For those of you that read the last post just after it was loaded, I’m sorry. I was in a hurry didn’t proof read and autocorrect killed me! Dr. Nair never did drop by last night. When we first began to see him we started off not liking him very much. Not very very good at returning message or calls. He even admitted this himself, although he did give us his cell number. Saying he returned text better than other communication. Once he wouldn’t return emails, Amanda would text him and he would get right on things! He is a little socially awkward, he laughs during normal conversation randomly. This cracks me up. Im glad we both ended up liking him, we’ve been through to many doctors. He was Dr Bogaev’s recommendation when she left, she was by far the best. Understanding, caring, would listen, and saw thing from a woman’s prospective, which was good for Amanda. We miss her, she’s how we ended up in Houston, following her from San Antonio to here. They just didn’t have the same quality hospital on the east coast where she was going, otherwise we would have followed her again.
So last night went good for a night in the hospital after surgery. As with an big surgery it’s all about pain management. Amanda needs the pain meds as soon a they are wearing off. Like clock work on the 4 hour mark, so they came in at midnight and 4. Sometimes I want to ask the nurse if every light in the room is needed just to give a pill! Just as last night at the 4 o’clock mark she need pain relief the most. There’s still a 12 hour gap with the Toradol. They gave her the IV Dilaudid she seem to do good after that.
The chest tube leaked in the night. Turns out this is common with Dr. Lamelas patients. Unlike other doctors that suture the skin around the drain closed, he prefers to leave it open for drainage purposes. There are 2 tubes the same hole also These are not small either about the size of my thumb, I do not have small hands. The pain should be better once they are removed. The pain was bad when the others have been removed from prior surgeries. With two these won’t be any different I imagine if not worse.
Dr Lamelas fellow came by early this morning. The plan is still the same, pull the chest tube and discharge us today. He said noon, I don’t see that will be happing, either way we can’t check in to the hotel till 3 so will need to stay here till then. Amanda mentioned to him break through pain control when not in the hospital. His reply was just take another Dilaudid. I’m no doctor but that’s just not going to cut it for pain control once we leave. Hopefully Dr. Lamelas will come by in a bit and we can talk with him about that. They should be coming to remove the chest tube soon. To be honest I’m a little apprehensive about leaving today. She’s only walked twice and the second time did go so well. I think we should stay till tomorrow, get the chest tube out and see how things go today then leave tomorrow. That way we can get a better hold on pain control. I don’t want to leave just to end up in the ER for pain, we’ve been there before. Again this, I’m sure, is SOP for normal patients and that’s the point of minimally invasive surgery to get home quicker. One more day won’t hurt and would give the both of us a better peace of mind. We’ll see what they have to say.
Quick update for laughs
You know how I said the doctors were coming by? So I waited and waited then decided I’ll hop shower real quick. Yep they came by while I was in the shower! I’m telling you this happens every time.
I quickly threw my clothes on, mind you this a very small bathroom. With my arms out stretched out I can touch either side of the walls. I came our hair dripping and all!
Dr. Lamelas is off for the weekend so another doctor, by his attitude a surgeon for sure, along with the fellow from this morning came by. Amanda was already talking about take home meds, she’s to meek to ask them to change much by herself. I jumped in the conversation and changed it quickly, to how about we say till tomorrow. They listened to my reasoning and agreed. I’m sure that was the one of the few times, if not the first, one of their patients wanted to stay another day in a hospital.
I felt relieved after the decision was made for another day. Don’t get me wrong I’d like to sleep in a real bed, with nobody bothering us, but peace of mind is worth another hospital chair night.
They just walked in to remove the chest tube I’ll update later.
Getting better
The chest tube is out along with the pain pump. Amanda said it was actually less painful than before. The nurse was telling us that many of Lamelas patients say that. The two lines go in the same hole, the thought is that makes them come out easier. Dr Lamelas wife usually take the chest tubes out, she had taken off with him. The nurse mention they still had home in Miami and they were likely going to check it after Irma. The fellow removed the tubes with no problem. When he showed up I went to get the nurse for pain meds, so we could get ahead of the pain. Hopefully this will be the last of the IV pain meds. He was so quick by the time the nurse showed up he was already done and gone. I had a few questions about an incision in an odd location, he was very informative. I don’t think they usually get very many questions. He was attentive enough to stop and explain things to me in detail, it was appreciated.
