Real quick-like

Hi everyone!  I can't sit upright for very long, so this is a short one.  First, THANK YOU for all the support.  It's been rough, the hospital stay was very rough, but it gets better every day.

here's a list of a few ideas i had to tell people if they ask about the huge row of staples:

• they've implanted government secrets into my brain, a place Russia would never look
• i am now a robot
• they took out some memories and hid them in someone else's brain (FRINGE anyone?)
• turned my back to Zorro (never ever turn your back on Zorro)

thanks again for all the well wishes.  this will be a long road to recovery, but it absolutely helps to have all your support.

my blogging husband.  He's such a trooper!

releeeeease meeee...

remember that awesome line from independence day?  when the alien plasters the scientist up against the glass wall and speaks through him because he wants out of the lab?  yeah.  amy totally did that to one of the nurses yesterday and it seems to have worked.  she's free of the confines of hospital, the smell of a sterile environment, an open-backed gown, a weird liquid diet, and various tubes.

yesterday around noon one of the surgeon assistants came in the room to talk to amy about how she was feeling.  amy was pretty upbeat, and i think the assistant caught on quick.  after a few minutes of conversation, the assistant determined that amy was fit for discharge.  a few of the nurses gathered the necessary paperwork while amy was given the after care instructions.  by 3PM we were on our way down the hallway, out of the hospital, and into the beautiful milwaukee sun.

we decided to take the scenic route back to the hotel, following lake shore drive right along the coast of lake michigan.  if you've never experienced the wealth of coastal lake michigan homes, it's pretty awe-inspiring.  the homes are giant;  large gates, brick or stone sided, beautifully maintained yards with huge fountains.  i had to ask myself where these people had gotten their wealth.  medical community?  old brewery money?  by now we were roughly halfway home, and the excitement of being out of the hospital and not laying down constantly caught up with amy.  not to mention the lousy road conditions out here.  every road seems to need repair.  at any rate, amy started getting a headache, so, when we returned i helped her lay down for a nap (plus the meds).

after a few hours of rest we decided to have dinner.  while dad and i picked up the food, amy was able to take a shower.  mom helped wash her hair (i'm sure all of the lady readers understand why this is so important, given it had been a few days).  after dinner amy took turns between lying flat, sitting up, and walking around a little bit.  we even took a few photos to document her incision.  i'm not sure if the photo really does it justice, but it is quite an impressive piece of work that dr. heffez pulled off.

probably pretty obvious why the patients that have gone through the procedure call themselves, "zipper heads", eh?

amy ended up laying down for the night around 9PM.  throughout the night i would hear her stir, and would check to see how she was doing.  her pain comes and goes, so we medicate accordingly.  amy is anxious to get up and do the things she normally does.  today she woke up, ate breakfast, and took the time to shave her legs.  then, we went out and sat by the pool at the hotel for about an hour.  but of course, with that activity, comes headaches.  i think it's a fine balance of walking, sitting, standing, or lying down.  i imagine that the headaches will be less frequent as her body gets used to the idea of recovery and not lying down for hours on end.

right now she is lying next to me on the bed, asleep.  over the next couple of days we'll monitor her recovery, and try to make a plan for the most comfortable flight home possible.

times are changin'

you guessed it, another jeff blog on amy's behalf.


first, don't get used to reading my blogs online.  this is a lot of work, and i'm surprised people voluntarily sign up for it.  second, the post was delayed this morning because we've actually had quite a bit of activity.  so, to begin.

yesterday was a step in the right direction, as it relates to amy's recovery.  in the early afternoon the nursing staff began elevating her to about 40 degrees (by 4PM or so).  after that, they were able to remove a couple of the IV lines that she was using, and have tapered back on some medications.  the greatest change of yesterday involved wheeling amy out of the ICU, and onto the 7th floor.  her new room is more private, with a real closing wood door, a large armchair that reclines, a private bathroom, sink, and TV.  because the room is on the 7th floor, it has a beautiful view of lake michigan and the east side of milwaukee (hopefully see attached photo...we're trying to get that included).

amy spent the majority of the early evening resting in her bed, drifting in and out of sleep.  the big news came when amy's new nurse, donna, helped her get to her feet and sit in a chair for the first time since the operation.  amy seemed to stand up pretty easily.  donna told amy that she only wanted her to sit for about 10 minutes, then it was back to the bed.  amy was able to stand up on her own, then sat down with ease.


