Getting better!
Rachael went home today, boo hoo. She has been such a help to me, words just can't begin to describe my gratitude. I didn't realize how ill I was 2 weeks ago when I got out of hospital, when you feel rough sometimes it's hard to judge just how rough you are. I’ve also lost more weight, apparently I now look frail not just skinny 😉
I got out of the hospital on the 7th August. I was very lucky to be alive although I was still very ill. I left the hospital after 5 days on a broad spectrum and after only 2 days on the right antibiotic but even I could tell it was finally doing something. I still had no idea what all the doctors instructions were or what exactly was happening because my brain was mush but the one thing I did know was my daughter in Michigan had flown down that day to help nurse me at home.
None of us knew I would be coming home that day and she had booked the ticket 2 days before so I guess you can call it serendipity. I still couldn’t shower without help, or get dressed or anything by myself. Walking more than a few steps caused what seemed like serious respiratory distress. I felt like someone had stolen ¾ of my lungs. I also had no appetite so didn't want to eat let alone fix myself anything. Having her there was a Godsend.
My wonderful long suffering husband has been the super hero nurse since my surgery at the beginning of June but his strength is wearing thin. This last hospital stay really brought him to his knees emotionally, he told me afterwards that it let him know, in no uncertain terms, that he did not want to lose me and he really thought he was going to for a while. He was pretty shaken up to say the least and felt extremely helpless. Nice to know after 30 years of marriage I’m still wanted ;o)
So how have I been fairing this last couple of weeks or so? Well, my daughter, when she saw me at the hospital, said she was shocked at how thin I was and she was more than a little worried as I was very pale and drawn. I was in sad shape and I thought I was fine!!!
Anyway, she set out to try to fatten me up, MADE me rest, cleaned my house, worked in the yard, cooked, and worked at one of the properties that had become empty. She really put a lot of hard work into getting me back on my feet without making me feel bad that she was doing all this stuff. She would sneak out to the rental property to clean it or work in the yard without letting me know because she knew I would not want her to go on her own and she knew that I should do nothing but rest. What a superstar.
Here's Rachael riding my bike in downtown Salt Lake City, she went for a ride with her dad to see the sights on a rare day away from looking after me.
I've still got a long way to go, I get very shaky if I try to do too much, like make my own lunch! But as long as I lay down a lot I seem to recover. Went to the doctors last week and he told me it would take a while to recover, like at least a month more and to rest a lot. He said my system had taken a hard hit as sepsis attacks your whole body, right down to exhausting the marrow in my bones (his words.) Best part about that trip is they took blood and pee and both tested normal. I had a follow up CT scan on Monday and that showed a clean kidney with no abscess YEAHHHH!
We are off to Florida for 2 weeks on Friday. Yeah I know, I’m mad but we had booked the trip the beginning of July when we got back from Spain after my back surgery and we were both fairly confident my back and surgery incision would be healed enough by then so we could see some clients we have down there. Little did I know I would get all these setbacks. However, the doctor said it was OK for me to go as long as I didn’t do anything stressful like go to Disneyland, but it looks like Tim will be seeing the clients on his own.
I guess if I have to rest then laying by a pool in Orlando and Ft Lauderdale will be a better view than laying on my couch!