Saturday, September 17, 2011

Things I learned this past week. {I'm back!}

Greetings, blog friends!!! I'm spending my morning catching up online, but before I go any further I promised Carrie that I would create a post to let you know I'm doing well and on the road to recovery. {Many thanks to my sweet girl C for guest blogging for me!!!} Your sweet comments, emails, cards, thoughts, prayers and love lifted my spirit more that words can say. I'm am deeply grateful for each and every one of you.

Flowers from Doug, Carrie, and my mom & sister. Doug
brought framed photos for me on the first day I was there. :o)

Without further adieu, following are a few points of interest from this past week:

* "Infection and perforation of the bowel" is a term I never want to hear again.
Kind of a gross way to start the list, but it is what it is. And let me tell you, it was brutal. It started as a tummy-ache that lasted for a few days. I was exhausted but thought it was because Doug and I have been going full-speed-ahead for the past several weeks. It's hard to know when to call it quits and realize I needed medical attention.

* Going without food or water for several days in a row is a miserable existence.
This might sound corny, but I have a whole new appreciation for world hunger. When we were kids we didn't have much money, but we were never hungry {thanks, Mom}. My stay in the hospital brought a new awareness to me...must do something to contribute...

{LOL - kind of a puny meal, but I was SOOOO grateful for this!!!}

* Potassium through an IV Burns.Like.Hell.


* Even in my weakest hour, my brother Ron can make me belly-laugh like no one else on this planet.
He was in town on business and I missed out on having dinner with the gang, but he visited me in the hospital and that was awesome.  :o) {thanks, Ronnie!}

* Never underestimate the power of prayer.

Even though I was sicker than I've ever been in my 50 years on the planet, I've never felt so uplifted and loved by so many amazing people.
{love.}

* There are angels on earth and they appear when you need them most.
Brandon, a young nurse in the Emergency Room who was patient and caring and reassuring and amazing. I made him earn his pay that day!
Deepa, a beautiful young woman of Indian descent. She was my day-nurse the first two days of my hospital stay and I knew instantly that we were kindred spirits. This woman was born to be a nurse.
Mohamed, the night charge nurse who answered my calls over the intercom with a cheerful "How may I help you Mrs. {last name here}" He pronounced my last name correctly from the first time {rare}. Come to find out, he knows my sister-in-law Janet who has been a nurse at that same hospital for over 30 years. :o)
Ronald, a sweet young man from the cafeteria who came to my room on the day I could finally eat something. He took my food order as if I were a VIP customer in a five-star restaurant. I loved that.
{I plan to write a letter of gratitude to the CEO of Chandler Regional Hospital.}


* Hospital gowns have an opening in the front too.
So, on my last day in captivity I was told I needed to get up and walk around. Knowing there was a gap in the back of my hospital gown, I slipped my walking shorts on and scooted myself out and about, making the loop around the hospital floor I was on. When I returned to my room I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and realized that the 5-inch gap on the upper right side of my gown clearly revealed one-half of my womanhood. Nice.
And on that note, I'm off to see what I've
missed in blog world this past week.
!

31 comments:

Unknown said...

LOL I am cracking up at the last one! Such a good blog post today, mom-friend. I am SO happy you're home. Love you lots!!

Ruth said...

Welcome home! There's many a tale to be told about hospital gowns ...
(The word verification is 'words', how perfect!)

traci said...

you poor thing. that doesn't sound fun at all. i am so happy that you are home and feeling better. don't overdo anything though. let your family wait on you a little more. you deserve it.

scrappyjacky said...

Welcome back,Deb....am so happy to read this post...and pleased to see your sense of humour is intact!!

Margaret said...

Deb: I am so glad you are doing better. I feel so bad that I didn't know! But I am sending the follow-up prayers, and those are important too. So best wishes. Don't do too much too fast. Relax.

Stephanie@La Dolce Vita said...

Welcome back Deb! So happy you're Home! Be good to yourself and rest up!

Cheri said...

So glad to see that your recent illness had no lasting effect on your sense of humor! And maybe, just maybe, the show that you were giving as you made your round on the floor - made someone's day a little brighter???

Maria Ontiveros said...

Deb,
So glad and grateful that you are home and on the mend. Sending lots & lots of love & hugs to you!
Rinda

Daphne said...

Nice to have you back! Take care the next days! xxx

Daniela Dobson said...

