Hi Stacy,
Another experience I'm sure you're glad to have behind you. I'm happy you're home, but know you are happier about it. It is great to see you home and posting!
With Love,
CtrlAltDel aka Dave
C4/5 Complete - 29 Years Post
Texas, USA
Stacy Harim <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Hey everybody I'm home.Let me tell you that hospitals are not always set up even if you try to prepare early. We need to make sure doubly. When I made the arrangements to be admitted, I let them know what I needed for a commode since I am not able to transfer to a toilet. They assured me that they would have it. Different story when I got there. I should have done my bowel prep at home. I got there at 9 a.m. and let them know what I needed and they told me they didn't even have a drop arm commode. They ended up picking me up to put me on the standard commode they had. I drank the nasty mags citrate and didn't have any results. They gave me a suppository, nothing. They made me drink mineral oil and milk of magnesia, nothing. They then put me back in bed and gave me an enema. I was put on the commode at 9 p.m. and they had security put me back in bed at 4. I was never so humiliated in my life when they did that. I gue! ss the night nurses are too good for lifting. The sad thing is that I am not that heavy that they shouldn't have been able to do it themselves. If they had the commode I needed, I could have digitally stimulated and been done hours before. They had no compassion about it. I cried the whole entire night and all they kept telling me is that my bowels needed to be emptied for the surgery. Well I knew that but doesn't help when they put me through what they did. I'm glad I didn't have to go back to that floor after surgery but my doctor did say that he went back to them and let them have it. I should have known better than to schedule the surgery on my 4th yr anniversary. It just had a bad vibe all together.I ended up going to the step down unit of the I.C.U. because they didn't have room anywhere. I spent 2 days there where the care was of course great and then off to a regular floor again where they treated me so well. They were so sympathetic to my pain. It's been a week since the surgery and I am still sore. I feel like I should be back to my old routine as soon as my skin heals and the staples come out. I know all the aggravation will be worth it then. So far my only regret is that I didn't make absolute sure that the hospital had some sort of commode that they arm rest removed so I could do the transfer.I should be able to use the stoma to cath in a couple of weeks. I'm excited. they left the foley in place until that happens. They lifted my bladder, turned up the ureter (sp?) so I wont leak after they take out the foley. The doctor mentioned a port I could get to hook to my large intestines so I could flush my bowels. It's a tube from my abdomen to my large intestines. I just flush through a mini emema or even warm water when I want to do my bowel prep and I'm done in no time. I don't really have bowel issues aside from sitting there waiting a long time and since they were there doing the stoma anyhow, the doctors seemed to think it was a good idea. If I don't like it then I can get it removed in an office visit.For those of you that wished me well, thank you, I appreciate it.Stacy
