Heartbreak Hotel

6 nights and 7 days accommodations at the all inclusive University of Arizona hospital. It wasn't a cheap getaway but what I gained is priceless...

After the Ross Procedure was finished I was spoiled in the ICU. Everything was monitored and I felt protected. As I noted in my last post day 1 was pretty much a blur. I came to realize on day 2 that I did not realize on day 1 the simple fact that I had ultimately survived and had safely returned from the "nothingness" of surgery anesthesia. I will blame them pesky tubes and the morphine for my lack of acknowledgement for that blessing.

Day 2 (Saturday) became a treasure hunt of sorts. I knew about the two IV's in my arm, who could forget, and it was expected that I would have a large incision on my chest covering my broken sternum and newly stitched heart valves, but what were these other devices stuck inside of me? Here is what I found:

• not one, but two IV's in my neck: evidently one is a catheter that monitors how well the blood is flowing through my heart. So grateful those went in while I was knocked out.... there is NO way they would have succeeded if I were awake. Not happenin'!!
• catheter: this I did not mind because I didn't have to get up to pee.
• drainage tube: this tube protruded out of my stomach- about an inch below the bottom of the main incision. Pretty gross, but necessary to get all the extra fluid out.
• oxygen: this I liked. Pure, fresh oxygen delivered straight to my nose via lightweight plastic tubing. A breath of fresh air!!
•  A pulse monitor clipped to my finger. conveniently located on the same side as the IV's- who needs to bother using a left arm anyway??
• Electrodes: these I did not know I had until the doctor came and took them out on day 3. Here is their description- The Electrode-Set is a temporary cardiac pacing wire used to treat arrhytmias during and after open heart surgery. It consists of a twisted stainless steel, multistrand wire partially insulated with a sheath of blue or white polyethylene. Obviously they did not bother me while they were in, but taking them out..... ewwww!
• my heart pillow: not a device, but nevertheless it stayed attached to me. Remember how thirsty I felt? Well the first night out of sheer desperateness to quench my thirst I sucked down more apple juice than I should have. Tiny sips and pieces of crushed ice had been all I could tolerate, but I was so thirsty!! Two minutes later my stomach revolted against the advance of the apple juice. It came back up surrendering peacefully, not like a stomach flu heave, and covered my entire pillow in second hand apple juice. Needless to say the nurse replaced the soiled pillow with a fresh, identical one.

the nurses insisted that I go for a walk. With wires, drainage fluid and the mega-monitor in tow, I cruised the halls of the ICU in the hybrid walker wheelchair.

as expected I was awesome (haha) and when I returned to my room I lounged in the chair for a bit.

then I took a nap....

Day 3 & 4 (Sunday and Monday)

Sunday night I managed to eat half of a grilled cheese, up until then I just wanted to quench my thirst and let my throat heal from the irritation of the awful tubes. My parents and the kids flew home Sunday night, I would miss them but I wasn't exactly a ball of fun. I was just grateful they could be with me through those first difficult days. The nurses took out the arterial IV in my arm and the catheter, so now I had to get up to pee. Dr.Teodori and his partner Dr. Ross paid a visit and decided to take out the drainage tubes and electrodes. There was no special protocol, I simply sat in the chair while he pulled them out. Mind you I was not fully aware of the electrodes even existing and when he pulled I could feel them slinking through my cells like one of those alien worms that you see in the movies crawling under the skin of it's victim. Next was the tube, it was like pulling out the alien worm's supreme leader, all bulgy and plump fighting it's way through my fat cells. Once it was out Dr.Teodori pulled shut the wound with the pre-fab stitch that was strategically placed there awaiting this time. Finally, it was time to eradicate the nuisances in my neck. I had to lie down flat while they were pulled out and the nurse had to hold pressure there for 15 minutes to ensure that it closed up ok and I didn't bleed all over the place. Slowly but surely over those two days I had become almost tube and wire free!!


My dad and me. Is he napping or seriously bored??

The downside of freedom was my transfer to a humdrum average recovery room. I crossed my fingers that it would be full and I would be able to stay nestled in my security blanket, the ICU, a wee bit longer. No such luck! Late Monday afternoon my gurney was rolled out of the ICU and into reality. The only device that remained was my ordinary IV and when I arrived I was hooked up to a wireless EKG machine that monitored my heart. That first night I was lucky to have an empty bed on the other side of the curtain but that wouldn't last.....

Day 5, 6 & 7
(Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)

By now being a hospital patient had lost it's luster. Unlike the ICU, over here I had to swallow pills, have my blood pressure taken at all hours, be woken up early to be weighed, have blood drawn, and take a water pill early in the morning, then go back to sleep only to have my bladder wake me begging for release. It was alot of work.



Jason would accompany me as I walked the halls, by now I'm a pro and need nothing more than my pillow to make the trek. We even got permission to leave the floor and dine in the cafeteria- a treat when you have been corraled up in a hospital room. The prognosis was good that I would be checking out on Wednesday, the nurse even had the paperwork ready. Dr. Teodori came by to evaluate my condition, thought my lungs still sounded a little wet, and determined that I would need to stay for one more day. Bummer.
Thursday morning became Thursday afternoon and Jason and I waited with bated breath for Dr. Teodori to arrive and give us good news about leaving. He and Dr. Burt finally stopped by around 5pm. I passed the test and was cleared to leave. It was bittersweet though. I felt I would loose my mind and go stir crazy if I had to spend another second there BUT I enjoyed the secure feeling I had with the doctors and nurses monitoring me.

 



Finally leaving! Thank you Dr. Teodori & Dr. Burt!!

Then I was out.
We spent that night at the hotel. It wasn't so bad on the outside. I did just fine.
Now we just had to focus on getting home.....