I'll try to start from where I left of on April 29th. Since surgery, Ted has been home, in BED, for 7 weeks. At our last visit, the surgeon informed us that his leg was still pretty swollen and he should remain non-weight bearing for two more weeks. Unfortunately, as many of you know, one week later - last Wednesday night - Ted was unable to fall asleep. He stayed awake while I slept with the illumination of the television in the background. At 3 a.m. I awoke to use the bathroom. When I returned, he was groaning in pain. "What hurts?" I asked, fully knowing that he would say "my leg" and that it was time for another dose of his pain meds. However, his response came - "my chest and arm"
"WHAT?!" I was now fully alert. "Which arm?"
"My right...and there's like a bubble that keeps moving around..."
"I think we better go to the emergency room" said I.
"No, I'll be fine..." he said through shallow breaths.
Frustrated, I went to the Mayo Clinic site to read to him the symptoms he was having and what they could mean. He sat up...
"OKAY!" he barely choked out.
"Okay what? Okay we can go to the hospital or okay you are feeling better?"
"OKAY - HOSPITAL" - he wasn't good.
We left immediately and arrived at the hospital just after 4 a.m. - who do you call at 4 a.m. for moral support? The E.R. doc worked at keeping things light hearted with her STUPID jokes - yes, they were STUPID, as in the kind your kindergartner comes home with! He was taken to radiology for a CT scan and we waited for results. When they came, we didn't fully understand the gravity of them. She was so "no biggie" about it when she said - "Yep! P.E.- Pulmonary Embolism!" She seemed proud that her diagnosis was correct. "You'll be here for the rest of the day." When Ted pressed more, she confessed, "okay, more like 2 or 3 days."
There went our plans for Memorial Day!
After hanging up with her I decided I had better call his surgeon and alert them to what was going on. Each time I reached a live human being, I was immediately transferred up the chain to the next "important" LIVE person until I reached the doctor. At this point, I decided to get honest - "Can you please tell me what this means? I have a feeling I am either OVER-reacting or UNDER-reacting, but I don't know which."
"...this is VERY SERIOUS!" he replied. "If you hadn't gotten him there, he would have likely died."
It was HERE that FEAR filled my heart and mind. I said thank you and hung up. I knew I had to get people to pray, and so I called the ones I knew who would not hesitate. "This is Laurie," I started on voicemails. "I'm going to TRY and keep it together as I tell you this," and then I absolutely fell apart, sobbing into the phone. Who knows how it sounded when they retrieved my message.
Can't "nap" now. So I loaded what I had and headed back to the hospital - trusting that my boys would be able to figure things out and take care of themselves. They did, but they were concerned about mom, and dad - because mom was rambling on about nothing and crying.
When I got to the hospital and shared what I had learned, we BOTH wept.
We had many visitors on Thursday and Friday. Most who were eager to pray with us, and GRATEFULLY we accepted. By Friday afternoon, the 2nd doc to see Ted had already signed discharge papers - but no one had told us. After "training" in shot-giving, we left the hospital around 3 and headed to the pharmacy for three prescriptions that would keep Ted alive... we were met with "sorry, workman's comp denied this. You can purchase the shots for $600 if you wish, and then get re-imbursed later." ARE YOU KIDDING?
WHO SENDS SOMEONE HOME WHO ALMOST DIED AND THEN REFUSES TO COVER THE LIFESAVING MEDS TO KEEP HIM ALIVE?! (...no comment...) Do I need to share how STRESSED we were at this point? Home we went...with NOTHING to help Ted.
The nurse liaison who has been communicating with us since leaving Missouri was THANKFULLY able to give a verbal approval "for the expensive shots" which would be given once a day for the next 5 days. So back I went to pick it all up. When I dumped the meds out onto the bed we were HORRIFIED to find that they'd (the PHARMACIST) decided to give us the generic so they didn't have to go in search of the PRESCRIBED AND APPROVED shots. The generics would require TWENTY SHOTS!!! Instead of one a day, it was now to be two in the morning and two at night!
Later the same night, Ted began to show signs he was not well. We were to return if his temp reached 100.4. It was 100.6 - so I hesitate...and pray. I checked again. 101.2... and I pray. Checking again...101.4, reset, 101.6, 101.7. I am still praying and watching the thermometer. It finally began to drop. 101.3... so I stepped back and let him sleep. Thank you, all of you who joined me in praying that night too.
In the morning on Sunday, it was an AMAZING sight! He was up, took a bath, and said "look at this" as he tossed the covers off. For the FIRST time in 6 weeks, his broken leg was completely NORMAL - no swelling, no redness, no bruising! HEALING CAME!!!
Today, was our follow up appointments. Coumaden clinic revealed that his INR was 2.4 - those who understand, know that IDEAL is 2 to 3. He will be on Coumaden for 3 months. The surgeon released him for therapy and said to TRY to start using the repaired leg. It will likely be 2 1/2 more months or more before he can return to work (as stated by the doctor).
There is a legal deposition on June 21 in Missouri. We will NOT be going - the doctors have forbidden him from traveling so far. Can't say I am disappointed!
