Update from CCU :)

Thanks for the comments on previous postings.
J & J : please thank Margaret for the prayer circle - doesn't hurt to have people with friends in high places covering my back
Kay, Viv and Mum:  Yup, not for the faint hearted and I was on the receiving end (literally, lol) of all this attention and Viv loved your "mowhawk" comment on skype.

I have been skypeless today as have overused my allowance and the hamster in the wheel has gone on strike. Once I had trawled through info to find my user name and password I was able to increase allowance but not until midnight tonight - pfffft to telstra who cannot do it immediately!

Well, after the trauma of my "close shave" this morning, drip in arm, and fasting, (for two whole hours, lol)  one of the nurses came to tell me I was off today's list, on tomorrows list and I could now eat.  Whoop, whoop.  Got given roast turkey with fruit crumble and custard for lunch and some sandwiches and coffee with 2 biscuits for afternoon tea so am not starving. The orderly (not sure she recognises my face lol) went and told the chap opposite what I was having as he was still on fasting for this afternoon's list so she has a sense of humour at least. Have been wheeled through the bowels of the hospital again to have a chest xray = felt very possum in the headlights or in the cross hairs down the barrel of a gun as they fiddled and pointed the xray machine for side and front shots of my chest.  I was wheeled down by a different orderly and accompanied by my nurse from the ward.  I was hitched up to a portable machine to read my heart rate and it wasn't till later I realised the other bag on the bed was like a portable crash cart (in case of a heart attack on the way down I guess)  It all feels a bit over kill as my read outs continue to be normal.  No more chest pain , no more blood noses, no more injections,  so on a win  this afternoon. I do not have to have oxygen or the peg on my finger and the monitor seems to be wireless so I can move about freely  on the ward here - I guess they have everything to hand and  do constant updates.

The office lady turned up a short while ago with a beautiful bouquet of flowers done up in a box.  It is made up of  orange lillies, two red gerbra (large), some purple rose looking flowers I want to say winter rose or some such thing but they are not (hellebore comes to mind)  and six stalks of reddy coloured slipper orchids - thank you so much and please thank all who were involved in the sending - totally unexpected so all the nicer for the receiving. 

Pause for snooze:  Back again and I am to be on the move to a cardio-thoracic ward as I seem to be fairly stable (no rocket science there) and they no doubt need this space for someone sicker than me.  I guess that will mean portable machines to transfer me unless around the corner.

Later:

Well that was all a bit optimistic - I had been to the loo, had packed my laptop away and got handbag (voluminous) out of locker and got back on my bed for dinner and had a bout of chest pain - was given oxygen and my new best friend - half a GTN tablet - which makes the pain go away.  It was all over in mins and only got to about 2 on the pain scale.  It was enough though to stop me being transferred out of the ward.  The nurse asked me was it because I was anxious about moving out of CCU - said it was hardly that as I had been good most of the day so no I was not anxious. Not sure they entirely believed me but as I have hardly been sick apart from the odd pain, compared to others in the ward, I have felt almost a fraud at times as I have said before.

Had a lovely visit from friend Shells and her two boys last night.  I recounted her my mornings exploits and it was good to have a laugh with her.  Bless her, she came with survival package of toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, Pringles, chocolate cappucino chocolates, pkt of roasted candy cashew nuts and a tin of biscuits for Christmas.  Talk about spoiled :):).  More supplies for my illicit contraband but at the rate of one thing a day I have enough to last some weeks. No sooner had she left when I got another pain or not so much of a pain, more and indigestion feeling so was definitely here for the night.

Had a lovely txt from Donna at work earlier in the evening after I missed a call from her - the two little boys - 2 yrs and nearly 3 yrs wanted to talk to me - the 3 yr old telling her "hello, Lynn ( said Lean, which is Aussi for Lynn) and thr 2yr old saying  "Lean, hello goodnight".  Bless their little hearts.  Its those moments that really make the job worthwhile.  Also received a lovely email from No1 grandson telling me of his trip to Picton with Mum and Dad, feeding Blue cod and seeing eels.  He did some canoeing where they went and told me he was very good at it as was his Mum.  Great to see him enjoy the great outdoors and lots of lovely memories to grow up with.  He also played "petonk" (his spelling) with Dad so it sounded a great few days away.

Thursday:

Just as well they didn't do a mini mental on me this morning (what is the day, what is the year, who is Prime Minister, count backwards from blah blah blah) as I could have sworn it was Friday today!!! oops.  So this morning have had a bit of drama.  Was woken up for early breakfast pre fasting for the day - very condemmed person ate a hearty meal stuff as you can have as much as you like lol or seconds at least.  I went from lying to sitting up and started to feel pain coming on.  Got to be about 3-4 before the oxygen and GTN kicked in and then faded to nothing almost instantaneously.  So now it would seem two mornings in a row waking and sitting up have been enough to set things off - total pain in the pixie.  Once it was all over - they wanted to give me morphine but I refused it as there was no pain once they had got organised and one less injection to cope with, fired up the trusty lap top and yay, skype is back on and managed to touch base with brother Brett who can skype with his phone, and of course Kay to give the latest updates.  Had a good catch up and was just going to start posting this when along came another flipping pain.  I pressed the buzzer, and again and again but couldn't hear it go off so yelled for a nurse and they came flying from everywhere.  This one was a doozy, about 8 so I  have someone giving me oxygen, another putting tablet under tongue and then while that started to work, blood pressure was being taken, the travel pack telemetry whipped off and the leads from the main machine replaced - and they did give me morphine this time, through the canular in my hand woohoo, so no injection after all.  The nurse referred to me having unstable angina after the first bout this morning as I am getting pain at rest - have told them at the moment I am soooo rested, any movement qualifies as exercise, lol.  I had been off oxygen for about 45 mins when I got the second bout as I was heading to the loo but skyped instead.  I had my laptop on my knees when the second pain started so shoved it down the foot of the bed for safety and bless when I opened my eyes, the nurse had moved it to a chair - first question - is my laptop ok, probably not what they were expecting.

THE orderly has been about this morning, went past and told the other bloke fasting with me that the coffee was perked today and she had chocolate biscuits on the trolly - I burst out laughing at that and then she dropped by bringing an empty cup, placing it on the bedside table to rub it in.  There are probably despotic regiemes out there that could use her for refined toture, lol.  I suppose it helps to have a sense of humour in her job.  Had a visit from the blood bitch this morning who actually drew blood without pain.  As soon as she said she wanted some, I said, I hoped it would be better than yesterday, showing her the bruised site she had left - she had the nerve to say it was difficult to find a good place like it was my fault.  Not impressed with her bedside manner at all.  .  There are Dr's about so will sign off for now.  Hopefully the next post will be,- "Post Op".

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