I spent most of my time during the day coloring in my new adult coloring books. I was nervous about the tingling in my fingers and was told that writing and coloring, etc would be helpful. I had my sister in law and other visitors hang them on the window. It cheered me up and the doctors and nurses said it made them smile each time they walked into the room.
Each night from around 9:00 pm-1:00 am I received immunoglobulin through an IV. The first three nights it kept me awake. By night four I was able to sleep through it. GBS causes fluctuations in blood pressure and heart rate. Because I already struggle with high blood pressure, this was a big issue during my entire stay. They tried several different medications, the day before I left they finally had it back to normal! My legs and feet continued to hurt, especially my feet. I couldn't even have a sheet touch my feet, it felt like the sheet weighed 100lbs.
On day two I was informed that I would start physical therapy and occupational therapy. I hadn't been informed much about what the timeline would be as far as when I would "get my legs back." I naively thought that after 5 treatments I would be back to normal. It was a little shocking when I was told I would probably go home in a wheelchair and have a month or two of PT and OT. At that point I started doing a lot of research and realized this journey could take a lot longer than what I expected. I had to come to grips with the idea that a wheelchair and walker would be a part of my life for a little while.
My sister in law stayed with me three nights, my husband stayed one night, and I kept myself company one night. My SIL is a nurse and it was so helpful to have her around. That poor girl had to help me with everything from handing me stuff off my shelf, to getting out of bed, to walking across the room to use the bathroom! She was a huge blessing to have around for three days! My husband had our boys the first few days and my parents kept them the rest of the time I was in hospital. I had several visitors which was so nice because I was really bored most of the time! I knew I looked awful, and I felt awful, but I didn't care who saw me because I enjoyed the company!
I had some hard moments during my stay. It is scary to not be able to really feel your legs and not be able to walk. My blood pressure was a battle, which was a constant frustration. The time during the day when I was alone I had a lot of time to think about what was going on, wondering about all the what ifs. I'm typically not much of a crier, but I produced some tears during this whole ordeal. Some of those tears were from being nervous and scared about healing, but some were happy tears because I realized just how lucky I am to have such a supportive group of people around me. My family was amazing during my stay, I seriously think I could have asked for a new car and someone would have come up with one! (Dang it, why didn't I think of that?!) My friends and church family were an amazing support too! They were praying for me, taking my family meals, and visiting me. As much as I hated being in the hospital and hated the situation, it was a great reminder of just how blessed I am.
On day five I was discharged. It was my youngest sons birthday, so I was thrilled to get out of there and see my birthday boy! We met my parents and siblings and had a quick birthday party for him, then headed home! It felt great to be home sweet home!
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