My kingdom for a shower

I had a superb night last night with good patches of sleep and well timed pain management. So feeling stronger and more positive with every day. The road will be slow but I have nineteen-hundred-zillion truck loads of love and support to help pave the way.

Apparently every time the ICU nurse gave me ice chips on my dry lips I told her that she would be gifted a bottle of wine for her kindness. There were quite a lot of ice chips administered so I think I owe quite a few bottles of wine. I have stopped offering to gift things now that I am sobered from those delightful, delirium stewing pain meds, but a grateful smile and thank you seems to be going just as far.

With the exception of one IV line and external clips on a portable heart monitor machine I am totally wire, probe, stitch, needle, tube, YouTube, button, bandage, corset, corsage and sticker free. As a result I was able to have an actual shower today as the drainage incisions are closing in a satisfactory enough way. For someone with an almost obsessive love of showering – I have usually have 2-3 daily – this was the most refreshing news my sticky sad skin ever heard. I sat in a plastic toilet seat chair on wheels while Claudine hosed me down with warm wonderful water from head to toe. There is nothing like an actual shower compared to the paltry bed sponging I have had since I got here. Apparently I also told an ICU nurse that I loved my bed sponge bath because it “combined bathing and resting.” (I suspect I was lying about that. )

Today I also went for my first walk along the ward and to the lovely sunshine filled atrium. Thursday night open chest – Monday walk. The miracle of medicine and science.

There is a possibility that once my ECO ultrasound comes back with no concerns I will be discharged early this week. The ECO was all chapters of uncomfortable as I had to lay on my side while a plastic wand is firmly pressed over your ribs searching though skin and bone with ultra sound gel. Super lame but the tech was lovely and we had a couple of chuckles. I asked her if anyone ever simply said: “NO” and got up, pushed her out of the way while they exited the room.
She laughed and said that had never happened yet. I told her to give it time.

The next stage is to begin the rehab and recuperation at home once I am discharged, where I will be cared for by the most professional-at-home-nurses ever. AKA my nurse mum and my teacup sized Claudine.

Unending streams of love and gratitude for the well wishes and continued support you have all sent these past few days.

My sister flew back home to Trinidad last night and her love, bossiness, motherly ninja powers, attentiveness, and meticulous care in helping me get through some of the worst initial parts of this experience are the type of kindnesses that I can not to begin to express my appreciation for. She is the best sister human I could ever have, it’s just such a shame about her face…