Kaye's Journal

The past two days have been very difficult...traveling on Tuesday was more uncomfortable & tiring than I had anticipated it would be, and yesterday we said 'goodbye' to Tonka...a veritable Prince among dogs. Gratitude. I am humbled by the kindness, generosity & loving support that has been wrapped around us like a warm blanket. I am deeply thankful for, and would like to recognize here, the friends & family who have quietly stepped in to keep my world revolving....thank you to: All of our wonderful neighbors who kept an eye on the home place. My sister & her husband who let us completely take over their home & lives for 3 weeks, providing us with a place where I could recover enough to travel back home. Our dear friends Rita & Rachel who took care of the kitties. The anonymous angel(s) who gifted us with a load of firewood. My fabulous coworkers who are covering increased workloads in my absence. Our friend Karen, who runs the awesome Kennel where we boarded Zed; and Jeanna & Steve who visited Zed with hard boiled eggs & special treats...spoiling him when I couldn't. Family who traveled long distances to be there with us during my surgery. Each and every one of you who have said prayers, sent good wishes & have cheered on my small victories. Our friends & family who "conspired" to cover the cost for Zed's boarding. Our very, very dear friend who, having the strength and courage to see past his own pain and hurt; gently took Tonka by the paw, administered the drugs that eased his suffering & showed him the way to the Rainbow Bridge.

I can't believe that it has already been a week since I was discharged from the hospital!! Overall, I think that I am doing pretty well. I've been able to move about the house pretty much unassisted. I've been walking 1 - 1 1/2 miles each day (though I still have no stamina) & have not needed the overnight pain meds for the past two nights. :) Tomorrow I have to go for another chest xray & then see the Dr for a follow-up visit. I'm trying not to get my expectations set too high; but I'm really, really hoping that maybe he will release me to go back home! ...not looking forward to the ride, but am so ready to be home!

Naps! ...a LOT of them! Wake up, eat breakfast, take a nap. Wake up, shower, take a nap. Go for a walk....yup, you got it...another nap! Lunch....NOPE...not a nap!!! Whoa! The rules have changed! NO naps permitted in the afternoons. So...by the time supper is done, so am I!!! I'm asleep before the birds, but sleeping through the night has not been a problem! I know that I've been making good progress, but y'all know me......I still think I should be getting there faster! I was originally told that I would not be released to travel back home any sooner than two weeks post discharge. My surgeon has offered me a "carrot" so if I make enough progress, & don't have any respiratory issues or infections, then he "might" release me a day or two sooner. I think that maybe tomorrow I'll resume wearing my FitBit to see just how far I am actually walking each day :)

...and not a moment too soon! Echo was good, last chest xray was good, took forever to get the pacer wires out, but once the required bedrest was done afterwards, I was permitted to shower. HEAVEN! Still have the last central line to be removed, waiting on lab results, & a few other loose ends to be tied up; but I've been up since 2:30am just hanging out waiting....did my breathing exercises & walked 1000 feet by 5:30am. Now I'm ready for a nap, but am sitting up in the chair waiting....So, full circle....5 days later...hurry up & wait. Kind of hungry...think I'll order breakfast. The food here is really very good & I'm betting we won't actually be leaving before 11am.

Yesterday morning was beyond awful...the pain got out of control. It was hanging out around a 4 or 5, jumped to 6, then skipped 7, 8, 9 & 10 & went right out the roof! The nurse practitioner came in & gave me her "bitches brew" magic concoction & it was lights out. When I woke up I was in a much better place & had a better afternoon. Slept well last night & have worked my tail off with Respiratory Therapy & Physical Therapy. Have exceed all goals given to me. I'm pretty tired now & think I will sleep pretty well again tonight. I want outta here...hospitals are where the sick people are!!! :)

(This post created by Paul Thole, Kaye's brother-in-law) Day 4....... Kaye doing much better today. Rick got to the hospital early this morning, and she was already up and sitting in her chair. She's feeling much better and energetic. She's been up and going for short walks several times a day, over the past few days. All good news....no issues. On her way to full recovery. :)

(This post created by Paul Thole, Kaye's brother-in-law) Day 3 update. Kaye slept pretty good last night. The previous afternoon, they had her up and walking around. She did great! But, it was tiring. Worst part of the night was a slight mishap, as they moved her. The nurse put her finger into her incision while trying to move her....."Holy #@$%^&.........Ouch !! :) With any luck she will get the drain tube and catheter removed today. So far, so good. More updates later. Have a great day....

(This post created by Paul Thole, Kaye's brother-in-law) Kaye had a relatively good first night, after her surgery yesterday. Rick (husband) spent the night at the hospital with her. She was on mild sedatives throughout the night, to help with any pain and discomfort. They reduced this around 3am this morning, and she is much more alert now. Around 7am this morning, they got her up and sitting in a chair. Great first step towards recovery !!! She has been experiencing some nausea due to all the meds. However, that will pass soon. She still has all the lines hooked up so she can't move around too well. But, they will be removing them soon, so she can get up and walk around. She is also starting to eat.....a little jello and oatmeal. Good sign. On the road to full recovery. :)

(This post created by Paul Thole, Kaye's brother-in-law) Friends and family, Kaye had her surgery this morning, and is doing quite well. She is still recovering from the anesthesia, but should be awake and alert by late afternoon today. The Doctor informed the family, that her surgery went very well, with no issues. She will likely be in the hospital for another 5-7 days, as they continue to closely monitor her progress. She hopes to be traveling back home to IN within another week to 10 days after that. However, this will depend on how well her recovery progresses. For now, everything seems great. Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes. Will be in touch again soon.

Hope you are all well & enjoying family time. We are having a non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner....apple stuffed pork loin, mashed potatoes, asparagus, cucumber & tomato salad, Asian coleslaw and pumpkin custard. Beyond the meal, that is being prepared by Rick & his brother, I am grateful for so many things. Thank you to everyone who has played a part in making it possible for us to be where I can receive the care that I need. It would not be possible without the many friends & family who have stepped in to take care of all the little details. Thank you to each & every one of you...I am truly blessed! Surgery has been scheduled for Tuesday 12/2 @ 7:30am.

The TEE & Heart Cath are done. Good news is that the arteries are "great"...no blockages at all. The TEE however, did not give the expected results & further testing (an exercise Echo) may need to be done. Hope to know more tomorrow. The hospital was AWESOME & every staff member that I came into contact with was exceptional!

It's surreal...I sit here like a casual observer way up in the nose-bleed section, trying to make sense of the crazy, tornadic storm of emotions that have invaded my life. How can 'Oh, heck no! Not gonna do it! Nope, no way, no how!' be playing in my head at the same time as 'Fine. Just get it over with' ???