Recovery vent and having fun in the midst of the madness

You might want to skip this post if you don’t want to hear the brutal truth.  Every person is different, but this is our story, and I want to have it documented how stubborn the kids’ dad really is.

Taking care of Nick is pretty miserable.  He’s seriously the worst person ever when he’s given restrictions.  No stooping?  He does it.  No reaching?  He does it.  Limit stairs unless absolutely necessary?  He does it.  He does them all, all the time!  What was the point of having this surgery to get any better if you’re not going to follow doctors orders?!  It’s irritating watching him do what he’s not supposed.  Because he’s to stubborn to let things go.  Having him for the next 6 weeks will break our marriage.  I know this.  It’s been 4 days since he’s been home and it’s been a nightmare.  He tells me that I told him to do everything that he’s not supposed to be doing.  That pisses me off because I straight out told him from the beginning the restrictions from the doctor.  If I see him boldly doing what he’s not supposed to, I give up on repeating myself over and over.  It’s a waste of my time.  So, yes, I did tell him to come down and eat with us one morning because I knew he was going to go down the stairs anyways.  He’d been doing it the past two days three times each day.  So obviously he didn’t listen each time I’d harp on him to stop going up and down the stairs, so I just told him what he was already doing.  I have never told him to stoop or reach…but he thinks it’s okay.  Whatever. I really have given up on him.

I set up the pool on Friday and then ended up having to run across town to get Nick more pain meds because the staff at the doctors office filled his original one wrong and only gave him 10 pain pills, when they were supposed to put 100.  Nick was freaking out that he was going to have to go all weekend without pain pills because he knew their office closed early on Fridays.  Luckily the front receptionist stays until 4:30.  After picking that up, I then of course had to go get it filled. While I was running around for Nick, his dad was in the back with the kids so they could still enjoy their pool.  They stayed outside for 5 hours!  Good thing for sunblock or they’d be hurting.

   

I’m still really thankful his dad extended his stay and is here to help with the kids, but Nick don’t ask for help anymore from me as his stubborn self is just doing everything.  We (Nick’s dad and I) took the kids to the carnival on Sunday.  We needed the break away and the kids had the best time…until we had to come home. Of course.

Sterling’s favorite…the horses

Xander was brave and rode a big kid ride with Opa.  He had fun until his head was banging around.

Funny story.  They rode these motorcycles and about the fourth time around all of a sudden Sterling started screaming.  She wasn’t falling or slipping and she was securely strapped in (by me), so I wasn’t too concerned.  After the ride finally stopped, she said she was scared she was going to fall…into a big stack of tarps.  Ha!  Such a silly girl.  Xander rode this one three times.  He loved it and quickly became his favorite.

Sterling decided to take a relaxing ride in the teacups.  We then played a round of throw the bananas in the mouth of a monkey.  They both won a prize and were excited!

Back to reality…

Today starts week two restrictions for Nick and they are less than week one, but there are still some pretty important ones.  It’ll be easier since it lessens, and also because I’ve given up and will not be stressing over him anymore.  He’s a grown adult and can read the paper of restrictions. If he chooses to disobey, that’s his loss.

He also took off his dressing from the wound.  It looks like it’s going to burst open.  Makes me feel faint looking at it.  So nasty.  I texted this picture to his mom, whom is a nurse, and she says it looks clean…so that’s good, right?!

Wish the kids and I luck over the next 5 weeks as Nick will be home.  He likes to try to control our day and the kids’ activities that I have planned for them.  Drives me crazy.

Have a great day!

Spinal Fusion

The hubs had Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) on Monday afternoon.  It was a four hour procedure, so it was a long day.  Which has lead into a long week and a long road to recovery.  First up.  He’s the most stubborn patient ever!  I’m really not looking forward to his stubborn ass coming home.  Just keeping it real.

Monday, the surgery. I took him to the hospital at 1015 to admit him to the hospital, and then around 2, his surgery began.  After they wheeled him back, I ran off to Target, which was a block away, then came back around 3 and waited. And waited.  At 4 pm, I was due an update, but at 430, I still didn’t have one.  So I went up and asked. Everything was going as planned and they just finished putting the screws in.  I waited another hour and half (6 now) and finally the doctor came out and said it was all done and he was in recovery.  Guests are not allowed in the recovery room, so I headed home to get his dad and the kids.  On our way back to the hospital, the nurse called and told us his room and also that he tore his cornea.  We got up to the hospital and he was in a lot of eye pain.  After two hours, they finally brought him in some eye medicine.  We left around 9 because the kids needed to get to bed since they had school the next morning.  Nicks dad stayed with him at the hospital.

Before the surgery…

Before the eye pain meds arrived…

His dad is here and helped him put the eye medicine on.

Tuesday, he slept a lot and claimed to be in minimal pain and didn’t take any pain medication.  He was recording his pain as a 1.  They had him walk to the door once and sit in a chair once.  Then he slept some more.  And more.  I left to go get the kids from school and then went back out so they could chat with daddy.  We only stayed till 5 so we could eat at home, get showers, read stories, and play with toys.  Their week has been rocked and I felt they needed some normalcy, so we left early and didn’t go back.

Wednesday, he was scheduled to come home.  We didn’t get to the hospital until around noon.  The kids and I were ready to leave at 10, but we were waiting on Nick’s dad.  It actually worked out well that he wasn’t as quick to get ready because we were able to eat lunch at home instead of out.  That’s a win during a busy schedule!