for the first time amy was able to eat "real food" post surgery.  amy ate a fruit plate and a blueberry muffin.  it was great to see her actually sit up and eat.  she was able to watch TV briefly (seinfeld of course), and ultimately fell asleep once the sun set and her room was dark.  i sat next to her in the armchair playing my video games and occupying myself with movies until she was asleep.  once she looked like she was comfortable, i closed my eyes and drifted off too.


throughout the night we both woke from time to time, amy sometimes asking for pain meds or another pillow.  around 7:15AM we woke to the sound of the phone ringing.  i answered it, and spoke with someone from the food service.  i ordered amy's breakfast and chatted with her for a few minutes.


while we were waiting for her food, stephanie with physical therapy stepped into the room and spoke with amy.  stephanie helped amy get into the armchair.  stephanie set a goal of getting amy to walk out of the room and into the nursing area.  amy stood up, paused for a moment, and told stephanie that she felt light-headed (probably a combination of lying down for hours and no food in her belly).  amy took a break, walked a bit more, then returned to her bed.  it was fantastic.  i helped amy finish her breakfast, then she brushed her teeth (another notable moment).


around 9AM amy was met by an occupational therapist, betty.  betty went through a series of questions with her, then helped her with some basic hygiene (washed her face, etc.).  while amy was meeting with betty, i stepped out to get some breakfast of my own.  i went outside and sat in the grass on the front lawn of the hospital.  it was (and still is) beautiful outside.  probably 75 degrees out, low humidity, some cloud cover.  i try not to tell amy these things...she doesn't need to hear how nice it is when she's confined to a air-conditioned hospital room.


when i returned to the room amy was ready to make some more significant changes.  by now her parents had returned (they brought me breakfast).  amy's new nurse (laurie) removed her IV and her catheter.  that may have been amy's favorite event of the morning.  then, her mom helped her with changing out of the lousy hospital gown and into some more familiar clothing.


as i'm writing this amy is taking another break, lying down.  she just opened a package from a close family friend (thanks barb), revealing an oven mitt fashioned after the great state of michigan.  

today may be a bit more boring for amy, as she seems to be a bit more awake and less medicated.  the last couple of days she's been very drowsy from meds, and has spent a lot of time in and out of sleep.  maybe today she'll spend some time just watching the DVD's that she brought.  

more to come...

a change in elevation

yet another entry on amy's behalf...

it is somewhat ironic that the people from washington, land of mountains, are excited about a change in elevation.  especially considering that we are in wisconsin.  i'm not sure people in wisconsin have any idea what a mountain looks like.  although, this is a different kind of elevation.  lately the discussion surrounding amy's recovery has turned to how soon we can begin elevating her from 180 degrees to 90 degrees.

as of right now, she's been lying totally flat since the procedure.  that was some time around noon on monday.  that means at noon today, she will have been flat on her back for 48 hours.  you can probably imagine how miserable that is.  the nursing staff plans to begin elevating her about 10 degrees every hour until she is sitting up.  i'm not sure when that will begin, though.

otherwise, amy has been sleeping a little more consistently.  her pain is primarily in her head, between where the incision was made, and general headaches.  she's mentioned that her back, shoulders and torso are sore.  hopefully that will go away quickly once she is able to shift her body weight and sit up.  the nurses tell us that amy is doing really well, given the fact that she has been able to monitor and control her nausea.  amy may get angry that i mention it, but she hasn't vomited yet...which apparently is pretty remarkable.  she's drinking water and juice when she wants, but needs help doing so.

mom spent a lot of time with amy yesterday while us boys took a break and went to a brewers baseball game.  she mentioned that amy laid quietly while she read to her.  mom said that at one point she thought amy was asleep because she had closed her eyes and was breathing so quietly.  then, amy broke the silence by saying, "this sucks".  those are probably the two most insightful words that have been spoken all week.

dad ended up staying with amy all night last night.  when we came in this morning to relieve him he looked tired.  i'm guessing he didn't get a whole lot of sleep in these lousy chairs, either.  ben leaves this afternoon to head back to work.  it's been good having him here.  i think amy really likes having ben around, he lifts her spirits with their inside jokes.

i suppose that's about all the news i can muster right now...not a whole lot of change.  the nursing staff continues to rotate and take care of amy, although i still think katie is my favorite nurse for amy.  she seems to be the most in tune with what amy needs.

thanks again for all the kind support.

ghostwriter

while amy rests, i figured i'd post something on her blog for anyone that may be interested in a general breakdown of yesterday's activities.

the day has come and gone.

yesterday we arrived at the hospital at about 5:45am to check in.  amy was a little nervous, but carried her self with a strong sense of determination to get the procedure done.  by 7am we were sitting in a small room, surrounded by various specialists, assistants and nurses.  some were taking vitals, others were hooking amy up with electrodes, one discussed anesthesia with her, and everyone made her spell her entire name and date of birth (like 5 times over).

