I Hate Dialysis Message Board

Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: Spouses and Caregivers => Topic started by: smcd23 on July 25, 2012, 10:53:29 PM

Title: Finally, someone took care of ME!
Post by: smcd23 on July 25, 2012, 10:53:29 PM
The maids came today!!!!

I've been sort of M.I.A. lately because things have been nutty - Tony has had no strength and has lost so much weight, so he's essentially useless. I've literally felt like I've been working 4 full time jobs - the real one that pays, the mother/babysitter, the nurse to Tony and the housekeeper. From the time the 2 year old goes to bed until this time (nearly 2 am) I have been cleaning, doing laundry, paying bills, organizing medical bills etc. It's been insane, and I've been grouchy and irritable and a slight bit resentful since Tony always needs and gets assistance and I just get stuck holding the bag. While I'm at my for pay job, he's here doing not much of anything, creating a mess or whatever for when I get home. And you'd think he'd help watch our son so I can cook/clean/whatever? Nope, he sits on the couch and watches TV while our kid is up my butt driving me crazy while I try to get things done. Ugh, didn't mean to rant there, sorry!

Anyway, I think I mentioned in the post about our adventure with transplant #2 that some of my friends hired me a maid service. Well I finally got around to calling last week, and they came today. Oh my goodness, my house is so clean! They wiped down the wall behind where the trash goes, cleaned the floors really good, wiped down the counters and just did way more in 2 hours than I could do in an entire day with a 2 year old and a Tony running around. I was so thrilled when I got home.

We also went and bought some bedroom furniture over the weekend. We got a nightstand, a dresser and a chest with a 5 year protection plan against accidental damage (and it's bound to happen with a 2 year old, 2 cats and a dog) for $750. And it's American made which was my #1 requirement. Naturally, I had to do all the heavy lifting and whatnot. I got one of my coworkers to come over Monday after work to help me (I did not want to pay $120 for delivery!) carry everything up the stairs. That stuff was HEAVY! The 8 drawer dresser was like 160# and the 5 drawer chest was 120#. We took the 5 drawer up first, and it was hard, so we got wise and took the drawers out of the 8 drawer before we carried it up, and man, that eliminated a lot of weight! And Tony did go pick everything up after dialysis, too. They loaded it in his truck so all he had to do was drive and show up, which was a big help. ANYWAY he was busy chatting with my coworker, and wasn't really helping me so I was rushing to get everything in place and loaded with our clothes so I could go to bed. So around 9 after my coworker left, I went to cut the hardware which had been zip tied in a baggie inside one of the drawers, and somehow the knife slipped and got my thumb on my left hand. My hand mind you was holding onto the side of the drawer and nowhere near the blade. No idea what happened, but I sliced my thumb through the nail and under my cuticle. OUCH! If childbirth is a 10, this was like an 8 when it happened, and a 4 or 5 now if I accidentally bump it or rub it wrong. And my goodness did it bleed! I've never seen so much blood come out of my body at once! It didn't stop for almost an hour, it was insane! And of course, I refused to go to the ER because that would have been $150, and for that I should have just paid for delivery! Don't worry, I did go to the doctor in the morning.

So I am now half gimp because I can't do too much with my left hand. You never realize how much you use a finger until you can't use it anymore. Thankfully I didn't cut the nail bed and didn't need stitches, but I am on clindamycin as a precaution and have to keep the wound covered with neosporin and a band-aid for at least a week. It is healing kind of funny I think, with a mound of skin/flesh coming up pretty high between the 2 pieces of my nail, but I have a follow up on Friday, so as long as it doesn't get worse, I am going to ask then if that's normal. I've never done something like this before. I should not be trusted with sharp objects...

Needless to say, I was SO SO SO appreciative of the maids when I got home from work today. If only I could have them come weekly, my life would be complete.  ;D
Title: Re: Finally, someone took care of ME!
Post by: okarol on July 25, 2012, 11:28:19 PM
Sorry about the cut!
The cleaning can wait. Use paper plates. Don't do too much, your hand needs to heal. Give Tony a list of chores.
 The maid service was a great gift from your friends.
{{{HUG}}}  :cuddle;
Title: Re: Finally, someone took care of ME!
Post by: Poppylicious on July 26, 2012, 04:05:27 AM
What an amazing present!  Please can I be friends with your friends?

*Ouch* for your finger.  If it's any consolation I nearly sliced my finger off whilst preparing some veg on Monday ...  ;D

You never realize how much you use a finger until you can't use it anymore.
Did you feel the same way about your tummy after donating your kidney?  I had no idea just how much we used our tummies for even the most simple things until the donation! 

Can Tony help at all?  I'm sure he's not completely useless! 

*huggles*
Title: Re: Finally, someone took care of ME!
Post by: smcd23 on July 26, 2012, 05:27:35 AM
Tony's issue right now is the chest catheter. He's not supposed to lift more than 10lbs.  He already ripped one of the stitches holding it in place out, and he was helping sort the recycling and he bent over and somehow pulled it just the other night and he said it really hurt. So with the lifting restriction he can't lift our son, the garbage etc. I think his neph is in center during tomorrow's treatment and he's going to ask about starting back on PD which will allow him to start doing more once he gets the catheter out. But my goodness my thumb hurts.

Poppy, the only thing that made me realize how much I used my tummy muscles was driving! I had to drive about a week after the surgery and it was only a few blocks but it took me out for the rest of the day! That was awful, but otherwise I didn't think it was all that bad. The thumb definitely hurts more I think because I can't baby it.