Hubby had an accident

[Rerun]

I'm glad you are home and getting settled.  It has been a long haul, but glad he is doing so well. 

And - Kevno, glad you made your decision.  As the Pig Latins say - OodGa Uckla   

[Sluff]

Kevno- Best of Luck to you. Hope things workout your way.

Kitzkat- WooHoo glad things are working out, welcome home to your better half.

[kitkatz]

I found out I can lift the wheelchair up into the back of the station wagon.  I lift with my right arm and swing with the hips.  Thank God they brought a lite one to us.  I am not sure I could have lifted a non-lite one. 
We went out to dinner last night.  Victor ran into old work friends at the restaurant for the first time since this all happened.  These people went white as a sheet when they saw him come in there in the wheelchair.  The wife almost burst into tears.  Victor went over and talked to them a bit, then after dinner they popped over to us and we must have talked for an hour.
Then we went grocery shopping. Luckily Stater Bros. has wide aisles and a good setup so no problems with the wheechair.  Although they now make you parade down to the middle of the store if you need wheelchair access to the store.  They used to have it open at the ends of the check out counters.  I felt a little obvious last night when we trekked through there. 
It was good to do something normal finally like grocery shopping and eating out.  We are learning new things all the time while we cope with all this stuff.

Katherine

[Sara]

Best of luck to you Kevno.  You know we'll be thinking of you.

[Epoman]

I found out I can lift the wheelchair up into the back of the station wagon.  I lift with my right arm and swing with the hips.  Thank God they brought a lite one to us.  I am not sure I could have lifted a non-lite one. 
We went out to dinner last night.  Victor ran into old work friends at the restaurant for the first time since this all happened.  These people went white as a sheet when they saw him come in there in the wheelchair.  The wife almost burst into tears.  Victor went over and talked to them a bit, then after dinner they popped over to us and we must have talked for an hour.
Then we went grocery shopping. Luckily Stater Bros. has wide aisles and a good setup so no problems with the wheechair.  Although they now make you parade down to the middle of the store if you need wheelchair access to the store.  They used to have it open at the ends of the check out counters.  I felt a little obvious last night when we trekked through there. 
It was good to do something normal finally like grocery shopping and eating out.  We are learning new things all the time while we cope with all this stuff.

Katherine

Yeah just wait till start finding all of these little obstacles that able bodied people take for granted. I have been places that are NOT wheelchair friendly at all.  Best of luck and I won't say "don't worry you get used to it" because you don't 

- Epoman

[kitkatz]

No, you never get used to it.  I helped a friend out who was temporarily in a wheelchair due to an ankle injury a few years back.  There were some stores we went into regularly as ablebodied people that her wheelchair could not get into.  Aisles were blocked and if you knocked it over people got mad. I got angry in one store and told the cashier how uncomfortable it was for my friend to get around.  She could have cared less.  I am going to be very outspoken when I find these things happening with my hubby and I.  It should not be hard to go anywhere, especially in these United States.  We have so much already.  I will carry that big stick Kevno is always teasing me about and shout at a few people.

Katherine

[Epoman]

No, you never get used to it.  I helped a friend out who was temporarily in a wheelchair due to an ankle injury a few years back.  There were some stores we went into regularly as ablebodied people that her wheelchair could not get into.  Aisles were blocked and if you knocked it over people got mad. I got angry in one store and told the cashier how uncomfortable it was for my friend to get around.  She could have cared less.  I am going to be very outspoken when I find these things happening with my hubby and I.  It should not be hard to go naywhere, especially in these United States.  We have so much already.  I will carry that big stick Kevno is always teasing me about and shout at a few people.

Katherine

Good for you! 