by 7:30 dr. chase (anesthesiologist) was giving amy the magic cocktail that would put her out.  he said it would be like she had a couple of margaritas.  by the looks of it, i'd say it was a little stronger than any margaritas i've ever made.  amy was in good spirits, primarily thanks to dr. chase.  he was good-humored and very clear about his role in the procedure.  i think he made some very comforting remarks that helped bring some peace to amy's mind.  at any rate, amy was wheeled out of that room shortly thereafter (already sedated and slurring her speech), and disappeared down an unfamiliar hallway.

then, we waited.

mom, dad, ben and i went to a family waiting room and waited to hear from staff.  ben taught me to play gin and gin rummy.  by the end of the day i think i cleared most of my debt, probably owing him about 35 cents (a point is worth a penny).

around 10:30am dr. heffez (the great brain surgeon) stepped into the waiting room.  for anyone that is unfamiliar with the doctoral abilities vs. bedside manner discussion, this interaction was a classic illustration of that.  the dr. simply said that amy did "very well".  he simply stood there and looked at us.  amy's dad asked if there were any surprises.  dr. heffez responded with, "no surprises."  i think he made a parting comment about when we could expect to see her, then stepped out.

i suppose this is a topic for a separate blog, but i have no issues with dr. heffez's brevity.  i'd rather have the best operating surgeon working on my wife, with no real "personal skills", than a doctor who can make me laugh and is mediocre.  in either regard, amy was now resting in a different area of the hospital.  we would wait about another two hours before seeing her.

around 12:30 we went to the ICU to see amy.  now, she won't know until she reads this, but i about passed out when i saw her laying there in the bed.  she had (or has) several tubes running into her arms, IV's, oxygen, antibiotics, machines humming, buzzing, beeping, leftover iodine scrub on the back of her neck, and a weary look on her face.  she greeted us with a joke, of course, then told the nurse that she couldn't muster the energy to say what she had originally wanted to say to me.  apparently she and her nurse (katie) had plotted to play the amnesia game with me.  she said she wanted to say "who are you?"  when i came in.  hilarious amy.  hilarious.

i've never seen my wife in this kind of significant pain, nor have i seen her in a state of complete dependency like yesterday.  it wasn't easy.  although, similarly to how she has carried her self over the past 5-6 years, amy is pushing through it.  this is clearly the most miserable phase of the treatment.  amy will have to lay flat on her bed for roughly 24-36 hours post surgery.  after that, she can begin sitting up in increments of 10 degrees (to balance the pressure in her neck and head).  hospital staff says that she will spend a total of 2 days or so in ICU, at which point she will be transferred to a recovery ward (provided everything goes well).

the family and i have taken turns just sitting with amy, passing time by simply watching her breathe, reading a book, chatting with her, or feeding her ice.  her nurse told her last night that she may be able to handle jello this morning.  as i'm writing this amy is (or appears to be) resting peacefully.  that really eases my mind.  yesterday seemed to be an inconsistent dance between sleep and restlessness.  the poor girl was drugged, teetering on the edge of sleep, but couldn't stay asleep.  i stayed here over night with amy to make sure i was available if she needed anything.  i ended up nodding off a few times in the world's most uncomfortable chairs.  although, if the nurse came in i woke up.

i think the family will come relieve me some time in the next couple of hours.  they will sit with amy while i go back to the hotel to catch up on sleep.

so then.

to everyone that has sent their well-wishes, thoughts and prayers, thank you.  it means a lot to all of us.  amy will probably be able to communicate with people in the next few days.  which reminds me, most of us are il communicado while at the hospital due to a lack of cell phone use here.  i've got my laptop now, so if you'd like to send amy any messages, i can certainly read them to her.

that's all for my first blog.  thanks again to everyone for your support.

jeff (and amy)

Tomorrow

It's the night before my surgery and I don't have anything to say.

Last minute

FINALLY the power is back on.  We had some crazo storms that knocked it out early yesterday and it just came back late tonight.  Now it's a mad dash to do all the laundry that we were wanting to do today, as well as all the other last minute things.  We leave tomorrow am and meet my husband in Milwaukee, the surgery is Monday morning.

I am so thankful I've had this time with my family away from all my real life obligations before this big journey.  It's been relaxing, although I did not get the tan I was expecting.  And those of you who know me well know I like me a good tan.

I'm anxious to see Jeff and to get it all done and overwith.  Not much else to say.