There was a lot of things brewing in bed 1 room 106, 5A Fell ward of Toronto Western last night. I think Jerri quite adeptly described some of the chaos that proceeded bedtime.
To recap, there was an undignified begging when my Neurosurgeon mentioned the "r" word. Rehab was off the books I had thought. I had even agreed to be in the downtown Toronto core not 15 minutes from the hospital as a caution, but my tumultuous weekend had really left a lot of doubt.
The meltdown and shenanigans, that followed allowed me to both get it out of my system, and move on to face whatever would come.
My brother Pat promised to pray for me all night. I knew I needed a miracle. My leg wouldn't budge of the bed and the final Neuro exam of the evening was showing decline and not improvement. I settled in to sleep. Well, what a joke that turned out to be. My leg jumped off the bed every twenty minutes or so and the pain was horrendous, despite the amount of medication I was on to control it.
I watched as the hours passed by and it was 2am when I finally took the sleeping pill which put me out until 3:45. Awake, hungry and feeling a little desperate, I texted Barry. Always was a safe thing to do because the sound is off at midnight on his phone. "You awake" I ask. I got that cringeworthy answer you never like to hear.....I am now! I quickly told him to go back to sleep because someone would have to be alert enough to be able to talk to the Neuro team at 6.30am. He gladly complied. I laid there and waited for the 6am first sight of life with the water delivery. I was never so friendly to anyone in my life I think. I was bored super, alert still hungry and disparate to get a release to home announcement.
I hadn't really noticed but I no longer had the jumpy leg, and I was moving better. I know because a bored person alone in the dark has only so many activities and mine seemed to focus on bathroom breaks. I did feel better. The steroids seemed to hit their peak at just the right time. And don't forget, I had some heavy duty praying going on for me.
Barry screamed in with coffee at 6.15 with only moments to spare. We used it wisely. Did the Physio say I was cleared to home yesterday or did I just dream that. Well he thought so too. Not a deciding factor but one very important one.
Okay let's build a case. The Neuro team did their assessment and so did the nurse, both shocked by the level of difference from 24 hours before. Barry ran into the Physio from the day before. He asked her straight out if she thought I was safe for the in city release. She firmly agreed. Nice, all very nice I was building my case. I called North Bay and set up an assessment for Neuro Physio in a lab with an underwater aquatic treadmill. Getting better. Now to wait for the big guy to come in or so I thought. Barry in his earnest and positive thinking believed the Physio when she said it'd be released today, they were desperate for beds. He packed up the room. Toothbrush, clothing, iPad etc. packed the car and waited for Fehlings to come and release us.
We stated my case, he had read all the notes agreed the steroid had improved the situation but said "look, I can't let you go today, the weekend was just too unstable. If you have a good night you can be released in Toronto tomorrow." I wanted to cry I was so grateful. While that sounds a little like overkill I had a total of four neurosurgeries and countless hours of Physio and rehab, I just needed a break. Today I got that break, and a darling picture with one of the important men in my life, Dr.Fehlings. He called me his little sweetie pie as he held me up for the picture and acknowledged Barry constant support. His team looked on will mild amusement at our unique friendship.
Three surgeries in under a year and not only am I done, my family is, especially my darling Barry with my cleaned out room and tightly packed car. He just not nonchalantly said, I got to run to the car and came back with my essentials.
But his optimism paid off because today, I'm going home. Well, to a hotel in Toronto, and that will feel like home.
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