- Epoman

[kevno]

kitkatz,

Yes, that bit Stick and the Karate Chop. So people who cross you better watch out or else

Kevno

[kitkatz]

News Flash!  Hubby went back into the hospital tonight to have the dead skin on his stump removed.  They put a vacuum bandage on it with a pump.  New technology that is supposed to help the wound heal faster.  He is supposed to be home Monday???  We shall see.
I spent the afternoon with him and he went to surgery around 8:30, out by ten.  He was doing okay when I left him in his room around 11:30 tonight.
This is hard!

Katherine

[Epoman]

News Flash!  Hubby went back into the hospital tonight to have the dead skin on his stump removed.  They put a vacuum bandage on it with a pump.  New technology that is supposed to help the wound heal faster.  He is supposed to be home Monday???  We shall see.
I spent the afternoon with him and he went to surgery around 8:30, out by ten.  He was doing okay when I left him in his room around 11:30 tonight.
This is hard!

Katherine

That just sounds wrong.  "Stump".

- Epoman

[kitkatz]

Yes it does.  Shall we think of another name for it. Above the knee prosthetic area???

[Epoman]

Yes it does.  Shal we think of another name for it. Above the knee prosthetic area???

How about his "Remaining limb", let's test it.

1) "News Flash!  Hubby went back into the hospital tonight to have the dead skin on his stump removed."

2) "News Flash!  Hubby went back into the hospital tonight to have the dead skin on his remaining limb, removed."

I'm voting for number 2.

- Epoman

[kitkatz]

Sounds like they went after the other leg, you know the remaining limb. Seeing as he ain't got the other one! LOL

[Epoman]

Sounds like they went after the other leg, you know the remaining limb. Seeing as he ain't got the other one! LOL

  OK, OK,

How about "stump"

[kitkatz]

I was thinking in the shower today that we make a hell of a superhero pair

Dialysis Woman
The One Foot Wonder

Off to save the world.  OOPS! Got to go to dialysis: says Dialysis Girl.
Hop, hop, hop...The One Foot Wonder watched her go...

Stay tuned for the continuing adventures of us!

Katherine

[kitkatz]

Well it is morning and here I am all alone again in my big old house!  I am feeling sorry for us today, for me and the hubby.  He was asking why me yesterday under his breath as he lay in the hospital bed and groaned in pain.  I hate it.  I already do not like hospitals, but to have him in again really, really sucks.  I am on a rant be warned!  I went to see him yesterday before I went to dialysis.  I sat with him for a few hours.  He was hurting and I made him ask for pain meds.  He tries to tough it out like a tough man, but I always am asking what his pain number is from 1 to 10 and I make him ask for meds. He will wait until his pain is in the 8s then ask.  I told him that was dumb and to catch the pain when it starts.  It does not have to hurt! Although I do understand his thinking.  I am the same way.  I do not ask for pain meds often.  I have to be half way out of my mind to ask for them.  I should follow my own advice.
My hubby is a silly tough old guy. 
     I am expecting friends to come over and cut grass and clean the yard up.  I am allergic and get sick if I mow the grass.  Actually it is weeds now that California has hit the hots. Supposed to be 104 today here.  Get out the ice!  Luckily I do have friends that will help out. Now if I can just get one to bring me a home cooked meal now and then.  I would live on freezer food if the sodium was not so damn high on the meals.  My daughter and I were looking at frozen food one day and found a Hungryman dinner with 1600 mg of sodium in it and it fed one person! Yee Gads!  Be careful what you pull up out of the frozen section to eat. 
      I feel better. Thanks for letting me ramble on and on.

