10 August 2020
Well, it seems like things are settling into a daily routine for Joyce now. She is scheduled for two add-on surgeries this week. The first is tomorrow and the second is Friday. She'll probably do the same the following week.
MORE SURGERIES
The add-on surgeries are necessary to replace the foam sponge in her wound. It's being done surgically at the moment to provide her the maximum relief from pain. With anesthesia. She's had an epidermal but I'm not sure they still have to do that.
Eventually, she'll be able to tolerate the sponge replacement without surgery (or anesthesia). A nurse will be able to do it in the hospital.
She did get up and, under supervision, walked around the room yesterday for a while.
She can come home at that point, returning to the hospital as an out patient for the sponge replacements twice a week. And when she's able to tolerate the procedure with just oral pain medication, a nurse can come to the house to do it.
At least, that's my understanding of how this is going to go.
PROGRESS REPORT
She was watching The View when I called her this morning.
The hospital doesn't get many TV stations, she said, and the stuff it does get is painful to watch. I suggested asking Dr. Tong for more anesthesia to deal with the programming.
So she looks out the window. She has a south facing view of some apartment buildings and a tree or two. The nurses keep asking her if she doesn't want the drapes closed. But she doesn't. It's her only amusement.
Sometimes a bird flies by.
The food is "awful," she reminded me. I don't tell her about the lavish five course meals I'm preparing for myself. After the third bottle of wine, I forget a few of the courses anyway.
She did get up and, under supervision, walked around the room yesterday for a while. They have to unhook her from her IV and the Wound VAC for that.
They asked if she wanted to take a spin down the hallway with a walker. She looked at them like they were crazy. She's aware that the back of her gown is open.
So that's not going to happen.