Update on GramaSuby!

[moe]

Wow,
Prayers are definitely continuing. Not only recovering from AN surgery, but meningitis and pneumonia to boot. How scary for you.
Rest easy now,
Maureen

[allisjbh]

Hi Sue,
I hope you are well on the mend now that you are home. Dr's Mattox and Olson also did my surgery in December '09. I was in the hospital for 9 days instead of the 3-4 they said was average. I had a hard time with waking up from surgery, plus shallow and congested breathing.
Allison

[Angela R.]

Hi, Sue.  I am new to the group but am not that far away from surgery so I remember very vividly how you are feeling.  It is a very emotional time.  It was way more emotional than I even anticipated.  I second what everyone else said, try not to worry or stress...just relax and allow yourself to heal.

[GramaSuby]

   :)thanks all for your prayers and thoughts, all so needed! Yesterday my stitches /staples came out I am better by far now. My 5 day planned stay turned into a 12 day unplanned nightmare as you can guess.  I was put to sleep Thurs morn & "woke up" Mon afternoon w/ no memory of even having had the surgery.  My son and his wife and 2 friends were by my side in ICU. I was groggy and had difficulty processing what was being said.  My friends had brought a chocolate milkshake for me which was my  major focus for the next few minutes until it was gone( I had nothing to eat or drink since surgery ).  That night I panicked & suddenly realized that I had or would miss my AN surgery and that I had to let my Dr's know  I would miss it. It was awhile before I figured out that I was in the hospital because I already had surgery...weird how that happened.
 
  While I was "napping" I had my AN removed, became infected w/ meningitis and pneumonia and had to be restrained after going into distress mode from all that was happening to my body, apparently I smacked a few interns in the process    After another day in ICU and when I could say with certainty that it was 2010 and NOT 2002 I was moved to a private room on the neuro-surgical floor.  \
 
   For the next 5 days I gradually regained my breath and strength while completing a 7 day course of  2 IV antibiotics @ 8 hrs for 2 hrs at a time(w/ 1 being at 2am, so little hope of sleep).  My IV lines had to be changed so often that a team of nurses whose only job is to put in IVs when regular nurses can not had to come up and do their stuff.  I was given 1-2 shots a day in my stomach for blood thinners & if needeed for insulin. 
   
  Having lost so much time, it was hard for me to get a grip on all that was happening so I told one of the interns,DR Miller, that I was going to leave AMA, refusing to finish my antibiotics. After patiently listening to my fears etc he said "You know you don't have to stay in this room all day, you can walk around the hosp campus or go to Cox Hall ( a food court ) for a meal as long as you are back in time for your next round of antibiotics"  Well that was all I needed. I no longer felt trapped and knew I could hang in for a few more days.
   Now I'm home. I have balance probs, facial paralysis eye difficulties headaches & fatigue but @ day they get better and I can let a little more joy back into my life 
  I am truly grateful to all of you,
thanks, Sue

[cin605]

Wow Sue...That was some trip....Glad to hear you are at home and on the mend..take it easy ...rest...and try not to run over anyone while you are trying to walk and keep your balance...i remember doing everything so very fast..my sister was running to keep up w/ me when we went to appointments.. and my mom would stand in front of me when going down the stairs.One day.One Hour at a time.

[skamper]

Susan,
It is so great to hear from you and see that you are home and getting better everyday.  I thought of you so often after your first post saying things weren't well with you.  I've been praying and thinking about you everyday.  I'm glad to hear you are doing better and made it through everything.  I know this is not what you bargained for when signing up for all of this.  Things will get better and you are obviously a strong woman, hang in there.
I will continue to keep you in my prayers and think of you often.  I hope you have someone with you to help you out.
Take care of yourself and don't over do it.  Rest, rest, rest, walk when you can, and be sure to eat if possible.  I lived on jello, fruit, and sprite for my first month after surgery.  That was all I could handle.
Hugs to you 
Susan

[moe]

Sue,
So glad to hear that you are feeling a little better every day. That was definitely the weirdest post op course I have read about.
Talk about scary for your loved ones, and you kind of "slept" through it all.
Keep breathing (did you go home with the pretty ball thingy?-incentive spirometer)
I don't know why they call it that. It's not like it's your begging to use the thing!
Anyway, it is hard getting back to "normal" and you have the post op pneumonia, meningitis, so your fatigue is probably going to last longer.
So breathe deep, sleep, rest,walk- you know the routine
Maureen

[GramaSuby]

Weepy day today, missing my mom who would be at my side now, in spirit though I know (she died this yr in the recovery room).  Just realized that I cry w/ only half a face   Outside is so perfect. I'm going out to soak up a little sun for all who can't at the moment.
Thank you all who care and leave comments for me & are such a help in my recovery, I treasure them all.  
I'll be glad when I can pass it on for others.   Susan

[Lizard]

Sue,
You have been through a tough surgery with some hiccups, but you are on your way to recovery now!  Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.  We're here for you this forum has been my saving grace and I know I would be in a different place mentally if I weren't here.  Love this AN family 
Take care,
Liz

[CHD63]

Susan .....

After a particularly rocky post-op time, you sound like you are on the right track now ..... thank goodness ..... enough already.

Rest, rest, and walk as you are able (safely, of course).  The walking will speed your recovery, but listen to your body and rest as needed.

Thoughts and prayers.

Clarice

[leapyrtwins]

Sue -

I'm sorry you've had such a rough time of it but I'm hopeful that the worst is now over and that you'll make progress each and every day.

It's normal for some days to be one step forward and two steps back.  Listen to your body and do what it tells you to do. 

Recovery can be very frustrating, but I'm confident you'll get through this.

Prayers and hugs,

Jan

[GramaSuby]

  Hi all,
its been 2 wks since I got out of the hospital.  I'm doing okay now, just struggling w/ my dry eye, balance and facial paralysis and headaches when I get up too fast.   I guess the thing that keeps coming up is the 4+ days of lost memory from the time before I went into the OR on Thur morning until when I woke up in ICU Monday afternoon.  Even though my family said I was talking at times but usually confused there is nothing I can remember. It really bothers me.  Especially not remembering when I was pulling out my IVs and generally not being compliant.  I thought I would request my medical records and see how far that gets me.

[Lizard]

Great to hear you are feeling better, hopefully you get to the bottom of your "missing days".  I wouldn't worry too much, I can't say for sure but it sounds like your body almost went into some sort of trauma response.  Although it could have just been the drugs, to be honest I didn't remember the better part of 2 days while in ICU except for throwing up a lot...for some reason that sticks out in my mind 
Thanks for the update!
Liz

[GramaSuby]

Liz,
I would even take that as a positive


Sue

[moe]

  I'm doing okay now, just struggling w/ my dry eye, balance and facial paralysis and headaches when I get up too fast.         

  

That's all?! Sounds like you are doing better, the baby steps are just taking a little longer for you:)  Keep going at it easy, there is NO rush. Gentle walking, gentle everything, and don't forget your breathing exercises!

 The other thing about not remembering  the four days, maybe someone else will chime in. They probably had you sedated and on so many drugs, what with the meningitis and pneumonia, so it may not be unusual. The important thing is you are here now.
If it would ease your mind to get a copy of your records, go for it.

Continued gentle healing hugs,
Maureen