Katherine

[kitkatz]

I am back and damn if it ain't more news!
Hubby called me at 11:50 this evening. Seems the infectious disease doctor was by and it looks like there may be infection in his stump on the leg near the bones.  This means keeping the vacuum pump on the wound for several weeks and antibiotics started.  They will probably have to do some kind of heavy duty antibiotics to him requiring a catheter placement into his arm.  I am not looking forward to this.  It looks like a few more days in the hospital for him.  I am not happy at all.
To top it all off tonight I am itching all over like a rash.  Itch, itch, itch! I have taken two benadryl and am waiting for them to help stop it soon.  I figured since the hubby bugered up my worry mechanism I could write about it here.  My typing suck and I am tired. but worried.  Worry gremlins are on my shoulder tonight whispering their sweet nothings to me.
     A Catholic priest stopped in and saw the hubby in the hospital today and gave him a pamphlet that told him he should take his pain with "grace and goodwill" because in doing so, because God gave him the pain, he participates in the blessings of" El Senor" on the cross.  I have not figured out why God would give you pain to enjoy!  I have a God who is a loving God.  Pain is often inflicted by ourselves to ourselves.  In hubby's case it was a stupid accident that crushed his leg.  I do NOT think God sent angels to tip the blade over.  The guardian angels probably took a hit trying to throw him as much out of the way as they could.  And then there is me, with dialysis, how dare he tell me that I have pain because I am not taking this disease gracefully like Jesus would have.  Put Jesus down here on dialysis and see if he does not complain about it a few times. After all he only got stuck with a few nails and dies.  I get dialysis needles (nails) every other day and I live to tell about it.  I look towards God as a comforting and joyous being.   I have probably pissed off at least half the people reading this, but it is the way I feel!
     Well the adventure of Dialysis Woman and the One Foot Wonder are never ending!  If you pray, please pray for us.  Do not ask for specifics just pray for assistance for us. I need more strength I think I have to cope with all of this happening. (If one more person tells me "God doesn't give you more than you can handle", I am going to go ballistic! I have had enough!)

[Epoman]

I am back and damn if it ain't more news!
Hubby called me at 11:50 this evening. Seems the infectious disease doctor was by and it looks like there may be infection in his stump on the leg near the bones.  This means keeping the vacuum pump on the wound for several weeks and antibiotics started.  They will probably have to do some kind of heavy duty antibiotics to him requiring a catheter placement into his arm.  I am not looking forward to this.  It looks like a few more days in the hospital for him.  I am not happy at all.
To top it all off tonight I am itching all over like a rash.  Itch, itch, itch! I have taken two benadryl and am waiting for them to help stop it soon.  I figured since the hubby bugered up my worry mechanism I could write about it here.  My typing suck and I am tired. but worried.  Worry gremlins are on my shoulder tonight whispering their sweet nothings to me.
     A Catholic priest stopped in and saw the hubby in the hospital today and gave him a pamphlet that told him he should take his pain with "grace and goodwill" because in doing so, because God gave him the pain, he particpates in the blessings of" El Senor" on the cross.  I have not figured out why God would give you pain to enjoy!  I have a God who is a loving God.  Pain is often inflicted by ourselves to ourselves.  In hubby's case it was a stupid accident that crushed his leg.  I do NOT think God sent angels to tip the blade over.  The guardian angels probably took a hit trying to throw him as much out of the way as they could.  And then there is me, with dialysis, how dare he tell me that I have pain because I am not taking this disease gracefully like Jesus would have.  Put Jesus down here on dialysis and see if he does not complain about it a few times. After all he only got stuck with a few nails and dies.  I get dialysis needles (nails) every other day and I live to tell about it.  I look towards God as a comforting and joyous being.   I have probably pissed off  at least half the people reading this, but it is the way I feel!
     Well the adventure of Dialysis Woman and the One Foot Wonder are never ending!  If you pray, please pray for us.  Do not ask for specifics just pray for assistance for us. I need more strength I think I have to cope with all of this happening. (If one more person tells me "God doesn't give you more than you can handle", I am going to go ballistic! I have had enough!)

Nice rant!

- Epoman

[kitkatz]

Thanks I try hard!  I have a lot to rant about right now!

Katherine

[Epoman]

Thanks I try hard!  I have a lot to rant about right now!

Katherine

Well that's why were here, so go ahead and rant on. We will listen.