He was in pain, recording it at 4-5.  He finally accepted some strong pain medicine and that helped for a short time.  Around 2 his physical therapist came in to take him to the joint room to walk the stairs and get in a pretend car.  Well, here is where everything went wrong.  As Nick walked away, the kids, his dad and I all stayed in the room. As he was walking down the hall to the PT room, he started sweating.  By the time they got to the PT room, he was drenched in sweat!  His gown was drenched.  It was bad!  They got him in the room and sat him in a chair, took his blood pressure, which was 82/66, and he was completely flushed out.  He looked bad!  You see, this man is stubborn. Stubborn as a mule!  He wasn’t eating.  He was drinking.  He wasn’t taking pain meds for the two days prior.  We stayed until 315ish because Sterling had dance. We went back out at 6 and stayed until 930.  Nicks dad stayed with him again. I’m so glad his dad is here and is able to stay in the hospital with him.  Hopefully they are having a good bonding time.

Keeping them occupied…

This girl has some serious peep in her jumps.  Such grace when she jumps!

After dance and trying to encourage him to eat!

Here’s my complaint.  As a nurse, shouldn’t you just know to give someone pain meds after a major surgery?  They WILL obviously be in pain.  Shouldn’t they be required to stay on top of pain control even if the patient is saying there’s no pain?  At least for the first week?  Wouldn’t you make your patient get up and walk 20 feet more than once a day?  How is his body supposed to get used to moving, if they have him laying in a bed all day?!  He’s a bed rat.  He’s not going to say, hey nurse so and so, I need to get out of bed to be moving around.  When he finally did last night, it takes them more than 30 minutes to make it to his room.  It’s ridiculous. 

Today, Thursday, he’s being discharged.  To be discharged, he still had to climb the stairs and sit in a pretend car.  He did it, but I wasn’t there to see how he did standing up.  Then he also needs to be able to shower before leaving.  He’s at the hospital currently as I wait for his text saying his shower is complete and his IV is out.  The kids have an hour left of school, so I’m guessing they’ll be able to finish that hour off and then we’ll head out and hopefully not wait all afternoon.

Xander has soccer practice tonight and I’m really hoping he don’t have to miss it.  He’s so excited and this would be 0/3 if I can’t get him there on time.  He would be crushed!  Hoping discharge won’t take too long. 

I’m curious to see how Nick does coming home and climbing all the stairs to get up to the room.

How do you deal with a stubborn husband?  I may need a vacation from this long road of his recovery!

Have a great day!

Grand Forks trip

Recapping our trip to Grand Forks for my nieces gradation party.  We drove over from Bismarck on Friday, June 5th.  We met my parents in Fargo for lunch because they flew in from Atlanta the night before.  We ate at Space Aliens…another favorite of ours!

(blurry pic, but fun times with Papa)

My parents and I took all the kids but baby Maisyn and headed to the hotel after we ate so the kids could go swimming.  It’s the one thing they all were crazy excited for!

Xander sat on the edge for the first hour and half…he always does!  Until I whisked him away to the deep end and put him gently in the water and he had to swim across the pool to get to the steps.  He loved it ever since! Sterling’s still my water baby though!

 

On Saturday was the party, so we all went over to my brother’s wife’s families house.  I didn’t get any pictures of the graduate!  I was horrible at taking pictures during our trips.  I’m usually taking over 500 pics but I didn’t even take 100 the whole two weeks!  After the party, we all headed back to the hotel so the kids could swim again.

Great job photo-bombing Sterling and Gramps, Cory!  My brother and his son, Jaxon.  My beautiful sister and Maisyn.

  

When it was time to head to bed, I wanted to get a picture of my grandpa with the kids, but knew I had to sit them down otherwise he’d try picking them up.  He’s too weak to be doing all that, so I stuck them on the table and had him stand in front.  It works.

Sunday morning we headed home.  An hour away, I looked back and Xander had a tear rolling down his cheek.  He said he wanted to go to Aunties and that he wasn’t ready to go home!  Such a sweet heart of his!

Monday (already home) we had errands and grocery shopping.  I even snuck in some haircuts for the kids.  I went short again on Xander.  I love it short and Nick (and Xander) likes it long.  I love the kids’ stylist and how she always makes Sterling feel like a princess. 

I also had Xander clean up and he was in charge of the vacuum.  He loved it!

  

Next up on Monday, something serious to talk about.

Bismarck trip recap

I didn’t take too many pictures, but we had a great time away!

We headed up to Bismarck, ND on May 21st to spend some time with my sister and her family.  It’s a 9 hour drive so I only do it once a year, so we stayed for 2 weeks.  When we got there, we quickly had some dinner and then headed up to the school because my niece was having a music concert.  She’s sitting up front in the peach/coral top.

My sister and I have birthday’s back to back, so we celebrate together when we can.  This year worked out and we had her husbands aunt watch ALL our kids and us, friends, and the hubbies (minus mine of course), all headed to dinner and then restaurant/bar hopping.  It was a fun night!  On the night of my birthday, we went to Olive Garden.  And on the night of my sister’s we went to HuHot.  Both are my favorites!

We had a fire one night and it was a hit!

I braved all the kids by myself and headed to the park with them…we had a great time until a creeper was stalking us so we headed home in a rushed panic!

Pizza night was a success!

Random fun times throughout our two week visit.

      

They LOVED the tire swing!

 

Because we call her Sis…this was fitting…

Another school event, kids had a blast!

  

A much needed documented picture!  It takes Sterling forever to warm up to my sister’s husband, but she always does, right before we are about to leave.  It’s so sweet when she does! (I have no idea who the lady in the background is!)

It was great to finally meet little Miss Maisyn!  She was such a joy and a great baby!  My sister sure knows how to have a great schedule for infants.  She does not give in to every little whimper, lol!

Thanks for having us for two whole weeks.  We loved our time spent with you all, but oh so glad the big girls were in school the whole time, LOL!!!

After our trip ended in Bismarck, we headed over to Grand Forks to my nieces graduation party.