Dackel Princess

Happiness & Gratitude

It’s really wonderful when you meet a really nice person, who is willing to help you out with something important, and while speaking with this person, you realize how very much you have in common, and how happy you are to have met. Yvette was such a kind woman, who really wanted to help, and spent some of her own time today making sure at least part of my problem was taken care of.

You see, Monday found me with another problem with my PICC line. I needed to get an ultra sound done on the arm to see if there was a clot in the blood vessel.

There is and I need a new line, and so everyone, from my visiting nurse, to my doctor in Boston worked to get my local GP to write the order.

Hubby and I were informed by GP (here in New Hampshire) that he wouldn’t write the order. If I needed the new PICC line I could go to Boston. He did say however, if he spoke to the Boston Doctor, he would consider writing the order. But after he spoke to her, he still refused to write the order. So at 3:50 PM on Monday afternoon, I had no one to help me and nothing to do.

I would not give up. Now the really nice person (mentioned above), called his office and arranged for me to get a normal IV which I can use until Thursday, when Hubby will drive me to Boston to get my new PICC line put in.

But the really nice thing was meeting the Nurse, Yvette. A dachshund lover since her youth, she loved flipping through the pictures of the dachshunds and Lili and I even pulled up my Flickr Pictures, so she could see the baby pictures of Anneliese’s litter of four puppies. Oh, I love cell phones which allow you to show off your children, grandchildren, puppies and babies of all shaped and sizes!

Yvette was the highlight of my day. She helped to get an IV into me so I could continue to get my antibiotics infused, uninterrupted, and talking with her, was like talking to an old friend.

The Friday Five

After almost 4 weeks away from doing the Friday Five, I have so much that has happened that I am not sure where to start. Maybe with the highlights.

I’ve had two surgeries. One of February 16th and one on February 24th. I am hopeful that he spine surgery on the 16th was successful, at least it seems like it was, But the surgery on February 24th turns out to be the most important, as it was the one to remove the infection and save my life.
Sort of a funny thing. No one really considers that you go in for one surgery, and then you need another surgery that becomes more important in the grand scheme of things, it may be one that will save your life..
I’d made plans for after surgery one. I’ve learned you can make all the plans in the world, and then life steps in.
Several IV’s, a PICC line and more antibiotics than you can shake a stick at, and lots of naps. The road to recovery is not an easy one.
I also think, this recovery will be a long one!

TBT: Quinn Age 1

It seems impossible that the year has flown by and Quinn is now 1 year old! It seems like just yesterday, when Quinn came into this world. A sweet, fair-haired, blue eyed baby boy! And so beautiful!

Savannah holding her newborn baby brother!

And here he is now, a year later, so handsome, so sweet and adored by us all!

Collage courtesy of my daughter, Mandy!

Quinn’s Birthday & Food

I haven’t been doing very much since I got home. It’s a frustration for me and for Hubby, as neither on of us is used to having me sleeping, resting and not doing much.

Don’t get me wrong, Hubby is doing well with the laundry, cooking, cleanup and doggy stuff. But I think even he is a little sick of doing it all.

I have also had no appetite. Now this is great for a diet, but Hubby is concerned as I need protein, Vitamins, and fruits. I just don’t feel like it.

Hubby made Salisbury Steaks last night with mashed potato and wax beans. Hubby did a great job. Tonight he is cooking steak, baked potatoes and asparagus. I will only be able to eat small servings, but I bet it will taste good.

Yesterday was Quinn’s first birthday! Mandy sent me this great picture of Quinn enjoying his cake!

Happy Birthday, Darling Quinn!

The Healing Powers Of Flowers

I have always loved flowers. Since childhood, my favorites were the Lilacs, and yellow roses. The Lilac because of their amazingly sweet, almost perfume like scent, and yellow roses because of their sheer beauty.

Growing up, my Mom had one whole side of our fenced yard, covered with Lilac bushes. I recall sitting under the bushes, with my dog, and closing my eyes and getting lost in their scent!

A little later in my life I discovered something amazing! Yellow Roses! I do not know why they captured my heart and soul, but they did, as soon as I saw them.

Those were my two favorite flowers until this this year, when I was introduced to the Hyacinth. My daughter sent me a fabulous bouquet with Hyacinths in it. Not only were they beautiful to look at, but their scent far surpassed my beloved Lilac!

What a wonderful gift to receive while recovering from two surgeries and trying to getting my feet back under me!

You know what is really wonderful? How special, loved, and cared for one feels after getting such a gorgeous surprise gift! It picked up my spirits and made me feel better almost instantly!

And one note here, after their arrival, almost every Nurse on my floor came in once or twice each shift to smell them. I started to joke that the first sniff was free, but after that it was 25 cents per sniff!

I am home and the flowers are still beautiful, and I am slowly getting better. I swear that the healing powers of flowers are truly quite strong.

