  The only pain I'm having trouble controlling is abdomen pain.  I'm eating well albiet very small meals.

Tomorrow is the two week mark when I can take a shower - FINALLY!  Thank God for baby wipes. :-)

I've had a couple of instances where I get up and walk somewhere in the house; totally forgetting to use my walker.  Oops!

Just a short note today, back to sleep and recovery.

Warmly,
Doreen

I Must be Dreaming!

We received the call today from Dr. Lenke's nurse that we can go home tomorrow!!!!!!  I'm over the moon!  We'll start packing today and Jeremy will load up the car tonite.  Tomorrow morning I will get my hair washed and dried at the hospital's salon because I don't have the strength to do that right now.  Jeremy and I have missed Lizzie terribly but are so happy that she's had such fun with her friends and my folks.  Our goal is to drive halfway tomorrow to Clarksville, TN, but we'll need to stop every hour so I can get out to walk and stretch. 

What a remarkable journey this has been.  It is true what veteran scoli surgical paitents say, every day is a bit better than the day before.  This is a short update since we've got a lot to do before we leave tomorrow.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Warmly,
Doreen

Is that Really My Spine?!

Hi Everyone!

I had typed up a great legible post last night; however, something did not work correctly and I lost the entire thing.  Oh well.  He's my second try.

Here is my before and after x-rays of my back:

Dr. Lenke's nurse said my curves 70/68 degrees are now about 10 degrees!  What Wha??!!  Here are some shots of my rib hump"

Jeremy discovered an big bruise on my arm:

It doesn't hurt, just is a little creepy to look at.

My greatest pain coming from lack of bowel movements.  This may be my most unusual prayer request, but PRAY FOR POOP!  LOL!  Seriously, I have not gone in 7 days and nothing seems to help move things along.  Jeremy has some photos of my incision but I'm not ready to look at them just yet.  I will post later after.

Warmly,

Doreen

Greetings from the Other Side

It is difficult to write because of the heavy meds. Rec'd a wonderful surpirse yesterdy whe n doc said I could g0kme on Saturdayr Mydays are completely mixed up,k it's hard to talk. R9ight now I"m expeirnceijg horrible gas paijns.

wi;; tpe more when i'm more coherentl.

:)

warmyu,l
Dreppen

Last Guest Post - Doreen is "Home"

This is my final guest update. The last days have been busy. I told Doreen I'd have her post the next one as incentive but we skipped a day so I figured I'd better wrap this up here.

First good news is that her neighbor was moved out and she never got a new one, so for all practical purposes it was a "private" room although I would still go back to the lodge in the evenings. Yesterday Doreen was making a lot of progress with sitting up, walking, brushing her own teeth, getting a bath, etc. Pain was managed really well. 

Then, everything seemed to happen all at once. She got off the nutrition medication for her hypoglycemia, started eating "real" solid foods, had the tubes and catheter removed, and started getting up on her own to use the restroom, etc. Most of this happened between 6am - 8am before I even made it to the hospital this morning (I was playing at Mr. Mom, doing laundry and preparing the room for her return). We thought yesterday the release might be on Monday, but when I came in she smiled and told me they said today would be the release date. I could tell she was doing much better but was still surprised it would happen so soon.
The nurse and I gave her a sponge bath and I got to see the scar for the first time. Doreen let me take a picture but any of the x-ray, hospital, etc. pictures I'm saving for when she is less drugged so she can decide what she wants to share. I can say it amazed me to see how clean the scar was after so few days — it's a long scar but it looks to be healing quite well. 

Occupational therapy came. She'd already been using the bathroom on her own. This time she removed both socks and put them back on by herself using the tools they provide with the spine kit I mentioned earlier.
I received the list of medications so I took them to the pharmacy and it was about an hour to fill them all. I came back and she was in bed eating and told me I missed all of the fun. She had walked 175 feet and then went up and down the equivalent of about 3 flights of stairs or 36 steps. She told me the physical therapist told her if she didn't complete that, she wouldn't be going home, so she did it. Her central line was removed as well. 

I helped her get dressed in her "civilian clothes" and made a few trips to the lodge to get some walking exercise in and remove all of her stuff. Then I came back and the nurse gave me the schedules/instructions for follow up and medications and that was it - time to go! I thought my heart would jump out of my throat I was so excited. I walked back to the lodge, grabbed some pillows, and drove the truck back to the hospital. We have a Honda Pilot. The nurse gave me the number to the nurse station so when I pulled up I could park by the curb and call for them to bring her down.
Here is the happy patient ready to leave:

Transport brought her down and wheeled her to the truck. It was a fairly big step up so she had some difficulty getting in but then she got settled and was fine with just a pillow behind her back. I did notice the seat is a little low for the 90 degree angle she should sit at so we agreed she'll get boosted with a pillow when she rides the next time. We drove back to the lodge and I parked up front. There was a long ramp to get inside and she did great, then sat in a chair to rest. Once she had some water and was rested, I asked her if I should get the elevator ready and she said, "No, we're taking the stairs." Silly me. So we went up a flight of 16 steps (yeah, I counted them) and then into the room and into bed. That really wore her out so she is sleeping peacefully now. 

I took the time to enter the medication schedule into Google Calendar. My Windows Phone synchronizes with it so I get reminders that buzz me whenever the next medication is due. I love modern technology!  So this is it. Husband signing off. It's in my wife's hands now. She has her lap top and her phone so the next one is hers to post! 


Jeremy