its been done

ok, ok, i know i've failed again at maintaining this blog, but, i did find another blog of sorts, written by a man who has lived in similiar circumstances that i am currently 'enjoying'.

life at the curb

oh wow i rememberesd how to link. i'll have to add that link to my list on the left/right, whichever side its on. heck, a link list may not even exist yet.

anyway. i found an article of his in 'the stroke connection' a semi regular 'magazize' that happened to be in my bathroom, and since it had directions to a website, i looked him up.

i have not yet reads all that is there, but i will, i may even try to contact him.

heh

so when we left off, i was out of the tub and in the ambulance? well somehow between the tub and the emergency room they managed to stick a cathiter in me. at the emergency room was when i either realized or remembered that i was quite hungry due to a nurse or such offering cookies to the ambulance guys. they both graciously refused and i offered to eat their share, but lil did i know that stroke victims dont get to eat right away upon entering the hospital. or drink.

my pop arrived not too long after i did. ok ok stop. i really dont remember the first few days at the first hospital. they did alot of tests and wouldn't feed me.

my friend, she was there 24/7 i think. she was always there when i woke and when i dozed off. my pop was there alot andothers 'visited'. some would call first and askif it was ok to come see me, since my brain was damaged and i was unable to process any data, that might lead me to decide to say ' no you cant come' and since i was hungry, i would almost always say "yes ofcourse you can come and please bring mr M&M's, fried fruit pies, and rc cola". my brother was the only one that heard that request, apparently.

i was in 3 different areas of the first hospital for various amounts of time

1. emergency room
2. imc - intermediate care. similiar to ICU.
3. recovery room(or you can leave once we get the $ from ur insurance room).

to quell/quench my thirst, my good dear friend would soak a paper towel with tap water and squeeze the water out over my open mouth. she showed my pop this trick and he would also help me this way.

i think i was there for 4 days before they fed me (meatloaf). now remember i was in that tub fer 3 days already, so i was rather starved after a week.

turns out they were concerned that my swallowing mechanisms in my throat were paralyzed and i would not be able to swallow correctly. their biggest fear was me getting liquid in my lungs and catching pneumonia. my biggest fear was starving to death.

twas me pop that pitched a bit of a fit that got them rolling in the direction to feed me. i had to take a 'barium test' which is swallowing this foul tasting goo while being xrayed. if the goo goes where it is supposed to go, i pass the test pass the test, i eat. i passed the test.

my friend fed me as both my arms were not moving in the beginning. lets see, in the beginning it was like this:
both arms, legs not moving
eyes not opening.
speech slurred.
not able to process data
could not turn my head to the left

i think they did 3 ct scans/mri's, or such plus some similiar type tests on my heart.

i was trapped. i could just barely scooch up or down in the hospital bed. i couldn't turn over and i recall 'needing' to turn over. one of the nurses on duty would turn me over on my side regulary and i fell in love with her for this. one time she left me turn over all the way on my stomach and i dont remember ever being more comfortable than at that moment. i suppose i was turned back over at some point but i dont rember it. she showed my friend how to safely turn me and i was set.

the tube stuck up thru my penis and beyond starting bothering me and becoming painful, so i bitched and moaned about it. so they decided to switch to a 'condom cathiter' which works similiar to the 'foley cath....' but much less evasive. two nurses under took the switcheroo. one was holding my hand and caressing my forehead and cheeks/face, while the other one yanked the tube out and told me to breath. i might had died had that second nurse not been there, im not sure, dont care to ever find out. then the yanker told the caresser, hand me the condom. then she yanked on me a bit and it appeared she was measuring me vs the condom, which was confirmed when i heard her say' no no, he needs the large one'. to think i might have missed that exchange had i insisted on being put under for the proceedure.
now this new urination aid was certainly bettre than the previous, but it too had its cons.

before i left there i was peeing in a plastic bottle, or on myself in a diaper. i'll spare you the details of the poop escapade.

eventually i was released from the first hospital and on my way to the rehab hospital which we will save for latre posts.