I am still slowly recovering. My pain in my chest when I breath is getting much better. I can still tell a difference on deep breaths and such, but it is not as sharp and acute. The pain at the incision site is still taking a little time to heal and hurts the most. It is just so damn hard to get comfortable where it is at. Hopefully, by the end of next week it will be feeling better and my range of motion with my left arm will improve.
I hope everyone is doing alright. I am still humbled at the support that has been shown to me by everyone! Kimberly and I both feel very blessed!
Peace
Josh
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Recovering
I am at home slowly recovering. Things are going alright with a few minor hiccups...pun intended. I had the hiccups last night twice, each for about 10 minutes. It hurt so bad that it finally stopped being sharp pain and became a constant burn in my chest. Hiccups are definitely worse that sneezes and coughs. I am sleeping okay, but having a hard time getting comfortable given where my incision site is located. It is located mostly on my upper left back down across my back under my arm. Kimberly will help me remove my dressing from my drainage tube site tonight. Once this is removed it will need to be left uncovered. The incision site is closed with glue and tape which will come off slowly with each shower. Once we remove my dressing today I can take a light shower. I have only had a sponge bath once since last Wednesday so this will be really nice. Breathing is strange at times. It still hurts to take deep breaths and sometimes I have to slow down and catch my breath. But besides the pain, everything seems the same. Of course, I have yet to really exert myself and I am sure that this would do a number on me right now. I will give that time and see how my body adjusts.
Overall, pain management has been the issue on this go around. I am okay at home, but for awhile at the hospital that was a real issue. I originally received an epidural on the morning of surgery. This was really nice and worked well leading into the OR. I did not feel anything from my neck down to my abdomen. This is the main form of pain management for people undergoing thoracic surgery. On the way from the surgery table to to gurney to transport me to recovery I lost my epidural in an accident. Not sure what happened, but I was not too upset about it. Shit happens! The problem was that they could not redo one. It is a one shot deal prior to surgery. With an epidural, throughout my stay at the hospital if I got pain I could send medicine through and numb my nerves and kill the pain. Since I lost it that meant they changed my pain management plan. I was put on oral pain meds for long lasting pain management and dilaudid for breakthrough pain. My first daytime nurse did not seem to understand this. She kept telling me to use my button, which would only last about twenty minutes and then I was hurting again. When I asked for oral meds she would tell me to use my button which is stronger medicine. This is true, but the medicine she was telling me to use was short term and wore off so quickly. Anyway, after trying to get things across to the nurse with little success I was serendipitously visited by the social worker who I explained things to. She mentioned that the nurse needed to change her attitude around and also noted some things that the nurse did that were against protocol and really dangerous (for one, giving Kimberly my meds at the desk to take to me). I was then visited by the charge nurse and a patient advocate from the hospital. Long story short, this was not my best stay at the hospital. Not the worst, but I guess they cannot all be great! I still have high marks for UAB.
In conclusion, thanks to everyone who has continued to pray for my recovery and well-being. I am on the mend again and hopefully will be back on my feet in a few weeks.
Peace,
Josh
Overall, pain management has been the issue on this go around. I am okay at home, but for awhile at the hospital that was a real issue. I originally received an epidural on the morning of surgery. This was really nice and worked well leading into the OR. I did not feel anything from my neck down to my abdomen. This is the main form of pain management for people undergoing thoracic surgery. On the way from the surgery table to to gurney to transport me to recovery I lost my epidural in an accident. Not sure what happened, but I was not too upset about it. Shit happens! The problem was that they could not redo one. It is a one shot deal prior to surgery. With an epidural, throughout my stay at the hospital if I got pain I could send medicine through and numb my nerves and kill the pain. Since I lost it that meant they changed my pain management plan. I was put on oral pain meds for long lasting pain management and dilaudid for breakthrough pain. My first daytime nurse did not seem to understand this. She kept telling me to use my button, which would only last about twenty minutes and then I was hurting again. When I asked for oral meds she would tell me to use my button which is stronger medicine. This is true, but the medicine she was telling me to use was short term and wore off so quickly. Anyway, after trying to get things across to the nurse with little success I was serendipitously visited by the social worker who I explained things to. She mentioned that the nurse needed to change her attitude around and also noted some things that the nurse did that were against protocol and really dangerous (for one, giving Kimberly my meds at the desk to take to me). I was then visited by the charge nurse and a patient advocate from the hospital. Long story short, this was not my best stay at the hospital. Not the worst, but I guess they cannot all be great! I still have high marks for UAB.
In conclusion, thanks to everyone who has continued to pray for my recovery and well-being. I am on the mend again and hopefully will be back on my feet in a few weeks.
Peace,
Josh
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Josh is home!
Josh was discharged at around noon today. They took out his drainage tube this morning and he says he's a lot more comfortable now, but still in pain from the incision, of course. No staples or stitches this time, just this tape stuff that's supposed to fall off on its own after awhile. We'll see how that goes. Anyway, Josh is very glad to be home, and Stanley is elated to have his favorite lap back. I'll be going back to work tomorrow and Josh's mom will be staying for a couple days. Thanks to all our visitors in the hospital: Father Charles, Deacon Lou and Deb Linam who sat with us during the surgery; Josh's cousins Kim, Jason, Chris, Kathy and their son Sam; Bryan and Neal. It's so nice to have people to chat with to take your mind off the hospital for awhile. Thanks again to everyone who's called, texted, sent cards, etc. We feel loved.
Peace,
Kimberly
Peace,
Kimberly
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