Pictures from Hospital

Still in hospital

Yes we are still in the hospital.... what was suppose to be only a few day stay ... is now going on four days .. and possibly getting to leave sometime Sunday. WE HOPE.

This is all because of the amount of air that got into and around Nicks lung while they were doing the surgery, also the amount of bleeding and liquid in there also.

They are telling us that tomorrow they will be back in for another x-ray, then turning off the oxygen on the machine and switching it to a water seal. Not sure how long after that before they can then pull the tubing out, I am not looking forward to seeing that either... the tube is very long and goes from the incision site at bottom of his ribs up to his collar bone. He is now on two pain medications because he said he has pain every time he breathes because he can feel the tube pushing on his lung and rib cage. I will have pictures of the stuff they did and the nodule once I get home and can scan the picture I was given.

Some have asked how Tim is doing lately, well the answer to that is that things have not changed for him at all. He did go in to have a EMG test done, he will get the results back when the doctor has the results typed up or figured out. He said the doctor did say that in some areas he does have significant nerve damage, but what else.
Tim is still unable to sit down (AT ALL), if he drives he has to have the truck seat laid down and then he has to lean to the side so that his lower body does not go into a sitting position. Otherwise he has extreme pain and then spasms in legs, hip and back. (His only time driving is to go about four blocks to get a coffee - this is his only way of having some independence of the norm - and that is not always a daily event). His only other way to go anywhere is to have someone drive him, so he can lay down in the backseat of his truck or theirs. He spends his days laying on our bed on a wedge to elevate him, with his laptop on a bed table, he has to eat his meals either standing by the sink or counter .. or kneeling on the floor on his knee - and only can kneel on one leg, this puts to much pressure on his hip on the other leg. He can only stand for short periods of time - before his left leg starts to have pain, the feeling of swelling in foot .. numbness is leg and foot and other stuff too. Hard to keep track of it all. So he is better off laying, but in this he still has pain, numbness, spasms also. So life can be a challenge... he spends a lot of time looking forward to going to bed... (where he has spent all day) .. then taking all his pain med's, sleeping pills.. and still laying there for hours until sleep comes. Quite the life.

While Me and Nick are in the hospital - its just Tim and the dog and cat at home.. the cat is no big deal .. she says in the basement .. and as long is there is food and water he don't show his face around. The dog is another story .. he has been whining non-stop looking for me, Tim has had to stay down in the living room most of the time .. near him and he still goes and sits by the stairs and cries. Not much he can do about that.

Yesterday I went over to Abbott Northwestern . through the tunnel to visit a good friends Mom who is there for a bladder infection, but they were running other test as well - just to be on the safe side.
Today, I went back over and my friends brother was there whom I haven't seen in years, we chatted got kinda up to date. Then after he left, they brought her her dinner just put it on the table and left... She was sitting in a chair.. I put the table so she could reach it.. but after she gave it one try and all the food dropped off. I took over and feed her, she apologized for me having to help her when I just came to visit her. I told her not to even think of it, I didn't even give it a thought - I did it for my mom - I could do it for her.

I did mention that I had always wanted to go into nursing right from High school, but then life got in the way .. and I had my kids and they then came first. Who would have known .. that I would be nursing all of those I hold dear to my heart and love now. Should have gotten that nursing degree years ago. They should give you a degree also based on experience - I think I qualify. Life is full of surprises.