Category: Jack

This is Hubby’s full time nurse, “Greta Garbo“.

She works overtime right now trying to make her Daddy feel better. What a girl!

Last night I went to bed at 8:30 and slept until 1:30 when Greta wanted to go out, then we checked on Hubby, took his temperature and then went back to bed. I then slept until 6:15! This was so good. I really needed the sleep.
I don’t think Hubby is much better this morning. He still has a high fever and is in a lot of pain. He doesn’t have much of an appetite, although yesterday he did enjoy my blueberry muffins, and I gave him more of those again at breakfast.
I have finally gotten Hubby’s blood sugar down and I am happy about that. I do wish his fever and pain levels would fall, and that he would feel better. I worry so much about him.
My knee is very sore since Fritz knocked me down. Hubby says I should wear a knee brace on it. I think I should listen to him. After all he is the Knee man in this house!
I set up the old laptop in the guest room and installed Hubby’s e-mail address on it, so he can get all his e-mail and also browse the Internet while he is in bed. He’s looked at it some, but mostly he just wants to sleep.
It’s snowing here today! Go figure. It wasn’t even forecast for the area.
Come on! I just want warmth and sunshine!

Hubby isn’t doing very well. His fever has been going up and down and up and down. Each time it goes down I start to feel encouraged, then it goes back up and I start to worry all over again.
He is weak as a kitten and not eating very well. Try as I might I cannot seem to relax. I just want to have him get well and feel better.
I changed his dressings today and I didn’t like the looks of things. So we went over the list of RED FLAGS the doctor gave us. Fever, chills, swelling, redness and discharge from the wound. We had four of the five so Hubby called and the doctor called him back. He told Hubby to chill out totally for the next 24 hours and he would call him in the morning. We are all worried that it’s a more serious infection than originally thought.
So Hubby is asleep, wrapped in a pile of blankets. I keep taking his temperature and making him drink. Right now, it’s about all I can do. I really hope they do not have to put him back in the hospital.

The Stone Mason began to dismantle the fireplace today. They took away a few stones and immediately began to find the faulty workmanship that has lead to the cracking of the stones and mortar. We’re so lucky to have found S. He is a great mason and such a nice guy.

Well, keep your fingers crossed for Hubby. The poor guy has been through enough. Time for the antibiotics to work and for him to feel better!

Okay, so what happened to the old adage, “Nice guys finish first?” Or at least don’t get run down, while trying to be a good guy!
My day started at 6 this morning, running back and forth from the kitchen to the guest room, getting everything that Hubby needs. It was actually 8 o’clock before I had my first sip of coffee, and then I set down my cup and forgot where I’d put it until much later when it was stone cold.
The stone mason came today to bring supplies. We have to have a large portion of our fireplace ripped out and rebuilt due to faulty workmanship. This will require a lot of jack hammering to remove the stone on the front.
The visiting nurse arrived at lunchtime and proceeded to just about kill Hubby trying to get a blood sample. It was supposed to be an easy procedure with a simple stab of the finger, but after three attempts and failures, Hubby opted for an old fashioned blood test.
Next came my foray to the Post Office in the rain. I don’t melt, so this is not really a problem, but having a lady drive by my very fast and splash me, was a problem, and I felt quite put upon.
When the Physical Therapist arrived I started down the hallway to open the door when I was knocked down by Mr. Fritz! Right down onto my left knee! If I could have reached that darn dog, I would have…….. well, never mind now, he is very fast (lucky for him!).
The Physical Therapist arrived at dinner time and did her assessment of Hubby’s abilities. She examined our shower (why, oh why, didn’t I clean the shower this morning?) measured Hubby’s flexibility (nil), before making another appointment for tomorrow.
I served up the home made chicken soup I’d been working on all day and now I am just sitting here doing nothing for a while.
Hmmm, that’s so nice!

I got the call early this morning.
“Come get me!”
I jumped in the shower, dressed and was out the door in a split second!
He is very weak, very tired and still in a lot of pain, but he is so happy to be home!
He does have a small infection in the incision of his knee. So they put him on antibiotics. His temperature was normal last night and this morning, but he wasn’t in the house an hour before he spiked a 101.7 fever. I’ve gotten it down to 101.1 with the acetaminophen in the Vicodan, but I am watching him like a hawk.
Mostly, he wants to sleep. So I put the doggy gate in the guest room door, so I can hear him and yet the two dogs can’t go in and attack him with “love”!
They both went crazy when they saw Hubby. I had pulled the car into the garage, and come up and put Fritz outside and Greta in her crate. Then I helped Hubby up the stairs into the house. He sat down with the walker in front of him. Then I opened the door and the crate and all doggy heck broke loose!
It really is wonderful to have him home and hopefully this little infection will disappear with the antibiotics. The visiting nurse should be by tomorrow and then we will get on her schedule for the next couple of weeks.

