Thanks for all the good wishes! The surgery was scheduled for 4:30 pm on Monday, but due to another emergency surgery, they didn't get to me until 8:00. I didn't get to my room until 10:00 pm. Yesterday I spent all day dozing in the bed, woozy from the drugs. Re icing the foot: they sent me home with this very clever device. It's a small ice chest and two tubes run out of the side of it. They connect to connectors at the top of my cast that lead to some plastic bags at the incision site. When you plug in the ice chest a motor intermittently circulates the ice water to the incision site. Way cool. The doc said just to keep it plugged in and hooked up all the time that I'm sitting down. It helps with the pain and the swelling. Other than that, the ankle hurts like the fires of hell.
I'm taking vico-profen for pain (the ibuprofen version of vicodin-- I can't take tylenol) and something else that I've never heard of: hydroxyzine pamoate. Any of the BB's medical personnel ever hear of that?
BF brought me home to his mom's apt yesterday evening-- still here. I'd like to stay here as long as possible. It's very convenient. She's very gracious and glad to have me. The fact that he is taking care of both of us will likely compound the problem of his identifying me with her. Oh well. I think the "romantic" side of our R is kaput anyway, so what the heck.
I'm veeeerrrryyyy sleepy at the moment, so will sign off for now. More later...
Lil, I am glad the surgery is ( finally!) over and you are resting comfortably. The ice contraception sounds very cool ( notice the pun...heehee); I wish I had that. I remember desperately needing the ice, and was told in the hospital to ice as often as I can.
Back in the day, I remember using hydoxyzine in injection from, along with demerol, for pain. The hydroxyzine potentiates the effect of the narcotic( demerol)...maybe it does this in pill form and with vicodin as well.
Thanks for checking in...don't worry about the bf stuff, just get some good rest. Let me know if you find any good novels out there.
they sent me home with this very clever device. It's a small ice chest and two tubes run out of the side of it. They connect to connectors at the top of my cast that lead to some plastic bags at the incision site. Cool. It solves the problem of too much or too little coldness.
When I had my back surgery in 1981, the guy in the bed next to me (same type of surgery as mine) had a water-heated mattress that inflated-deflated and circulated warm water. I also saw the same type of matters used in convalescent/nursing homes.
Pumps, heat, ice, and medical devices. I am glad to hear you have some of the best equipment.
Sorry to hear the pain is so high. I was going to offer my pain meds (-2 pills) but it contains acetaminophen.
Let bf take care of you Lil. Like you said so what the heck but you never know what the outcome will be.
Thanks for posting. I was concerned about how you were doing.
I remember using hydoxyzine in injection from, along with demerol, for pain. The hydroxyzine potentiates the effect of the narcotic( demerol)...maybe it does this in pill form and with vicodin as well.
Actually, RJ, this is exactly what the doc said, now that I can remember... Doctor Journey... has a nice ring!
Bf is tending the ice contrapion very faithfully. It goes through ice like a hot knife though butter-- 30 lbs since I got here last night. That doesn't faze him-- he's just going out to buy bigger ice chests. I was worried that the ice would melt in the ice chests, but I'm using it so fast, it doesn't have a chance to.
The ice water pump does indeed sound way cool. Why they didn't integrate it with some freezer coils/compressor unit so that you don't have to keep feeding it ice makes me wonder, but I'm sure it's a lot cheaper that way.
You'll be up and dancing the horah before you know it.
True... but supplying it with 30-40 pounds of ice every day is energy-consuming, too.
I've figured out a way that I can make this relationship work: I stay drugged. I feel mellow. Nothing bothers me. I sleep a lot. I feel happy. I'm so mellow that I don't do anything to annoy him.
Kidding aside, it is a lot easier with me here in the apt. I can see that he is occupied every minute of the day taking care of her stuff. It really takes me back to my days with my late H, when literally every bit of my energy was directed at making sure he was okay.
I'm reading our latest book club book, which I think MANY of you would enjoy (especially RJ and Mojo) called "The Last of Her Kind." It's about the sixties and the shift in the country's consciousness that happened then. People spend a lot of time being drugged and taking drugs (which I didn't, but the mood was contagious), and the state I'm in kind of reminds me of that.
Right now, at this moment, everything is okay. What more can one ask?
they sent me home with this very clever device. It's a small ice chest and two tubes run out of the side of it. They connect to connectors at the top of my cast that lead to some plastic bags at the incision site. When you plug in the ice chest a motor intermittently circulates the ice water to the incision site. Way cool.
This sounds like it could somehow be incorporated into one of those hats that holds 2 beers with the straws coming down to your mouth...if somehow we could get this contraption to mount on one's back like a back pack....{man I miss beer...please Doctor RJ ! just one ? ...I'll forever be indebted to you if you someday say it's ok BTW...I'm not done with you yet, just been very busy of late }
Auntie Lil, Great to have you back and so glad to hear the surgery went well. You got bumped for an emergency surgery...WTF? What could be more important than getting our Lil taken care of Wow ! You, RJ, and I with the metal plates in our ankles! I've seen a model of what's going in my leg when the time comes...hell I'm gonna have metal salvage yards salivating and patiently awaiting my demise
Ok, I gotta go..I've got a hot movie date with 2 gorgeous blonds....my baby girls
BTW...I'm not done with you yet, just been very busy of late 
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