So Long ICU
Posted: March 3, 2011 Filed under: breast cancer, Surgery | Tags: breast cancer, cancer battle, DIEP, hospital, ICU, Methodist Hospital, microsurgery, new boobs, reconstruction, recovery 8 CommentsHi Everybody,
It’s Amy Hoover here. Nancy has been doing really well. She’s super tired. Come to find out her new breasticles have to have their arterial blood flow checked once an hour and it’s been that way since the surgery ended yesterday and will be through tomorrow…..so cat naps abound. They made her get up and have a “sitting trial” time for an hour and she did really well. To hear her tell the doctors about it, it was “hard” but as an observer she handled the “trial” with grit and humor–typical Nancy. I think she handled it better than her first trip off the bed post mastectomy!
The people working at Methodist are doing a great job responding to her needs and that morphine pump responds at the touch of the button. We just went over her “Daily goals/Patient needs” which are posted on her wall in her new room:
1. pain control
2. regular diet
3. cough and deep breath 10x/hour
5. SCD on legs
Yes, I know there’s no 4, but I call it like I see it! (and we are not sure what SCD stands for, but she does have compression stockings on her legs and some pump thing to keep blood clots at bay). So….number one goal is pain control and Mr. Morphine pump is at the ready. I reminded her that she’s not here to prove anything so not to try to wait it out but go ahead and push that button if she feels the pain. Pain control is the NUMBER ONE goal!
Dr. S. called in today to check on her and Nancy got tickled because he had to wait on hold for quite a while for Nurse Carol who was busy taking care of Nancy.
Dr. Spiegel came by and checked out the results and is really, really pleased. From my layman’s point of view, I agree.
She’s resting now and it is definitely quieter in this room, so hopefully it will be a good nap. She has requested an Ambien to help her sleep tonight. After her nap she will have to sit in the chair again.
Tomorrow’s plan is to do a little bit of walking and take a shower. We expect to see the doctor in the early morning.
The Pink Underbelly 
So glad to get the good report, and just AS glad to know that Nanc has such a wonderful posse to speed up her recovery through this terrible journey. I am so encouraged every time I read of all of her wonderful friends, and how you have all rallied around her through this all ~ she is a blessed woman to have you all in her life. I can only imagine how much your support has meant to Trevor and the kids.
Thank you from her old neighbor in Tulsa,
susanp
I love keeping Dr. S on hold! Bathing tomorrow?! She’ll be home cooking and vacuuming in no time. Rest and relax Nancy, the sooner you leave the hospital the sooner people will be asking things of you.
Yeah!!! Thanks for the update & its soooo good to hear how well Nancy is doing. xoxo
Great news!
woo hoo! good drugs and good friends to help your family and cheer you on! I am so glad things have turned out so well! It’s been a long time and you deserve it (them! HA)
FYI- SCD’s = sequential compression device. But, I bet you can come up with a juicier description with those same letters! And, you are right on, they provide compression to help avoid blood clots after surgery. 🙂 The constant hum of the machine and the intermittent squeezing of your legs is helpful but very, very annoying when you are trying to get rest. But, it sounds like you’ll be free of them soon if they are already talking about discharge tomorrow! Yay, Nancy!!!
[…] exclusively on which places had the best ice. Yes, I have them categorized much as my dear friend Amy Hoover knows which places serve the best iced tea. Some places use the same filter for the flavored and […]
[…] In So Long ICU Amy wrote: “She’s super tired. Come to find out her new breasticles have to have their arterial blood flow checked once an hour and it’s been that way since the surgery ended yesterday and will be through tomorrow…..so cat naps abound. They made her get up and have a ‘sitting trial’ time for an hour and she did really well. To hear her tell the doctors about it, it was ‘hard’ but as an observer she handled the “trial” with grit and humor–typical Nancy. Tomorrow’s plan is to do a little bit of walking and take a shower.” […]