Thoughts On Being Sick

I was watching the TV yesterday, thinking about how long it will take to get better. Two major surgeries in a matter of a couple of weeks, and a deep infection. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it’s going to be a very long recovery time.

So, yesterday I kicked back a little and relaxed and rested for a large portion of the day. I find that if I want to take a good nap, I go into my room, lie down with my pillows, blankets and dachshunds, and turn on old TV Game Shows. The fake laugh tracks, and the silliness, puts me right to sleep! I was grateful to get two good naps in yesterday.

Last night, I slept well. I slept until 6:45 this morning, when the dogs got me up and at that point I said the heck with it, and after they all came in, I dressed and sat down with my coffee.

I am falling into a routine with the antibiotics and I am getting more confident with the sterilized equipment, and getting the antibiotics all into me at the correct times and then all the lines cleaned and sealed off until the next dose.

Hubby is doing well with the meals and the home clean up. Although I have to admit that my appetite is not very good. Tonight he wants to make Venison Salisbury Steaks, and since he is being so attentive, I will do my best to eat one.

I still have stitches and will until the 14th. That the day I go to get them out and to see the Infectious Disease doctors.

Time for me to hook up my IV’s! Happy Sunday!

Infections

I went to Boston for the cervical spine surgery on February 16th. All seemed to be well and I went home on the 20th. Although I felt tired, and had some pain, I was not having the terrible pre-surgery pain. I was excited to have the surgery over and done with and be back home.

Life was good, and although the incision area was sore and swollen, I chose to believe that this was normal and I was recovering.

Then, on the morning of February 24 I felt quite ill. When I woke up, I remember feeling slightly dizzy, but by 11 o”clock I really felt ill. I decided to lie down for a nap, but Hubby noticed my incision was draining a terrible smelling, white, yellow, green color discharge. I called the doctor, emailed pictures, and was told to come right down to Boston.

Hubby drove me down to the city, and at 9:30 PM the doctors operated on me to clean and remove all infection. It was bad, very bad. It was also a long surgery and I did not get to a room until 2:30 in the morning!

The Infectious Disease department became involved and antibiotics were found to treat me. Trying to find an antibiotic or two or three proved to be a challenge. In the end, I did find two that are strong and are working.

I was inpatient for six days, before I was released to come home. Now I am on two different antibiotics that must be given through an IV for 4- 6 weeks and then orally for 2 months.

I have learned to do the infusions and that is not too bad, but they tell me it will be a while until I get better. A long slow road to recovery.

In the end, I am just very lucky they caught the infection so early!

News

Dear Friends, I am back in the hospital. I have an infection and needed emergency surgery and now IV antibiotics.

I may not be writing as much, but I will do what I can.

Hospital Food Roulette

It’s hard to believe that some of the easiest and best comfort food can be destroyed by improper cooking. I’m not talking about burning it, but I am talking about the recipe.

Now take macaroni and cheese. That’s pretty simple. Cooked elbow pasta, a creamy, cheesy, bechamel, type sauce, and served nice and warm. Oh goodness, one could curl up with a bowl of that and just recover from anything.

The hospital’s version stirred in bread crumbs (whole wheat!) and broiled every last bit of moisture out of it! I wanted to cry.

Likewise, imagine my horror when I ordered a big chocolate chip cookie and it was made with whole wheat flour. Now no person in their right mind, while recovering from major surgery wants a tasteless cookie like that.

I ordered hard cooked eggs and was shocked when they actually arrived in their shells! They were hard cooked, but I was too weak to open them!

I also tried for a blueberry muffin. What could they do to that? Yep, completely whole wheat, almost no blueberries, and dry as burnt toast! Ugh!

The nurses kept harping at me that I needed to eat something, over and over again, and I sure would have, if they had provided me with something, anything, that was edible!

On my last day I ordered french toast and there were four half slices of dried out wheat blandness!

I had tried almost all items and simply lost, at Hospital Food Roulette!

A Shower!

Have you ever not been able to shower? I don’t mean voluntarily, like when you go camping, but like, can’t shower because it is forbidden?

Ugh! Yes, from the day after surgery (last Thursday) until Tuesday I was forbidden to shower. On Tuesday I took a short shower, and that felt so nice. However, I was not steady on my feet and so I kept it quick, and was in and out pretty darn fast!

Today I feel pretty good on my feet and it is time for me to shower again. Then I need to ice down the incision. That thing makes me look like the Hump Back of Notre Dame’s ugly sister! You should see the surgical sight and all the swelling! Thus, the ice will be applied off and on today.

I know that once the swelling goes down, I will look more normal, but for right now, I am not looking like myself at all. Oh and here is a funny thing. My whole neck is swollen, thus making me look like a lady wrestler!

Anyway, back to the shower. I plan a long, warm, soapy, shower, where I actually shampoo and condition my hair. Life will be so good after my shower. And after lunch, it’s time for my second favorite thing…a nap!