Hospital Stay

Note ... This post from Cherina should have been put up prior to her last post, as it covers the time between her first and last day in the hospital.

June 2-5, 2011 - Hospital Stay:

The first couple of days in the hospital weren’t so bad. I had a pain med pump that I could press every time I felt pain. I found out real quickly that it would time itself out every 6 minutes! I really don’t remember much on day two. Looking back, I was way more drugged up than I thought! The first two days, I felt like I was in a completely different room than I was for the remainder of the time. Found out I was in the same room the whole stay. I remember people laughing after I would say something. I didn’t find what I said funny, but apparently it was! I slept a lot, tried to eat the almost inedible hospital food and just sat around.

The next few days were harder than the first. I had a foley catheter, which proved to be no problem early on, but grew to be quite the issue for me. It was pretty uncomfortable yet it was nice to not have to get up to use the bathroom. Early on, the central line in my neck was hardly noticeable but that too came with its own set of problems. When I was able to shower, the dressing that covered the central line needed to be changed; seeing that I have super sensitive skin, the cleaning of the wound caused some great irritation. To sum it up, I looked like a burn victim. During recovery, they really stress the importance of walking around and moving about. It was explained that movement promotes muscle rebuilding and helps prevent clots. So let me paint you a picture for you. Here I am walking around so slow that I can barely take it, with a catheter hanging out of me and weird looking cords coming out of my neck all while pushing an IV pole-like stand! It was a funny scene I’m sure, but it’s all a much needed part of recovery.

 I was so overwhelmed by all of my visitors! I knew I was cared for but this was something else. Many of my close friends came bearing gifts, cards and smiles. It was so nice seeing them all. Some lived close and some did not. I felt bad for the visitors that happened to come when I was feeling low and for the ones that came and didn’t get to see me! My boyfriend Cody and my aunt Swedini were so helpful and put up with all of my demands and needs. Being that they were at the hospital with me for most of the day, they unfortunately ended riding my emotional roller coaster with me! The steroids made me extremely emotional and irritable; those feelings juxtaposed with pain and all of the hospital personnel coming in and out, made me a nervous-wreck!! I hated the way I was feeling and coming across. I was reassured it would get better and that I would learn how to control it all. In regards to all the “hospital personnel,” they were all nice and just trying to do their jobs. It was just one person coming in the room after another trying to teach me important information I needed about pills and post-surgical tips. I could hardly hold a conversation at times due to fatigue and/or pain, let alone absorb this crucial information they were presenting me with. I remember at one point my aunt could tell how perturbed I was and told everyone to leave and come back another time. Like I said, she’s a good advocate.

Outside of the wonderful gift of getting my life back, there were other good things about staying at the hospital. I was able to see my loving Cody more than I’ve seen him in a long time because I lived in Bremerton and he lived in Seattle. I was able to see my aunt that I don’t get to see very often who lives in Canada. It was also nice that I was able to see Kara as much as I did. She was always so happy with a smile on her face. It was inspiring. Here I was at times tormenting my aunt and Cody and then she’s in there smiling! Without even knowing it, she was helping me with my perspective, all along really. Maybe getting your vitals taken every two hours in the dead of night wasn’t so bad after all? :)

Everyday a group of doctors doing their rounds would come by room and see how I was coming along. Every time they saw my scar they complimented it and asked who my surgeon was. Apparently my perfectly straight scar is a good one! The doctors addressed my long list of questions and moved on. I looked forward to seeing them every morning. Overall, my care was good and I was glad to be at the UWMC.

One night Cody came and stayed with me, which was so comforting. He slept in a humble fold out next to my hospital bed. I gave him an eye mask to sleep because I knew the nurses and aids would be visiting my room every few hours to check my vitals. He was such a trooper. That night I was experiencing a considerable amount of pain due to my raw neck from the central line; I was probably making noises of all kinds. It was maybe just another night for him, for he’s been helping me through all of this from the beginning. I’m so blessed for him and all of the other wonderful people in my life.

Another highlight for me were my little visitors. Kara and Shane’s daughters came to see me! At first, judging by Ainslee’s face, she seemed a little confused. She then lit right up and said hello! Shane also shared a special Internet link with me. It was Kara on the radio talking about how she was going to give a kidney to a stranger and how excited she was! I had no clue she had done this. It was such an extraordinary surprise. Since then, I still listen to that link every once in a while and often share it with others.

I remember the doctors wanting me to leave the hospital a day earlier than I wanted. I also remember the doctors suggesting to Kara for her to also leave a day sooner. We both opted to stay the extra night for several reasons. My aunt even said at one point she wouldn’t take me home the day the doctors initially suggested. The physicians explain that one should leave the hospital as soon as they can because of the high risk of infection in hospitals. I had heard this before but I still find it ironic that a place one must heal in isn’t necessarily a safe one. The cleaning staff did a good job of cleaning the room everyday from what I remember, which made it easier to make the decision to stay another night.

Those 5 days in the hospital went fast at times and slow at other times. I’m so happy I only had to stay for less than a week. Kidney transplants have sure come a long way since my mom’s day. She was in the hospital for a whole month! I definitely count my blessings when I hear that. She also was in quarantine, unlike me. I’m so happy everything went well and that we both were able to leave the hospital in good condition.

~Cherina