New View~

 The saga continues - Part 2

I don't remember much about my short stay at the Shenandoah Medical Center.  I was given anti-nausea & a pain med during the ambulance trip.  It didn't take us long to arrive.  I do remember a very caring nurse who had been in the profession for 40 years.  She kept me occupied with conversation while the Doctor's decided I would be transferred to UNMC in Omaha.  Butch arrived out of nowhere!  It seemed not long at all since he'd kissed me goodbye as I was loaded into the ambulance.

The youngest member of the ambulance team was heading to Colorado to be a medic on the firefighting lines.  I gave him tips on the best places to visit while he's there.  

May 3rd, 10 p.m. 

The nurses gave Butch the address & directions to where I was being taken.  He followed the ambulance as it left Shenandoah.  He said that didn't last long through, when they blew through the first of the stop lights siren blaring!

I remember even less about my arrival at UNMC's emergency. Butch again, was there & I trusted he'd stick with me until we knew what was going on.  I was eventually transferred to a room on the 5th, Trama floor in the Clarkson Building.  

My room, Monday May 4th~

Butch stayed long enough to see me settled into a room & hear the report from the Doctors.  I had sustained a Tibial/Fibula fracture of my right leg.  They would wait until morning to do surgery.  It was a busy night; I've been through this often enough to know it's hard to rest in a hospital.

View from my room~

Butch was back early Monday morning, he accompanied me to pre-op.  I met the surgeon who would do the operation & several of the interns who would be assisting.  The surgeon asked how the accident happened & when I said the key words bike & gravel, he pantomimed putting his hand over my mount, pointed at himself & held up two fingers.  Obviously, I was in good company when it comes to that mix of circumstances.

I was offered a surgical nerve block, that would alleviate the level of pain for 24-48 hours.  I was convinced & in retrospect - wish I hadn't been.  Having the block was about as unpleasant experience with long needles I could have ever imagined.  The Doctor's used an ultrasound & MRI to place the medication exactly in my thigh.  Thankfully it didn't take long & soon the anesthesiologist had me asleep. 

I woke in recovery & that's pretty much a blur.  I was told that the repair had not been done.  Instead, the Doctor preformed a fasciotomy to relieve the internal pressure caused by Compartment Syndrome.  That was a real blow.  I couldn't believe my bad luck in having it happen twice...  My leg left open with a pump for two days before a second surgery could be scheduled.  I decided going through the nerve block was worth the pain relieve it provided - once it started wearing off.

Wednesday was a really bad day.  I was told if the swelling wasn't down, they would not do the surgery on Thursday.  I prayed all day the surgery would happen as scheduled.  Thankfully, I was taken down to pre-op again by 8 a.m.  Butch was again at my side.  This day I was to have a different surgeon.  She came to introduce herself & I felt instantly at ease with her level of professionalism.  I was relieved to know I would not be getting another nerve block.  Surgery started at 8:21 a.m. they were closing by 10 a.m.  I was in recovery by 11 a.m. & back to my room shortly after. 

I can't say enough about the nursing staff!  It was unusual to have the same nurse for more than one shift.  Even so, I like to think I could call any of them my friends.  I'm of a generation that still has difficulty with male nurses, but I had two of the finest, kindest anyone could wish for.  One of the female nurses I appreciated the most, was Staci.  She was with me prior to my second surgery & when I asked if she would be there afterward, she replied she would.  She was - she'd stayed after her shift to keep her promise to me.  All of these professionals were very young.  I was told the average age of the nursing staff on the floor was mid-20's.  

From the beginning, I had Butch write on my white board I was going HOME on Mother's Day!  I met my goal!  It was close, but I was determined & again my prior experience helped!  Getting into the Bronco was tricky, but Butch got it done.  I can't say how good it was to be home!  Now, it's time for recovery & that always seems to take forever~