- Epoman

[Bajanne]

My dear, you certainly have been faced with challenge upon challenge.  But it is a tribute to the strength of your spirit that you are still here, posting and sharing with us.  I do admire you in the midst of all that has been dealt you.
Please be assured of my prayers and concerned thoughts for both you and your husband.

[kitkatz]

Thank you for the support through prayer and good thoughts.

They moved Victor to the telemetry floor today to check out his heart functions.  The doc told us that people with diabetes often do not feel pain with a heart attack, they just suddenly feel crappy and down.  He felt that way since breakfast today.  The nurses did not take it too seriously until he felt this way for hours.  Indigestion and gassy.  They called in a cardiac specialist who moved him to the new floor.  More doctors, more tests.  They drew heart enzymes, then did a deep arterial blood draw in the evening.
    No results back yet. Hoping to know more tomorrow when I go see him. 
    I woke up at 3:30 this morning and could not go back to sleep.  Sucks.  Can't go to the hospital would have to sneak in the emergency room entrance and find my way through the hospital at this hour and probably wake him up.  I have done laundry and hung up clothes.  Just have to do dishes and the house will be tidied up.
     The cats miss me and so does the dog.  The dog is hanging out wherever I happen to be 

Katherine

[kitkatz]

He came home Wednesday.  I brought him home after dialysis from the hospital.
I am glad he is home.  We are adjusting to new things.  He has a pic line and I am having to learn how to give antibiotics through the pic line every six hours.  I am expecting the nurse now at 6a.m.  I did it all by myself at midnight last night.  Then my alarm goes off a 3a.m. and me being not awake and Stupid, thinks its six and gets it all set up and waked hubby up.  But it is three a.m., not six a.m.  Shit!  I cried and we went back to bed.  I have had three hours sleep tonight.  I am going to be in rare form today.

     Here is my hospital rant for this time.
1. They did the bandaging wrong around his pump vacuum system and just did it wrong when they said they knew what they were doing.   They put the vac pump on the wrong place and cut the foam while they had it on the wound.  A big nono according to the instructions.  The home nurse had to change it all out yesterday.
2. Noone knew how to hook up the small portable machine.  They came into the room, in front of us and tried to figure it out.  Nothing like the hospital personnel looking inept in front of the patient.
3. They set the portable pump on intermittent and sent him home on the wrong setting. It hurt him and the wound more.  The home nurse fixed it. Plus there were no orders as to what the setting should have been.
4. The doctors wrote a prescription with no doctor information on it. No address, no name, just a written out prescription on an empty prescription pad. Ever tried to have one of those filled at Walgreens'? Darn near impossible.  They filled it for me. I must have looked pitiful yesterday.  By the time I had that prescription in hand I was fighting mad at the hospital.
5. One night on the telemetry floor it took the night nurse 40 minutes to bring him water.  He had to ask for it four times before someone showed up and gave him water.  Just water in the pitcher, refilled.  No big deal. An easy task.  The night nurse would come into his room every three hours and check off she had been in there, but would do nothing for him.  Thank God I got him out of there when I did.
     The upshot of all of this is I will be damned if he will go back into St. B's again.  Over my dead body that will happen.  His doc better refer us to a doctor who works out of Loma Linda or he better get practicing privileges for there.  I was ready to find a nursing supervisor and let them have it.
 I am still considering calling them and asking to speak with quality management.

Anyhow, here we are . I am going to take my BP pills and go back to bed for awhile.
These are the continuing adventure of DW and OFW. (You know Dialysis Woman and the One Foot Wonder.)  Hey if I can't laugh at it, who can?

[Rerun]

Kitkatz, you just hang in there.  I know you probably don't have strength enough to take on the hospital right now, but just document everything and go for it when you catch your breath.  Write everything down.....well, I guess you are writing it here, so that is good documentation.  My prayers are with you.

[Bajanne]

Most definitely, Kitkatz.  Our prayers are with you.  You guys are now our favourite superheroes!!