We talked at length about which pain medication to use for take home. All of us throwing ideas out. He wanted to up the regular Dilaudid dose to the max and that was it. Amanda and I both felt it would be better have another medication on top of her regular dose. That way m it would be easier to come off of later. This is a road we’ve been down before. I’ll get into the trouble of coming off this type of medication in a later post. The end result was to add Oxycodone oral every 6 hours. So will be able to alternate the 2 every 3 hours to have better coverage. He also decided to up the Dilaudid dose a little, just temporarily though. I feel this a great plan, it was nice to have him work with us. If he keep this attitude with patients and he’s any good in the OR he’ll make a fine surgeon.
I tried getting ahold of the EP for a consult with no success. Yesterday the office sent the calls to an answering service early. Today when I got ahold of them the receptionist said he only does a consult if it’s requested by another doctor. Might not be a bad idea for us to schedule an appointment with him when we come back up for the check up.
Amanda went for a couple walks before lunch. Much better results than yesterday. The physical therapist came and checked her oxygen levels while walking, they were in the high 90s. 100 is ideal so we’ll take that! She walked twice as far as yesterday too. In between walks she sat up in the chair for awhile. All in all after the walks and sitting she’s doing much better than yesterday.
I went to the cafeteria for lunch and got Amanda a baked potato, the girl loves her some potato! They have a potato bar so I loaded one up for her, queso and all. She ate a decent amount, I’ll see if she can eat something with a little more sustenance tonight. Her throat is still sore, so we have to pick something that’s not so scratchy. I’m thinking a burrito from Freebirds might work, at least that’s what my tummy says!
I needed to leave and get all checked into the hotel. I also wanted to grab a blood pressure machine and a pulse oximeter too. Amanda’s friend from El Paso came by again so I slipped out to do what I needed to get done and let them chat. Worked out perfect, upon arriving I met her in the hall as she was leaving.
I checked in the hotel but I’ll still be staying with Amanda tonight. By the time we knew about staying another day it was to late to cancel the reservation for tonight. I got Amanda’s bags to the room. I also brought the pulse ox and blood pressure to make sure the worked. My oxygen levels were good! My blood pressure, another story, 160/100. I guess I’ll need to keep an eye on mine when I’m checking Amanda’s. I told the the front desk clerk to let housekeeping know I needed 6 extra pillow, I got a funny look. The room has 2 queen beds but isn’t handicap. It was a toss up between the two, more important that I not disturb Amanda than a seat in the shower. I now have enough pillow to have a make shift hospital bed!
The nurse assistant just came and gave Amanda a spit bath. She can’t get in the shower till the chest tubes are out 24 hours. Dr Nair came while she was getting a bath this time. They all have this uncanny sense of timing. He was just checking up on us. He plans on coming by after the procedure for the pacemaker leads so we wouldn’t have to make 2 separate appointments.
I brought a ton of books to read while I’m here. I’ve been to busy thinking and trying to get everything straight with the nurses and doctors that I haven’t felt like getting to them. Now it feels like I can relax so I started a study in 1st Peter. Second chapter of the study is titled the mystery of suffering. As many of you know Amanda and I are not new to various sufferings in our lives.
In the first chapter of 1 Peter the Word spoke to me. These are verse I often turn to. Verses 6 & 7: In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith— more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire— may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
I’m reminded that we live in a fallen world. Until we see Jesus, in heaven or upon His return the product of the fall, sin, has tainted our world and trials are just apart of our lives. Further more nothing happens by chance, God permits it all. A quote from this study: “When suffering comes, it’s not karma, fate, or an impersonal force of nature. Nothing can come our way without God’s permission. He allows trials to test us. We are to rejoice that we have been counted worthy to go through a test.” God puts us through trials to test us.
As believers we go through these trials to refine us, so that our faith becomes purer. Gold parting is the process to refine gold and take out the impurities. Gold can be purified to 99.9%. Just like gold we will never reach the 100% mark. Jesus set that bar of 100% for us, the goal yet unattainable. If trials make us purer and close to the image of Christ then we should welcome it.
For believers the result of trials, the refining process, make the finished product pleasing to God when we see Jesus either in heaven or at His return. Differing from what the prosperity preacher will tell you, Christianity isn’t a suffering “safe zone”. We should actually expect it. I feel privileged that God would consider Amanda and I worthy to test.