I C U in pain

As the epidural started wearing off, I was moved into ICU. The only instructions I was given was to keep pumping my ankle back and forth pushing the back of my knee down and to keep this up continually while I was awake. I was also on oxygen and told to keep the mask on for the rest of the night. Ruth followed along but was stopped at the door and told that she couldn’t come in until they had me settled. Settled meant that I was wheeled in to my curtained space and left alone. The pain was really starting to come on. I kept asking for help, someone would walk over and explain that I was receiving pain medication through the epidural, just on a more moderate basis than what is used during surgery. I felt a huge pounding in my knee that was growing in intensity. Finally a doctor came over and started listening to my chest with his stethoscope. His English was impossible to understand and was asking me if I had an “arrhythmia?” What did you say? No No, asthma, he said. Do you have asthma? Does it sound like it? I asked. Oh no, he said, this is just a routine question. Stop asking me these ridiculous questions and help me get this pain under control. I was writhing by this time. He saunters away. Finally Ruth shows up and I tell her that my pain is more than I can endure but no one is helping me. She goes in search of help and comes back with this very kind looking male nurse. He gives me a shot through the IV and said that within 20 minutes this should help. Then he hooks me up to a device that administers pain med intravenously on a regular basis. I tried to calm myself down, but still the pain was relentless. I was told to be patient and by the morning I would feel much better. I didn’t believe this, how could one night make a difference in the pain, and in the meantime I was at my limit of endurance. Nothing they gave me was helping. The nurse came in with another shot and finally there was relief. I could feel the calming effect of the narcotic as it washed over me and dulled the mind screwing pain that had me up against the wall. The ICU staff encouraged Ruth to go but she refused. She perched on a chair and stayed at my side. She brought me some ear plugs to soften the sounds of the monitors continuous beeping as well as the sounds of others painful moaning. I was able to drift off in relative peace by now, my body loaded with very strong drugs. She was finally convinced to go and get some sleep, and I slept, much needed rest as the arduous task of healing was at hand.

I awoke early just as Ruth walked in. She found a way to sneak into the ICU ward, sleuth that she is. I was feeling so much better. The intense pain from the night before had abated, and having had a few hours of sleep I felt that I had survived the worst of the ordeal. I was offered juice or breakfast, but all I wanted was a few sips of water. A sweet nurse came in and said she would sponge bathe me. So Ruth left and I submitted to her skilled hands. I lay there while she scrubbed and rinsed my body. I had a catheter and she cleaned this area with betodine. Then she combed my hair and allowed me to brush my teeth. I felt half way human. The hours ticked by. A few Doctor’s were making their rounds and I was told to keep pumping my ankle, this I did faithfully, like a prayer wheel turning and turning so my ankle was pumping back and forth over and over.

Around noon I was told that I was going back to my own hospital room. I was unplugged from all the beeping gadgets. The pain med pump was staying with me along with an oxygen tank. I was wheeled out on my bed, but first I was brought to x-ray. I wasn’t looking forward to having to move out of bed for the x-rays but fortunately they were able to take the necessary pictures without having to get off my bed.

When we got to my room , they wheeled out my former bed and I could stay all tucked in and cozy in the same bed used in ICU. From this point on, for the next 7 days, the hospital and staff did everything possible to aid and care for me in a very kind and professional manner during this first week of recovery.