Message from MamaLama/Carol

Carol,

So glad Mike made it through okay and he's home now. Good that the valve repair isn't pressing right now. You must be exhausted. I know what it's like trying to catch the doctors during rounds.

Get some rest. I'm sure you both need it. Hope Mike doesn't have too much pain.

Hugs,
Mae

Post Edited By Moderator (hep93) : 11/21/2013 10:20:14 AM (GMT-7)

Hi gang, first time on in some days and I'm not going to post much.

Mike had the proverbial snot knocked out of him with this shoulder thing. Normal folks are out of a surgi center in a few hours. He thought it would be like a colonoscopy, take an hour nap, have an arthroscopic peek around and out the door...not so.

He has slept most of the day in a recliner chair today with that ice machine running. I'm not ever sure what they are called. WE wrapped a garbage bag around his shoulder this morning and I took him in the shower...he was stinky...and made him shave with his wrong hand...he's a lefty and it was the left shoulder...try to shave sometime with the opposite hand.

I had an interesting thought yesterday...

He was just out of anesthesia, on a lot of pain stuff and his usual meds.

And he was a grumpy gus...was fussing at me to do one more thing before I got that last one accomplished...he needed water, needed to us the urinal, needed his hearing aids in, wanted book, needed to pee again, wanted something to eat, wanted his pillow fluffed...all in his grouchy voice...til I wanted to put that darn pillow over his head and hold it down!

Ahhh...like the HE times again.

Then on the way home we needed to stop at the pharmacy for his new pain meds...he wanted to be all strong and brought the Rx into the pharmacist. And came back to the car. We did a couple of errands and returned. And when we got there he said we had not brought them TO the pharmacy and I said we did a few minutes before and he wanted to have a fight with me claiming we had Definitely NOT brought them yet. And I got out of the car and picked them up.

A couple more times today he demonstrated that he has no or little memory of what the past few days have been like...for him or for me. But for a cutie nurse on the night shift Tuesday night!!! That brought a smile to his face and he hasn't been very smiley.

The newbies who are talking about HE...I thought I would bring up the fact that Mike lost almost all memory of the YEAR before transplant...most particularly that friends of ours came to visit us from all over...Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Hartford CT, and he says he doesn't recall their spending time with him...to say goodbye...but he lived...got his transplant and now is now.

The past 2 days made me remember how crazy that was. He has no memory of being a total jerk to me. And is back to his good self, most of the time. The past days have been a shock to me about what a sick person can be like.

Well, I should be getting back to normal in the next days.

I had to go out last night...could not be avoided, so I made arrangements to have my sis come visit with Mike and bring a pizza. She forgot. Welcome to my world.

ML aka Carol

Post Edited By Moderator (hep93) : 11/21/2013 8:06:02 PM (GMT-7)

Carol, he's had this before, so should have known what he was in for--unless he forgot it. It sounds like a little HE kicked in from the anesthesia and pain meds. And he's a transplant patient with hep C. Hopefully, he will be better in a few days.

Hugs,
Connie

Things returning more to normal...and he still doesn't really remember anything from the surgery until we were home. We got photos of the arthroscopic procedure...16 little found photos of inside him. They are really cool and tell the story of what needed to be done and then after it was done. When he looked at the folder (for the 3rd time) he again was amazed at the photos...totally forgetting he'd seen them twice before.

LESSON of the day: Ladies dealing with HE hubby antics...they are out of it...give them a little slack.

Hugs,

ML

Hi Deb,
You are so very insightful and have such a way with words. You said, perfectly, how I felt about memories after my husband of 36 yrs died. He died 4 yrs ago of Hep C, cirrhosis, and hepatic carcinoma. now it is my turn to go down that path.
I was not prepared for the loss of memories and what an impact it had. All of our dreams and plans ended before we could begin with them, and since he has been gone it is very difficult for me to make new ones. I am very grateful that we were together as long as we were, but I want more:(
I am so sorry your marriage ended. We hear so much about forgiveness and I finally learned that includes us. Your spirituality and meditation are great paths to be on.
Keep up the good work,
Warmly,
Zoarie.

Bark less and wag more.

All,

Thanks for good wishes.

Mike is coming back quickly once the DRUGS were through his system. He seems to be in little pain. His biggest complaint is that he tires easily...and has needed a couple of naps a day and some extra quiet time.

So what is new...he has HEP C and gets tired quickly!

He even helped with the laundry and dinner today. My superhero got his cape and mask back. I don't have to use that pillow after all!

Having a quiet weekend, we both needed one.

Mama Lama aka Carol

@ Connie, No brace this time. Just a sling for as long as he likes. He feels safer with his arm sort of cradled and uses a pillow under it at night.

The thing he had last time was a huge triangular pillow that kept the top part of his arm at 90 degrees of his body and the lower arm at a 45 degree angle towards his belt line. Like a robot man. This time it can be down. I redressed it this morning and there are three 1.5 inch incisions... front, middle and back.

We return after Thanksgiving to have stitches out and get the PT schedule. He will go periodically but not the 3 times a week they recommend as he will have the PT he has used several times give him the regimen and he will do it at home. We got this huge bill last year because you only get so many days of PT on Medicaid and he went over and no one told him...they just put on the meter and BOOM, we got a huge bill. The hospital eventually found a special fund to fix that up some, but we wont fall into that trap again.

He is hoping the Hep C clinic will be good to their word and figure out some way for him to get treatment in 2014.

Hope you all are having a good weekend.

ML

Poor Mike, I feel for him, not having the use of an arm. Good thing he doesn't have to put a bra on everyday :) Come to that, it's hard enough get your drawers up and down with one arm LOL.

Hope he recovers quickly and gets back to the business of healing well hepatically :)

HUgs,

Mae