The pathology report came back on Hubby’s cysts. It’s great news. All was benign!!! Yahoo!!!
Of all the things I worried about, this was probably the one thing I feared the most. I spoke to him last night and I was feeling very positive about his coming home, but he felt so tired, he was feeling like they might want to keep him another day. I just bet he gets sprung today!
Meanwhile, I need to finish up with the work around here that I should have done last night, but blew off in favor of just vegetating in my chair in front of the fireplace. Oh my, it felt so good to be home!

I’m home. Thank goodness. I was starting to go just a little crazy over there. Unfortunately Hubby was running a temperature today and the doctor didn’t want to send him home. Hubby was very disappointed. Me too. However, I came back myself, went to the Post Office and got our mail, went grocery shopping, and have gotten beds made and the throw rugs pulled up. Everything is ready for his return.
About three, Hubby’s fever broke! Good news!!! So, I am thinking tomorrow I will be able to bring him home. Yay Team!!!
I’m planning another early night, so I can catch up on my rest. But soon, my sweetie will be home and life won’t be quite so tough. (Right?)

Talk about a boring day. Where is the controversy? Where is the ineptitude that would cause me to rant and rave? Where is something for me to just plain complain about?
Hubby has been sleeping most of the day. He has had brief periods of wakefulness where they torture him with physical therapy, and then they give him the pain medications and off to sleep he goes!
I have called everyone I can think of, I have written several letters, I have crocheted until my fingers ached and watched my share of TV.
Yes, I am bored.
I thought about going out into the hall and pretending to have a broken leg. However, I decided that this probably wasn’t a good thing to do as one flight down is the psych unit.
I thought I’d go out and shop and spend a lot of money that I don’t have, but the thought of the credit card bills coming in at the end of the month left me feeling quite nauseated.
So I sat staring out the window, watching the snow melt. Now there is a real thrilling thing to do.
I’m actually only staying until 5 tonight as there is a tropical tasting party over at the food co-op. I thought that instead of having a formal dinner, I would simply go over there and graze.
After that I plan an evening of TV, sleep and more sleep before I hopefully bring Hubby home tomorrow.
His doctor hasn’t shown up yet, but everyone seems to think he will be going home tomorrow. Oh please, oh please! I want to go home.
I’m just not sure I could face another boring day!

******************
The doctor was late, so I missed being able to graze at the co-op. Shucks! And he says that the chances of Hubby actually coming home tomorrow are not very good. I, however, am going to go home with the doggies and prepare for the “Master’s” return!
Boy, am I tired!

I talked to Hubby about 7:45 last night and he was in terrible pain. I encouraged him to call the nurse and ask for two pain pills. Then I decided that I needed to lie down and sleep. So I did. I slept until 10, woke, walked the dogs and then came back in, checked my e-mail and then went back to sleep. I slept until 2, when Greta woke me up. Time to commune with nature. So we went for a nice middle of the night walk with Fritz. (He may be a wuss, but he is big and I feel safe with him!).
I came in and called the nurse’s station to see how Hubby had done during the evening. The pain pills hadn’t gotten the pain under control, so they had to call the doctor to get a different medication prescribed. I guess he also had a lot of additional swelling, so they have iced the knee. And his blood sugar is sky high, (260) so they have given him more insulin. Both regular and long acting. They have called for a diabetic consult.
Once I have had breakfast I will go right in. He seems to do better when I am there. Maybe because I don’t let the pain get too bad before I tell the nurses to bring him some meds. I’d go now, but I think we both need more sleep.
It’s supposed to be a really warm day today. This is good for the two dogs who sit so patiently in the car. I try to make it out to them every three hours. We walk, they drink and then I go back in, but I think the whole thing has been very hard on them. For the next knee operation I think I will have my neighbor take care of them. Greta won’t be in heat, and it will be better for them, and for me.
Okay, a little tea and then some more sleep.

I got called at 7:15 by Hubby who was very upset and wanted me to come right away. He was hungry and tired and when he rang for help from the nurses no one came. So off I went to the rescue!
I arrived and I went in there with my whip and quickly had the nursing staff begging for mercy. I got Hubby food, pain medication and the full undivided attention of the nursing staff.
My motto: Don’t mess with the big Dackel Mama! (Not unless you want to get bit in the butt!)

Hubby got his IV out, and they came in and changed the knee dressing, so I got my first good look at the incision. I am going to put the pictures on the extended entry so if anyone gets queasy they do not have to look.
His doctor came in and showed us the x-rays from before the surgery and then after. Amazing! he is pleased with Hubby’s progress and if all goes well, Hubby will come home on Saturday! Yippee!!!
Physical Therapy came by and tortured him and they were really pleased with all the muscle work that Hubby did to prepare for the surgery.
All in all, I think today was a better day than yesterday.
After I had dinner with Hubby, I came back to the motel with the doggies and we are going to have a nice early night of snuggling.

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