I spent a lot of time in this chair. Typing on the laptop (yay, free wireless!), reading books, watching to make sure Mom was still breathing. And, as you'll note from the Logic Puzzles book, Don spent a great deal of time here, too. Just not at the same time. It's not really built for two.
This chair got used just as much, if not more. It's not the most comfortable thing in the world, but for sleeping it's a far better option than the other. It reclines all the way, though I was rarely able to make it do so. Please also note the "Cudlee" draped over--one of my Christmas presents from Cindy and Jason. It came in very handy when Mom was running a fever and the rest of us were freezing.
Mom goes by Marie, but it's her middle name, not her first. They said that when they checked in. They told every nurse and nurse tech who came in that she goes by Marie. And every time, she was greeted by her first name. Finally I had one of the nurses make this sign. Which brought the average of correct name calling up to about 50%. Better!
Wound buddy! That would be the wound drainage container following surgery, which, yes, is gross, but I also think is kind of cool. The black thing is the immobilizer, designed to keep Mom from moving or bending that leg. She'll have it on for another two and a half to three weeks. Then it'll be another two months after THAT before she can put any weight on that leg.
Below is Mom's incentive spirometer to keep up lung function and decrease her likelihood of post-surgery pneumonia.
We call it her elephant.
I'm afraid that's my fault. We couldn't remember the correct name (I kept thinking it was "spirograph" but that's for drawing) and it looks like an elephant to me. Even after we heard the right term again, we'd still talk about her using her elephant.
I think they should paint them to look like elephants for children's wards.
There you have it! Scenes from a hospital stay! Which, thankfully, is now over. Mom's in a skilled care facility, looking forward to going home and, a few months from now, being completely mobile again. In the meantime she'll be building a nice set of Michelle Obama (her comparison) arms with her wheelchair and walker.
I hate that elephant thing. Serves a good purpose, but it's a thorn in my side.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of amused at the thought of everyone calling your mom by her first name. I'm sure she loved it.
Also, the room didn't have one of those chairs that unfolds into a small single sleeping bed/cot? Those are super handy, though not the most fun to spend the night in.