Saturday Day 5

Things change so quickly from day to day, always keeping us on our toes. Today started at 3 a.m. with two more units of blood because of low hemoglobin. I couldn’t sleep so went back over to Larry’s room at 4 a.m. I slept in a chair until the hospital came alive.

The dressing was changed today, somehow it was overlooked yesterday with all the ins and outs of nurses on a holiday. There was a lot of bruising at the top area above the incision. As usual, I took a picture of the wound. Later when the resident came in, he wanted to see it but hesitated to remove the fresh bandage. When he heard I had a picture and showed it to him, he said that gave a new meaning to the term “Kodak moment”.

In the end he decided to cut back on Larry’s coumadin and Lovanox and use a pressure Ace wrap in that area. This is quite a guy. He had been on 24 hour duty that night, came in to see Larry as he had promised at about 30 hours. After that he was to be found working at the computer after showering and shedding his doctor’s coat. He went out of his way to contact Larry’s surgeon and work up a plan.

Therapy was good for the first time today. Larry had more energy so was able to get up from the bed, sit up for a half hour, stand up and walk 15 yards on a 4 posted walker without putting any weight on the surgery leg. His therapist today was great – an athletic young woman with just the right amount of modifying exercise so that Larry was successful.

He sat up on the side of the bed a second time later in the afternoon. And the every important BM took place. Some hospitals make a big deal out of BMs before going home but Cleveland Clinic does not seem to be that concerned. Nevertheless, just one more checkmark for the day. (Larry thought this was important information but I think it just might be TMI. :o)

Patient load census this weekend was only 11 on the orthopedic floor tonight. The nurses all seem to want upbeat optimistic Larry for their patient.

To quote a line from the movie “Overboard” with Goldie Hawn……. “It’s a great day at sea, sir”……our version is “It’s a great day at Cleveland Clinic.”

To be continued…………..

Judy