What the hell is that? A bear? A dog? I don’t know. It’s a dog toy, and I took it to Tim to keep him company in the hospital, then when he gets home, he can give it to Rex to ignore.
Tim still has the tube going into his lung. He went most of the day without pain medication. Not by choice, but because apparently the night nurse is the only one who realizes that a tube going into his side and through ribs that were separated last night to get to his lung might LEAVE HIM IN PAIN. I knew I liked his night nurse.
No word yet on when he might get to come home. I hope it’s Wednesday. He’s getting lots of sleep. He said if he hadn’t been drugged in the wee small hours of Tuesday morning he’d have never let me take photos to be put on the Internet. I printed my post and your comments and took them to him. Thank goodness for your kind words; otherwise, the photos would have given him a relapse. And yet some of you think I’m a good friend to him… Heh.
The dogs are being so good. Sugar is extra playful. Margot hasn’t started a fight yet. Guinness is sharing her bones. Rex REALLY misses Tim. A lot. Tonight, Tim called just as we finished eating, and Rex ran over and sat down in front of me, staring at the phone like he knew who was on the other end. Poor guy. Tom did some cleaning in Tim’s apartment, so he can come home and just go to bed without worrying about things, and Lynne and I went to the hospital. While we were there, the night nurse came in and said Tim was finally allowed to drink and eat anything he wanted. (I told you I like her.) Of course, it was too late for them to order a meal, and the cafeteria was closed. She did find him a container of Jello and brought him lots of juice and water. Meanwhile, Lynne went downstairs to McDonald’s and brought him back fries (hey, he asked) and ice cream with chocolate syrup. He could only eat a few fries, but he scarfed down the ice cream and ate his Jello. He was in good spirits (Jim had called and made him laugh a lot), and Lynne and I talked to him until we bored him to sleep.
Sleep is pretty much all I want right now, too. But I’ll leave you with this reminder from Tim’s hospital:
Please please give Tim my best … and Dash sends him a high paw! Let him know that on my BEST day I never look as good as he did in those photos. Can we all say handsome? Big hugs, and many thoughts are being sent his way from the attic apartment in NOLA …
Tell Tim BBQ Fritos are on the way if he gets well soon. Tell him you’ll eat them all if he doesn’t. That should get him up and about!
That makes me sad that he was painful and they didn’t give him anything. Not to speak up for day nurses or anything, but did he ask for pain meds? (or weren’t they around to ask?–bitches!) Stuff like that is ordered ‘prn’ (as needed) and some (lazy? insensitive? uncaring?) people figure if the patient doesn’t ask for it they must not want/need any. If he asked and still didn’t get anything–let me at them! There’s a big push by the commission that accredits hospitals for control of patient’s pain–and rightfully so; I ask them at least every 2 hours when I assess them if they are having pain/need meds, and tell them to let me know in between is they need anything for pain (unless they are a total user/abuser of narcs). Tell Tim not to worry about being a bother or anything and to ask for what he needs, because obviously he won’t get it otherwise–except apparently from that wonderful night nurse. 😉
I sure wish I could be there for him. They’d probably know me as ‘that bitch’ before too long if they aren’t taking care of him right. I suppose it’s too much to hope that there was at least a hot orderly (not that they’re called that anymore) to give him a sponge bath?
CALL ME if you need anything. I’m off now for several days, so I’m available. (If I were independently wealthy I’d fly down to be his private duty nurse, but, well, we know that’s not the case.) But, hey, I’m always here to give my two cents!
As for Tim getting pain meds? I think you should go all Aurora Greenway on their asses.
It’s past ten. My Tim is in pain. I don’t understand why he has to have this pain. All he has to do is hold out until ten, and IT’S PAST TEN! My Tim is in pain, can’t you understand that! GIVE MY TIM THE SHOT!
I think that should get results. Or it will get you locked up. It will definitely make Tim giggle, and that could make him feel better.
Seriously, I hope he comes home today. Keeping my fingers crossed from the other side of the world.
Please tell Tim that Bob and I are thinking of him. We hope he gets out soon. I can’t believe they let him go without pain meds. I can’t imagine that kind of pain! And hey, if I had a choice of eating something, I think the crack that is McDonald’s fries would be my preference, too. Jello rules. Did you do the wiggle dance for him?
Take care. If you all need anything, I am here for you.
Oh. I am SO on to him. He’s totally faking it for the free french fries and ice cream, isn’t he? ISN’T HE?! Mmmmm Hmmmm…
Give that sneaky bastard some smooches from me.
i want pictures of the tube thru the ribs!
Here’s hoping he gets to come home today!!!
I hadn’t read the other post until now. I hope he’s doing much better, but I’m sure that once he gets home and has you and all the dogs to nurse him back to health he’ll be better than fine 🙂