Details

Okay details relating to my surgery. I am really bruised around my incisions, but it's hard to see in the pix, we couldn't get the lighting right. This was supposed to be a 30 minute minor outpatient procedure. The anesthesiologist was placing a "block" in my shoulder so it would be numb for the first 24-36 hours after surgery. The surgery itself took longer than expected because there was a pretty large bone spur under my AC joint on my clavicle that was causing a lot of the problems. There was also so extra fluid and "floaters" in there that were also removed. When the anesthesiologist was trying to get me to wake up it was apparent that I was unable to breathe on my own. She went in too deep when placing the shoulder block and it ended up "paralyzing" me from the neck down. Therefore, I had to be placed on a ventilator. I was on it for a little over 3 1/2 hours. When I did start to wake up I could only see shadows and I couldn't hear at all. I was scared to death! Once I could hear they explained what had happened and why I still had a tube down my throat. They told me I wasn't breathing on my own so I just closed my eyes again and said "Okay God, I'm giving this to you. Please help me relax and let them take care of me so I'll be okay." I don't really remember anything after that except some gagging when I am guessing they were taking me off of the vent. They were going to have to keep me in the hospital if I couldn't get off of the vent, but fortunately I was okay and they did let me go home, several hours later than expected of course! I was in a ton of pain and the shoulder block that was supposed to be so great, ended up coming apart a couple of hours after we got home. So I pretty much had had no pain medication so that was why I was having so much trouble. Fortunately a good friend of mine was at church and she brought over a friend of hers (that I had never met) and she is an Orthopedic nurse! Bless her heart, she came right over and was able to removed the pump in my shoulder and get it all dressed for me. What a blessing, she really helped out. I am having a really hard time sleeping and the pain meds aren't really helping at all, but I am taking them. I had to go to PT yesterday! It was horrible, I just cried. My PT fortunately was one I worked with before and she was so gentle so I made it through but it really hurt! Today is a much better day but now poor Miss Addy has a horrible cold and she cannot figure out why Daddy keeps picking her up and not giving her to mommy! I have been able to sit and hold her some, but I am nowhere near ready to be lifting. My great friends have been keeping us well fed which has been a huge blessing. I go to the doctor on Monday and he will let me know when I can return to work. My big Friday plan obviously didn't work out at all! I'm hoping by the middle or end of next week, but I'm not going to rush anything I don't want to have to go through this again!