Settling in and getting better

After getting settled in her room, we were blessed to have some great visits from family and friends. Dana was doing really well at noon when I got back to see her. She was walking without a walker and acting like she was going to break out a dance move. She walked down to the end of the hall and back which tired her out. Her bandage was getting stiff so she asked the nurse to change it. After the change she started having more pain than ever. After trying to deal with it for 5 hours, we asked the next shift nurse to take a look at it to see if she could do something. She peel off the two layers of tape and came up with the idea that placing three clear bandages that are used on an IV might work better which it did. Dana had instant relief with the new bandage. If you are ever in the same situation, don't be afraid to ask for help. I think what happened was the the first change had a wide very stiff tape that caused pressure on the incision causing the muscles to stiffen up. The thinner flexible tape worked best.
Dana has been the perfect patient. She had done everything nurses and doctors have asked. She had been pleasant even when in the worst pain. She is pushing herself to get home by walking as much as possible and using her breather every time she sees it.
I could not be more proud of how hard she has worked to get better. Her attitude is so completely positive. You can see that she has regained so many functions that she lost and it has changed her persona. She has a spring in her step (a slow spring) but it is there and a glow in her eyes that I have not seen in many years. I did not see how her condition had slowly diminished so many activities for her. It got to a point that the simplest thing became a huge effort for her. She would put off doing even the simplest of tasks because it took so much effort and energy. I did not realize the affect it was having on me. I was getting so discouraged because I was beginning to feel like she was avoiding doing thing with me because of me but it was just too much of an effort. It is such a joy for me to think about how much easier her daily tasks will become as she progresses and heals. What I have seen so far are leaps and bounds beyond my wildest dreams. A year down the road who knows, maybe we will be playing tennis or hiking in the mountains or just walking at the mall without coming home in total exhaustion. The possibilities are exciting.
On the other side of interesting happenings, Dana had developed a strange square rash about 8 inches below her incision. It is extremely itchy red and blistering. It is a definite pattern like a large bandage had been placed there, removed and caused some kind of allergic reaction. We have conjured up all kinds of things that might have caused this. We surmise that a pad or apparatus that was bolted to her head to hold her head still during surgery was cleaned with something that her body does not like. She had a similar reaction to steri strips over laperscope incisions when she had her gallbladder taken out. It would be good to find out what she is allergic to.
Well we had a fantastic time with the ladies of ECI. I can see why Dana love to work with them. I can only imagine how much easier her daily duties at work will become now that she is doing so much better than her last day at work, it was very hard for her. As I type this we are waiting for pain meds and a change on her covering over the rash. There is a chance that she will go home tomorrow so I want to be here early in the morning to see the doctor. Not that Dana is not capable of understanding but I have missed that last two times he has come in and I have a few questions for him.
I want Dana to play a trick on her other doctors like the eye doctor and go in for an exam with out telling them about the surgery and see what they say when they test her peripheral vision and find out it has reversed its direction and is much better than the last exam.

Well we removed the covering to look at the patch and the rash looks about the same. We will have to see what the doctor says about it tomorrow. Time for some rest if you can call it that.

signing off for now, Wes