compliance 2

The Spice and other friends were awaiting me in my appointed room after the surgery and we spoke much after I was settled into my more permanent bed. Later that evening it was proven to me that I had neither dignity nor modesty left when I went through the “joy” of the VERY necessary procedure of the in-out catheter, I just lay there in compliance and was grateful for the relief. Things along that line were better after that, but still a miserable night and I got very little sleep.

A clock was on the wall opposite from my bed and in my direct line of sight – it seemed to move very slowly all that afternoon and evening. Just having to lie there and not being able to sleep made the dark hours last forever. The longed for morning finally came and I ate my first solid food – I was in great gratitude to the night nurse that made this possible – since I had only liquids until then. The hospital stay was the overnight observation type and next morning when the doctor came in, he said I was doing OK and he was allowing me to go home – I was gladly in compliance with that order.

There was the normal delay for the doc to write up the orders for departure, the nurse to detach the IV line, give me final instructions and arrange for the wheelchair to take me to the front door. My trip to the front door began and the Spice departed to get the van and meet me at the entrance. It could have been a dank, dark day and still would have looked beautiful to me – I was on my way home.

The two main instructions of the doc were to not lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk and walk. I have been in compliance with both of these since day one back home. That first day home found me walking three times, though some might have called my gait somewhat of a shuffle and very slow at that. My steps have improved and some of the walks have been outside – the longest thus far has been almost a mile. The inside strolls have been around the house from one end to the other.

The old year slowly leaked away and we welcomed the new one in a very sedate and non-exciting manner – as that was about all the gusto I could muster. On New Year’s Day there was a celebration though – this was the day I could remove my bandage and take a shower again – yippee!! Had some lingering stomach problems that hung on for over a week – thankfully they are gone now.

I knew the stomach was getting back to normal when I started desiring lemon-pepper rotisserie chicken – this was a real bummer since it was too late in the evening for one of these to be obtained. We had doc appointments next day and stopped by for one of these delightful food items after the visits. We got home, fixed some side dishes and ‘chowed’ down on our feast. Since I had eaten very little over the preceding 10 days, I filled up quickly, but the meal was all I had dreamed it would be and even had a little more of it for my evening sustenance.

There remains a problem with sore muscles and joints and an inability to sleep over an hour at a time, but these are being addressed with tests. Even these do not diminish my gratitude for the repair and continuing healing of the back problem or my thanksgiving to God for what has been done already. The doc or nurse are not present to make sure I follow the proper rules, but the Spice is and to her I yield in – compliance. ec