This blog is part of my recovery, and I would like it to remain a safe place for me to share parts of myself and my life that people close to me may or may not know. As a result, while I'm not going crazy with privacy settings, I do ask that if you find this on your own and suspect you may know me, please respect my privacy by checking with us before reading any further. This obviously doesn't apply if one of us has given you the link!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Sanguine Saturday In Hospital

Because of the depth and location of this graft, I've been holed up in hospital longer than expected. In fact, very little has gone according to my expectations this time around - I was taken into theatre on Monday morning and on Monday afternoon woke up with two grafts, one of which was attached to an odd vacuum dressing machine that sucked all the gunk out of the wound. The vacuum dressing remained for the first three days and during that time I was not allowed to place any weight on the grafted leg. The day after the dressings came down and the staples were removed, I was allowed to begin taking small walks (such as to the bathroom).

People-wise, I've got good company in here. The fellow in the bed beside me (we'll call him B10) is a real character and has me in fits of laughter a lot, which is good because emotionally I'm generally doing pretty badly. He has some great stories and today he took me to see and feed the feral kitty downstairs (who unfortunately didn't put in an appearance... maybe tomorrow!) There's a lady (B9) opposite him who seems nice, she joins in the joking sometimes but keeps to herself a lot as well, and beside her/opposite me is an elderly man (EB8) who joined us a few days after I did. Before EB8 was in, bed 8 briefly housed a younger fellow who actually went so far as to do a bunk! Just up and disappeared, taking all his belongings, and didn't tell anyone where he was going. B10 of course made the whole situation quite funny.

I am slowly recovering and hoping to go home next Monday.



Success Stories:
Even though it's been difficult, I've been following medical advice, and even agreed to stay in hospital although I could technically have discharged myself as of this morning. (It was "suggested" that I remain, but as I am considered well, it was not enforced.)

When I messed up and almost ran out of internet, I used my skills to ask my brother to use his credit card so that I could recharge it.

I used my skills to ask for a couple of things that I needed here in the hospital which due to one thing or another, I either didn't have or had lost.



Gratitudes List/Things that make me happy:
Giraffes.
Stuffies.
The internet.
Being able to walk.
Books.
Sudoku.
Bejeweled Blitz.
Children.
Precious friends.
Good painkillers!



Cheer-leading statements:
This, too, shall pass. All things pass when we let them.
I do not have to apply black-and-white thinking to my life.
Just because my mother is nice on one occasion does not override the times when she is not nice, and vice versa. She can be both.
Making some bad decisions doesn't make me a freak or a failure, it just means that I am still learning.
It doesn't matter how many times I fall down - as long as I always get back up one time more than I fall.
I am not a bad person.


Take care of yourselves until next time, and may we all find our own small fences along the way.

3 comments:

  1. I hope you get better and are able to be discharged soon.

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  2. I'm glad you've had some success stories!! :) i hope all goes well and you'll be out soon!

    I'm glad you're in good company too!!
    take care
    xoxo
    -Lisa

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  3. I really hope you heal quickly and get to go home soon. I'm glad you have someone there to make you laugh. It always makes me smile when I read your gratitude list and you say giraffes. I like that :-)
    *hugs*
    Sarah

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