I was finally released from St. Joseph's hospital yesterday. I left with apprehension, because right up until the last minute, I was having issues still.
My stomach started hurting when I had to get X-rays taken on the last day. After the X-rays were done, the radiologists take you to a waiting room until the transporters can take you back to your room. As I was waiting, I had the most horrific stomach cramps. I went to the bathroom thinking maybe it had something to do with that, but that didn’t seem to be the case. I started breaking out in cold sweats and felt like the world was turning upside down. They finally took me to my room and I asked if I could wait 45 minutes to see if the stomach thing would pass. I wanted to go home, but the last thing I wanted to do was go home and then turn around and end up back in the hospital again because of a stomach issue. Thank goodness it seemed to go away and Megan (sister in town) and I were on our way home. It felt great sitting in the convertible with the fresh air blowing through my hair. On the other hand, I wanted nothing more than to get in my own bed and sleep.
Today I had three appointments, the pain management doctor, the Cancer Treatment Centers and home health care. We ended up cancelling the first one because I was completely exhausted and it didn’t make sense to have a pain appointment if I am still healing from my surgery. I would rather wait until I am healed and then we will have a more realistic view of my pain and how it’s affecting me. Since we cancelled this early morning appointment, I slept in until the home health nurse came. This is something new that we will be starting as of this week. A nurse will come by once or twice a week to do med management and take vitals. I’m not sure what to think of this, but I’m sure it will be helpful.
The last appointment was the CTCA. The facility feels more like a Holiday Inn than a cancer hospital. Megan and I went on a tour with Randi, a girl that I had worked with at Belo. From a first glance, the facilities all seem very nice and upscale. I was especially pleased with the in-patient rooms. They were huge! Each room has the capability of turning into an ICU room within a short amount of time. They are also very tech savvy, with large flat screens that are connected to internet, TV, ordering food, etc. Wes and I are going back on the 21st to stay for three days to do some testing and get opinions on next steps, etc. The rooms for outpatients are kind of described as hotel rooms. When Megan and I pulled up, we were trying to guess which hotel it was that I would be staying at. It turns out that currently the outpatient rooms are all onsite on the second floor! When you step inside it looks and feels exactly like a hotel room. This is very convienent for out-of-town guests and visitors.
It is the end of my first full day home from the hospital. My hips and lower back still really hurt. I am very concerned because I am having a difficult time walking. Yesterday, we walked into AJ’s and by the time I walked from my car to the salad bar, I was exhausted. The social worker at the hospital said that I didn’t qualify to have a physical therapist come to my home because I was walking further than their tests. I guess this means being able to walk more than 350 feet on your own or with the help of a walker? I did practice walking with a walker prior to discharge for a couple of days, and each day I progressed by walking double from the day before. Regardless, I am getting really tired from doing simple things. I hope this gets better soon!
Link to blog: http://themelissawaller.wordpress.com/2009/06/12/back-at-home/