Monday, December 22, 2008

Saturday was busy

The best thing that happened on my fourth day in the hospital was Max, Anya, and Miles braving the snowstorm to come up from Northampton to visit (Warning: grandmotherly boast coming up). Miles,in a gentile mood, happily snuggled up to me on my hospital bed. It was incredibly therapeutic. He didn't react to the NG tube coming out of my nose or any of the other tubes and wires I'm hooked up to. His parents must have prepped him well. He even brought his own stethoscope, as well as two stuffed rats. When they left, he left Ritty Bitty (the small gray one) with me in case I needed a snuggle.

The rest of the day was also good, but tiring. They removed the catheter and decided I didn't need the leg wraps that pump up the circulation and keep me from getting clots. Two fewer systems to deal with.

Then a glitch. On my way back from the bathroom, the NG tube suddenly popped out of my nose onto the floor. Unfortunately, the doctor didn't take this as a sign that I no longer needed the tube and had the nurse insert a new one. To get the right length, you measure from the nostril to the earlobe to just below the sternum, in case you might have to insert one sometime.

The one bit of self-care I've been skimping on is the breathing exercises. Whenever I try any kind of Yogic breathing (pranayama), I cough, which hurts, so I give it up. They scold me a lot for not coughing, to prevent my lungs from clogging up. Now back on pain meds, I am under strict orders to cough, damn it. So I do.

4 comments:

Blue Spruce said...

Hey Lucie!
If Miles was in a gentile mood, does that me he doesn't get to celebrate Hannukah?

A-muse said...

Damn! Blue Spruce beat me to it. I was going to say, don't Jews get to cuddle, too? I felt vicariousl affection for little Miles--what a great kid, bringing you one of his "rats." And snuggling. He has great parents, sounds like and great grandparents! I hope to meet Miles some day.....Lucie, I care about you SO much----you rest, let the pain med do its work and get BETTER---OXO-----

Arctic-mermaid said...

Happy Happy. So good to hear you are scampering about. And with a new rat friend. So lucky, You are truly loved.

Ev said...

Oh it must be frustrating trying to do something for yourself (deerga swasam) and wind up ding what you were told to do (coughing)!
I'm glad to hear you are warm and safe as the storms march across the country. Hoping Jerry is staying warm and dry and wishing you both sunshine and a trip back home together.
Ev