Breaking all the rules

To those who know me it comes as no surprise that I bend and on occasion break rules. With these events in my life it was no exception. I did many things in the hospital that tested staff patience.

Once I felt strong enough I begged the doctors to let me have a shower and not be subjected to the “sponge bath.” They agreed with hesitation, there actually happens to be very nice showers in the Cardiac ICU of Foothills Hospital, none of the staff knew that. I then pleaded with the doctors to let me walk around the nurses desk once, I could hear the staff gripe about me doing so but I did it. I had more visitors and even had a painting put up in my room. All of these things were breaking the “rules” and the staff weren’t impressed.

I then asked to be moved out of the ICU to the regular Cardiac Unit, the doctors didn’t think I was ready but I negotiated with them and they reluctantly agreed. They told me I would not like it there. I knew they were never going to let me go home from the ICU so I went anyways. I was placed in a room with 3 other patients, these patients were all at least twice my age and with that came frequent trips to the restroom, hard of hearing and quite annoying roommates. I lasted one night of no sleep as the nursing staff were constantly in the room. I got my cardiologist involved and my brother noticed that the “overflow” patient room across the hall was not being used. With a little tact and negotioation with the charge nurse he had me moved into this palace of a room. I would spend the rest of my time at the hospital in this luxury suite. I had a massive room, flat screen tv, panoramic views and my own “sitting area.” The only complaints I had if any were that I had to go across the hall to use the restroom and the staff would use this room as a shortcut between the halls. I could survive these if it meant a better night sleep.

The following days and weeks were filled with visits from specialists, therapists, and tests. They believed I may have had my Myocardial Infarction or heart attack due to a viral or bacterial illness. I had a team of infectious desease doctors struggling to find what was making me sick. I was asked questions of travel destinations and contact with certain things. I answered yes to all their questions. I loved to travel and had been from the ruins of the Parthenon to the Amazon with monkeys and insects, I also worked at a vocation that included interactions with persons with low personal hygene and all manner of illness. I told the doctors they wouldnt figure out where I got the mystery illness, just make me better. I spent 18 days on some very strong antibiotics and was very ill from the medication.

17 days after being in hospital I talked the doctors into letting Cara take me outside. I said that I needed fresh air in my lungs and the sun on my face. Cara wheeled me down to the outside doors of the main entrance and then the doors opened. The smell of fall filled my senses and the sun felt so good on my face. I could barely take it all in. I lasted about 15 minutes sitting in the wheelchair and had to have her take me back in. I was exhausted, in the back of my mind the nagging thoughts of “is that all I can do” crept around and just wouldn’t leave my train of thought. I chalked it up to being on bed rest for so long, I would learn how wrong that was.

 

Foothills Hospital

I sit here at Foothills Hospital in Calgary waiting for another medical appointment and think to myself what an appropriate place to write today’s blog. I was flown here in the early morning hours of September 29th 2011 in critical condition.

My heart had stopped functioning effectively even though I continued to have a heart beat and I was on a respirator due to my lungs being filled with fluid. I was rushed into surgery to remove the blockage and place a metal stent in its place. I was placed on an impella heart pump a, at that time, cutting edge medical device to circulate blood for me and to stave off brain damage. My blood was chilled to 30c to also protect me from lack of oxygen and nutrients for my systems. I had holes punctured in my back to drain over 2 litres of fluid from around my lungs which was choking the breath from my body. For 9 days I lay in a medically induced coma my doctors and family not knowing my fate. My brother told me later that he had come to believe that they only kept me on the machines as an experiment and that he believed I was already gone.

I awoke fully on the 10th day. I had only thought that one night had passed, I was told that it was 10 and I could not believe it. I was told some of what had occurred and was amazed at how excited everyone was to see me awake including the medical staff. I remember how tired I felt for the first time and how strange it was. I was weak, hungry and even simple tasks like moving my arms felt like a hard workout at the gym. I still had tubes and wires all over my body and that compounded the difficulty in mobility.

That day for lunch the nurse fed me my liquid lunch and I felt like a child being fed by a parent. Even eating seemed like a marathon run. That evening at my insistence they assisted me to a chair and let me eat my liquid supper on my own. The spoon felt like it weighed 20 pounds and it took every ounce of my strength to eat. As soon as the nurse left the room I ditched it and slurped my meal up with a straw.

The gravity of my situation weighed heavily on me. How could this have happened? I was healthy, ate reasonably well, didn’t drink to excess. My only vice is that I smoked and not even a pack a day. 3-5 cigarettes a day shouldn’t have done this.

The next day I started having visitors which weren’t my family. The first were Paul and Bev Meyers. They brought me sushi, with a critical look from the nurse and a reminder not to have the soy sauce, I dug in. My first real meal, it exhausted me eating it. I tried my hardest but couldn’t finish it. I actually worked out a code with the nurses so if I asked for a certain thing it meant clear my room and let me have a rest for a few hours. I felt aweful doing that to guests but I was so tired all the time.

That evening I stood on my own without assistance. I struggled to lift my 165 pound frame but I did it. I had to do it twice due to my now fiancée not getting to see it the first time. I fell asleep that night thinking these big accomplishments in my family’s eyes seemed so small for me.

Hopefully the next day would bring accomplishments that would seem more satisfying.