Seems like forever since I had the time or energy to post here. I really don't have either, but I just can't do one more thing that doesn't require sitting today. I'm too wired to sleep and my head still hurts like hell from my cold. Hasn't been a great day at Dreamy's house. To tell the truth, the last few weeks haven't been all that great either.
We had a nice Thanksgiving at my good friend's house in NY state, but with my low blood counts from chemo, I ended up with the mother of all colds. I still can't breathe, my sinuses hurt and I cough all night. My ears sound like they are full of water. I can hear gurgling when I turn my head. UGH. Dr. has me on antibiotics and inhalers and icky cough medicine. No danger of me getting addicted to it... it's NASTY. Although I feel better, it's still not very good. This is my week off from chemo so that's one good thing. I also have next week off because it's time for me to get my PET scan on the 10th. It has to be 2 weeks or more after chemo in order not to get a false positive. That means I have to skip next week too and then start back again the next Wednesday. Please pray hard that this chemo is working!I don't want to start from day 1 again!
Today didn't help anything. I got to sleep maybe about 3:30 last night when all the meds kicked in. I was vaguely awake when the hubby left at 5:30am to do some charity begging in town. You know...donate some cash and they give you a lil piece of paper for a good cause. They were all over town today. Anyhow..... about 6:10am I hear a small bang against my bedroom door and I wake to look up and see my 24 yr old daughter standing there.... washcloth to her eye area... covered in blood... dripping off her elbow. (I cleaned my carpets on Monday, BTW) She was disoriented and faint. I led her out of my room to her bathroom to sit her down. Her bathroom looked like a scene from CSI. Blood was everywhere. Apparently she got up to go the bathroom, turned on her light and everything went blurry and she passed out. We figure she hit her head on the marble ledge outside the shower. She must have been laying there unconscious for a time. The thick terry bath mat had a blood spot bigger than a dinner plate and showing signs of blood soaking back up from the bottom in places. It was congealing on top. I picked it up to throw it in the sink and it was dripping. I threw a towel on the floor to keep from spreading blood everywhere. I forced her to take the cloth away so I could look at her face. Good Lord...I saw bone. She had hit on the brow bone. The laceration was from over an inch above the brow , down through the brow and to the eye crease and then sideways about a half inch. It gaped open almost an inch. There are times I am glad I am a nurse. With a very calm and poker face I said. "Honey, that's gonna need some stitches. Let's get dressed." THEN it got interesting. I'm not good in the morning. I had to get dressed, get her dressed, calm the other two girls who had awakened by this time and were sure she was dying and get on the road. For some reason it never entered my mind to call the EMTs. She was lucid by that time and neuro signs were ok. I called the neighbor and headed out on the snowy and slippery roads to get to the hospital...about 15 minutes away. (Did you all hear about that wonderful lake effect snow in western NY and PA?)
Luckily we got to the ER before the major fender benders of rush hour traffic started. They took her right in. One of the resident drs referred to it as the "grand canyon" of lacerations. She wasn't cool with that. What tact with a young girl who already thinks she will be ugly and scarred for life. I wanted to smack him. She had an EKG, CT scan, brain scan and bloodwork to match what she lost on the floor. They didn't find a reason for the faint, but determined nothing was broken or bleeding internally. We opted... much to the dismay and maybe anger of the attending ER dr...... to wait till the plastic surgeon could get out of the OR and come stitch her back together. I won't settle for "a good job" when I can get the best job. And he did do a wonderful job on her. I got a lil antsy when he was stitching her eyelid, but I never was good with eyeballs...LOL. All in all she had a layer of 8 stitches then a layer of 9 and then a layer of 14 to close the skin. She severed a nerve that runs through the brow and part of the top of her head is a little numb. Dr said the feeling might or might not come back. Could be worse. When he cleaned it, he showed us how much bone was exposed. I could only see half of it before because of the blood. It was wild. I thought my hubby (who showed up about 11 am.. just in time for suturing) was going to fall over. The dr was amazed at how calm she was. I reminded him of the good drugs they gave her...LOL. Problem with that was that they made her nauseated. Can't have everything I guess...LOL. We had to wait a long time for all the tests to come back and finally get discharged. While we waited, the school called to say my middle child was barfing all over the bathroom. She got herself worked up at lunch and was crying. Her way of dealing with stress is crying and then she makes herself sick. I sent her dad to deal with her. HE wasn't happy either. *grins* Finally we got out of the ER and home about 3:30. I made the oldest some soup and crackers, checked on the other sickie, sent the hubby back to work, tucked the bloody one into bed and then collapsed on the couch about 4:30. Oh darn...I forgot about dinner and laundry and homework. I managed to get about 20 minutes in before all hell broke loose again.
SO..... all are in bed now. The bathroom mess is cleaned, as are the carpets again. All are showered and in bed. I had to shower with the oldest in order to wash the blood out of her hair and not get the area wet. She really isn't the one I have dreamed of showering with...hehehe. Needless to say the hubby shuffled off to bed about 8pm. Not much help, that one.
I think I am too tired to rest. I get that way. I'll unwind in a couple hours. And as they say... tomorrow is another day.
Sigh... ok...for those of you that managed to read through all of this and not run screaming from TMI or boredom.... thanks for letting me vent. I hate to complain and whine, but sometimes ya just gotta let it out. *smiles* I feel better now.
I've been reading your blogs, which are a bit slower than usual, but it's the holidays and people get busy. I hope you all have a great Christmas and God gives you everything you need. Notice I didn't say "want". Keep me in your prayers. I just want one thing this year and I think you know what it is. I really NEED it too. C'mon God.... be my Santa.
Take care and have a great weekend. I've been thinking about you! Hugs all around...
Deb
YOU make me dizzy ... and amaze me Deb ... we need to do lunch ... whatcha wanna cook?
ReplyDeleteWhat Scotty said and so much more, woman you humble me to no end.. thank you for just being you, and you better damn well believe I'm praying for you.. I kinda feel ashamed, I've been feelin more then a little blue about the holidays, (first ones without my nanny) but honestly have been trying not to show it... but when I see everything you have gotten done, and then able to joke about it well *blushin* ... I admire you so very much... and know anytime you wanna vent, my door's always open... loves ya sweet pea... and you have the most awesome Christmas that ever was... *grinz* there I go writing a book... and as for Scotty Lee's invitation for lunch... come on down and have it wtih me... and I'LL cook... lol and we'll just let him drool ;) hugggsssssssss you tight, and many prayers and wonderful thoughts your way
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