My Chaotic Realm

Spent last night at hospital with Spirit and ate dinner... TRIED to watch TV...what a waste. So we chatted for a bit & then slept. Left this morning to go feed the zoo only to find that Tara was expressing her loneliness by shredding Bud's chair cushion. Smart girl... chewed his instead of hers. Sigh. And how do I know it was Spirit's dog and not mine that misbehaved? Because, before the arrival of Tara, furniture was SAFE. So, cleaned up the mess, bed by 6:30am, alarm @ 10:30am told me it was time to feed/scoop/water/walk/etc all of the zoo inhabitants & head back. Arrived this afternoon (after pit stop @ HEB for dark chocolate and Q-Tips) to find an unencumbered person in Spirit's bed. No, wait..that IS Spirit!! Almost didn't recognize as there are no machines beeping, no fluids dripping and nothing else otherwise attached. That's right... FREE! I heard a rumor that Spirit even got in a lap around the Nurse's Station but have not yet confirmed such. I...

around 9pm last night a small smear on the St David's night staff...but only small. Spirit needed a potty break but the floor nurse had not yet put phone # on duty board. So Spirit presses the "Call Nurse" button on the bed.... no one answered until 10:30pm. Sigh. VERY apologetic when she did, Spirit seemed okay with it. Let it slide...the rest of the time has been grand (except for the pain). Today's schedule? Dr Stovall's physical therapist was there around 11am to show Spirit the basics like how to get out of a bed, into a bed, sit, stand, etc. Had Spirit demonstrate walking with cane...frowned at lack of stability...coughed up a proper walker... MUCH BETTER! Spirit also sounds better, not as much pain in voice. They will write prescription for real walker when ready to leave so that falling is not such an issue. And issue it is, as that is how this whole thing started. Sigh. Then an epidural/spinal cortisone shot after lunch...which, if true to form, will...

Well, I am blessed with friends... I am so grateful to you all. Wont name you here but I LOVE the meatloaf...it was breakfast. Lasagna will be dinner. And thanx, too, for picking up my Rx at HEB as they don't much fit my schedule right now. I missed Dr Stovall AGAIN! ARGH. Apparently he works too freaking much so I keep missing him. He was here right before 7pm. I was looking for a parking space at that time. When I finally got my butt up to the 3rd floor with a change of clothes for Spirit, flowers (from Energy & spouse) and some CDs & DVDs (laptop is a useful thing), he had vanished off the wing. However, another wonderful friend, who had sat with Spirit ALL DAY, was here and gave me the rundown. So, a really rough night ... the flex test last night at 9:30pm was a bit of an ordeal. Bend forward, take an Xray. Bend backward, take another Xray. And repeat. Oh, and, get left standing against the Xray machine because the tech gets so involved in the film that he forgets...

They did Spirit's flex test last night, about 9:30pm. One more test to go this morning and then Dr Stoval will decide on a course of action. Also, Dr. Stoval wants Dr Volpe to do an spinal epidural. Don't have a timeline on that. Dr Volpe is so sweet, really.... turns out he has worked on someone else that lives right around the corner from me, and got RAVE reveiws. Spirit has eaten breakfast, which is more than I can say. i got up @ 5:45am to start on the zoo... and made it to work on time... Yeeha! Stay tuned.

Yes..he has appeared! Turns out his assistant had family emergency so he was doing that job plus his and so did not make it by Spirit's hospital room until almost 9pm. Wants 2 more tests done, epidural in the spine as well & THEN we will discuss diagnosis/prognosis & recovery options. However, as I have been off work for 3 days & the mortgage is due is 2 weeks, I go back to work tomorrow. Some friends will be taking turns sitting with Spirit & getting to know and love the hospital staff like we do. Lauren, if you are reading this, you are a doll! So is the brunette that keeps fishing me out of the wrong corridor & getting me back to room 437. Sorry I don't know your name but I am a bit dazed by the immensity of St. David's North Austin Medical Center. The food there rocks. You order it like room service & it is actually TASTY. can you believe it? So, if you want to call Spirit and wish speedy recovery, patience, or whatever, feel free... 512-901-534...

Okay, Spirit went to doc appt yesterday 9:45am with bacjk doctor who admitted her and asked for MRI of back STAT. That meant almost 9pm by the time Spirit was admitted to NAMC (Room 347) and sedated enough to be still on back for 30-45 minutes. Now, we are waiting on word from the consulting neurosurgeon, whom the hospital cannot locate. If you wish to call, her room phone is 512-901-5347. Back to the hospital I go. and

...we need to get up for trip to doc anyways. Actually, I did get some sleep, off & on. Spirit had a monster calf cramp that made sleep sketchy at best. At 8am we head off to N Austin for 9:45am appointment with Dr Volpe at ADC hospital . Yesterday's reiki seemed to help ... some color, a bit of voice not squashed by pain and some rest, albeit it not as restorative as a good sleep but at least not thrashing and crying all night long. Dogs are fed & have been out to potty...now they await our departure so they can be tossed outside. Last time we left them in (our Sun trip to ER) they were less than kind to a couch pillow. Next, feed the fish, change guinea litter & drop in a fresh bottle of water, scoop the cats' litter, feed the inhabitants of the reptile room & then drag Spirit (screaming, sigh) from bed & head off. More on our return....

alrighty, update on Spirit:: Long night but some sleep was found, Spirit after several Vicodin, me on the couch listening intently, even as I dozed. I called docs again today, explained the ER, the regular doc, the PT doc, the trip to the ER again 3am Sunday... and got put through to the appointment nurse's voicemail. Called back and pressed 1 for emergency... woman put me right back into the voicemail program. Called AGAIN and said THE ER told me to tell you I need a freakin' appointment and an MRI right freakin' now..." and Lisa (bless her heart) said "Let me put you through to the back line for neuropathy. And , lo & behold, they made an appointemtn for Tuesday, 9:45am. HURRAH!!! So, after calling a few people (that said prior "Call if you need ANYTHING") I showered, fed the zoo and left for work, knowing that someone was there for Spirit. Also, reiki person came from Bryan, TX to work with Spirit & reduce her pain level some. And another grac...

UPDATE: After a couple of shots of dilaudid & a couple shots of norflex they deemed Spirit able to come home. Left the ER and arrived home around 6:30am this morning to find the dogs had shredded Bud's pillow ALL over the hemp rug. Was easier cleanup than the time they shredded a box of Kleenex tho. Richard was the RN and he is a very nice man. Did a great job making sure Spirit was comfy & warm. Which is more than her regular doc did on Friday. The reason we went to see the REGULAR doc was because when we called the BACK doc, they told us they could not see her until her regular doc had. Referrals or some such crap. Of course, when we get to the regular doc, she tells Spirit to get appt w/the BACK doc & have an MRI done ASAP. They gave her a shot to take the edge off the pain (from a 10 to about a 5) and an Rx for 800mg ibuprofen. And, by the time we were done there , we could not get in to back doc. And by Saturday night, the pain had radiated from right leg...