At first glance the manipulated photo appears to be interesting shapes, but upon further inspection two of the shapes become a cat and a nearly hidden face.
MizRiley takes her job of protecting Stacy very seriously. This is their favorite way of taking a nap on the couch. There is a permanent sag on the back cushion where MizRiley has carved out a place for her plump self. One paw needs to be touching Stacy at all times which makes for some amusing cat positions. The photo taken 6/26, the day before the last "Hospital Adventure," pretty well sums up just how sick she was!
I met the young surgeon late Wednesday night and he had changed his tune since he first presented his opinion of what should be done for Stacy. We had a good talk and he said that while his first thought was to do what is normally done for dialysis patients, either a fistula or graft, he realized that Stacy has special needs and he would be only to happy to make things easier for her! Ah! A man after my own heart!
At midnight we got the word that the procedure to remove the infected catheter would be at 7:30. After only about 3 hours sleep I walked the halls in the hospital praying and attempting to squash the anxiety I was having. I had complete faith in the surgeon, it was Stacy's fears and trauma that I was concerned about.
After all it was only five years ago that she wouldn't go into the OR without me donning a gown, mask and gloves so that I could be with her when they put her under. Not a pleasant experience, no parent should ever go into the OR and see a tray of scalpels, etc. Four years ago I waited with her in the "staging" area just before she was wheeled into the OR and I wondered what this time would be like.
The nurse woke Stacy up at 6:15 and the first thing Stacy said was, "I'm not going to like this! It's going to feel strange without the catheter and I'm going to miss it." I sat on her bed and we said our goodbyes to the catheter that had been good to her for 4 years but now it "needed" to understand that it was time for a new one. Stacy decided I was being ridiculous saying goodbye to it, but it did give her some peace of mind and a good laugh.
I kissed her at the door to the OR and watched her go off through the doors and prayed that they wouldn't be sending for me. At 9:00 I was invited into post-op and there she was sitting up on a gurney chatting away with an RN, Jeri, who said, "Can I adopt her? She's the greatest patient I've had in a long time and so sweet." Stacy said, "My mom needs me so you can't adopt me." Jeri smiled and said, "I imagine that your mother does need you, but I'm hoping that I get to be your nurse tomorrow when they put in your new catheter, will that be okay with you." "Yep, you can have me."
Before she was released from post-op the surgeon came in to tell me that the preliminary lab tests were showing major Staph around the tubing and tissue samples and could have been there for up to a year! No wonder she's been so ill!!! The rest of the day went by fairly well, but I couldn't sleep again that night. Surgery was sheduled for 10:45 and this one involved two incisions . . .
"See ya in the room when I wake up," she said as she was wheeled through the doors to the OR! "It'll be a piece of cake she added." At noon the Pink Lady Volunteer stood in front of me, her eyes wide and said, "They say your daughter is waiting for you in post-op. I'll take you." On the way she said, "I've never taken anyone into post-op, it just isn't done. No family is ever allowed in there, so I'm sure curious about why you get to go in." I wanted to say something like, "She's in the witness protection program," or, "She's famous and we keep a good eye on her," but I just smiled and said that "she has brain damage and it's easier on her and the nurses if I'm in there." The volunteer said, "I guess she's pretty special then." I said, "You have no idea."
Jeri greeted me with, "I won the coin toss and got her as my patient again." And two RN's saying, "we lost!" Stacy said, "They were fighting over me but the best one won."
She was back in her room at 12:30, ate lunch and dialysis started at 2:30 in the new catheter. I came home and was under the impression that Mom would be able to bring Stacy home around 6:30. I had a good cry; a mixture of relief, fatigue and frustration over not having the infection discovered sooner! Starting at 6:00 Mom phoned every 30 minutes with an update until 10:00 when Mom finally said, "We'll be there in a few minutes!" Talk about anxiety! Mom doesn't hold up well and was probably more exhauted than I was. I'd gotten in a two hour nap when I got home and Mom had been up since 6am and she is 78 years old! The hold-up was that the lab tests following dialysis indicated a low reading of the antibiotic she'd had on Thursday so before Stacy could be released she needed another round of it and that takes about an hour.
Today, Saturday, is quiet and we're all so numb and worn out than none of us can summon up enough energy to talk or get out of our robes.