OK, that was a funny post. Not funny that you are in the hospital. So glad things are better. I am a nurse and I work in the operating room (when I work) and I am glad you had such a positive experience at the hospital. Great nurses are a great help too. Take care! Hugs.

Lizzie said...

Hilarious, wonderful and very "Deb"!
Oh I'm so glad you are back again, and with your sense of humour (and irony!) intact.
What a week you have had, poor Deb! I am really glad you're well on the road to recovery. Take your time - your poor body has had a lot to cope with this week. Perhaps you should leave the decorating and sorting out to Doug for a week or so?
It is great to have you back in Blogland again. We all missed you - and we were all wishing and praying for your speedy recovery.
Love to you and All the Gang!
xxx

Kirsti said...

Oh I am so glad u r much better Deb!!! Must gave u an awful scare.
Keep well and take care..
Kirsti xxx

Anonymous said...

So glad things are better!!! Glad you're home and take care of yourself and don't overdo. :)

Anonymous said...

Welcome back to blogland we missed your cheery posts but you have made up for your absence with this one - I never had you down as a flasher!

Alison said...

So glad to hear you are on the mend, Deb...and that you can find the humour a even in a hospital stay! You have all been very much in my thoughts and prayers. Try not to overdo it this week
Alison xx

Mom said...

Yay! My Debbie is back! Your good health may have been struggling to make an appearance but your wit and talent in story telling never left. Love this post and love you for being able to entertain and brighten all our days! We've all been so worried and now we have reason to rejoice, although I know you have several rough days ahead. With your attitude, they won't be half-bad though! Love you, Sweetie! xoxo

scrappysue said...

What a fun post to start off my morning! Glad you are home safely and well on the road to recovery. Looks like you were in the best of care too. x

Amy said...

Snort ... I imagine anyone working in a hospital just turns a blind eye to such wardrobe gaffes ... but like Ruth said, there are many tales about those pesky hospital gowns!

Make sure you rest up this week .. Doug sounds like he has the right idea .. restricting you to 'computer' duties! ;-)

Sian said...

Trust you to be able to see the positive :) I had a scary experience a bit like this about a year after I was married - the pain was awful and yes the drip hurt too; so I have a bit of an idea of how miserable you have been:(

It's so good to hear that you have turned the corner and are on the road to recovery xx

debs14 said...

Now young lady, you have to promise never to worry us like this again!
You've obviously been very poorly and I'm so pleased you are home and blogging again. So just you rest up and do what the doctor orders, because we don't want to see any more hospital photos - OK?!

Anonymous said...

So glad to see you back!!! It sounds perfectly awful. Please take great care of yourself the next few weeks while you rebuild your strength.

Rhona said...

So lovely to have you back on your blog again. I did have to laugh at your last point - I'm sure you made a few people smile on your walk around the floor ;) xx

Susan said...

Welcome home - I miss you!

tainted with a positive view said...

I have heard that is a very painful thing - so glad you are home. Your toes look great - perfect for a hospital stay.

Jo.C said...

Glad to see you are on the road to recovery - Cheri's comment made me laugh but she may have a point:0)
Keep smiling and get well soon x

Amanda said...

It's good to see that you are making good recovery and may it continue.

....after a recent stay in hospital I can totally sympathise with the gown thing. How come the poppers are soooo hard to do up but come updone so easily? One of lifes mysteries :)

Pure Ella said...

Debbie I'm so happy for you that you're done with this torture ;) Hope you keep getting better and never have to go through this again ;)
You crack me up with the gown - sounds very sexy ;) ha ha
ps. thanks for your wishes on my blog

Irene said...

Good to see you back, up and about. Keep smiling :)

Becky said...

You poor thing! So nice to see you back though. Sorry you had such a rough time, but so glad that you had such lovely people to look after you, both physically and spiritually.

Beverly said...

Yay!!! So glad you are home, improving and so happy to hear "hear" your voice. I've done the no food/liquid intake for days and it is no fun (the first day i thought they were just overlooking me..I was young and unassertive) I am sure the nurses were nonpulsed by your "fashion style" but you may have gotten some male patients bp up ;) take it easy this week!

Clair said...

Hello Lovely Lady! I've been working away recently and have only just read how ill you've been. I'm so glad that you're home, that you're recovering and that you've been looked after so well by all of your friends and family. Lots of love to speed your recovery xxx

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