Colonialgirl
Hawkeye
As some of you may know, I had back Surgery in the form of a Laminectomy at the L 3-4-5 area done on Tuesday 30 June at my local VA hospital; I was released from the hospital on 03 July. A friend asked me on 04 July how I was doing and this was my reply to her:
OUCH !!!!
Last night was the first night I could lay down to sleep; Other nights the pain in my leg nerves and back was so bad, I couldn't lay on my side, back or stomach, so I had to sleep sitting on the edge of the hospital bed (a torture device to insure maximum patient discomfort) with a pillow on top of the bed side tray and me leaned up over it to take the weight off the lower back and legs ; So, things ARE improving.
I was operated on late Tuesday (6/30) but I don't remember getting wheeled into the operating room (nor out of it for that matter). The food was BLAND and apparently what they considered a "healthy diet" which meant NO SALT on ANYTHING. It was also one packet of Sweet and Low for your coffee and cereal. One breakfast was really good, It was what they called an "Eggbiscuit" which was a "burgershaped" scrambled egg, on an English Muffin with cheese on it; Quite Tasty !! One of nurses was nice enough to bring some 2% milk to replace the 1% water that came on the tray every day.
I do have to say that the Nursing staff in the Surgical recovery unit were the BEST, they were caring and concerned about how I felt and how I was healing; Bless them ALL !!
The MAIN THING that has me PISSED OFF is that the DAMN SURGEON never came to visit me AFTER the operation; There was no way I could ask him questions about the surgery, how everything looked, etc etc, The SOB never bothered to come and visit or check on me; all I got to see was interns a couple of times in the mornings
Would I do it again? Well, given the way I felt before the surgery and the way I have felt since, Let's just say the scale is STILL tipping back and forth; So ask me in a couple of weeks when I feel better, the surgery is well healed and the nerves have settled down a bit more.
OUCH !!!!
Last night was the first night I could lay down to sleep; Other nights the pain in my leg nerves and back was so bad, I couldn't lay on my side, back or stomach, so I had to sleep sitting on the edge of the hospital bed (a torture device to insure maximum patient discomfort) with a pillow on top of the bed side tray and me leaned up over it to take the weight off the lower back and legs ; So, things ARE improving.
I was operated on late Tuesday (6/30) but I don't remember getting wheeled into the operating room (nor out of it for that matter). The food was BLAND and apparently what they considered a "healthy diet" which meant NO SALT on ANYTHING. It was also one packet of Sweet and Low for your coffee and cereal. One breakfast was really good, It was what they called an "Eggbiscuit" which was a "burgershaped" scrambled egg, on an English Muffin with cheese on it; Quite Tasty !! One of nurses was nice enough to bring some 2% milk to replace the 1% water that came on the tray every day.
I do have to say that the Nursing staff in the Surgical recovery unit were the BEST, they were caring and concerned about how I felt and how I was healing; Bless them ALL !!
The MAIN THING that has me PISSED OFF is that the DAMN SURGEON never came to visit me AFTER the operation; There was no way I could ask him questions about the surgery, how everything looked, etc etc, The SOB never bothered to come and visit or check on me; all I got to see was interns a couple of times in the mornings
Would I do it again? Well, given the way I felt before the surgery and the way I have felt since, Let's just say the scale is STILL tipping back and forth; So ask me in a couple of weeks when I feel better, the surgery is well healed and the nerves have settled down a bit more.
.
