My daughter is being moved to rehab today

[cyclonefence]

but I did get good news: her primary caregiver (an angel walking the earth) told me they had finally received a prescription for ativan, which is what my daughter is supposed to be given at the first sign of a seizure. Because my daughter's medical treatment is controlled by a state agency, we have to follow some silly rules, in this case the rule that only a psychiatrist can prescribe drugs like ativan. After a lot of hooh-hah involving proving our daughter was no longer covered by BC/BS--which she hasn't been for over twenty years and despite the letter from BC/BS saying she was not covered--she finally got to a psychiatrist, which is a joke in itself since my daughter can neither speak nor sign. Anyway, that's a hurdle conquered.

I'm particularly irritated by my wound vac today because I take a diuretic (congestive heart failure) and today for some reason the cords and tubes won't let me get to the toilet in time.

But that's nothing compared with the good news that as of now the cycle of seizure/911/hospital/rehab/back home that my poor child has been enduring for a couple of months will end.

Thank you all for the hugs and encouragement. You may regret the encouragement to vent, though.

[Karadeniz]

1. I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU !!!!

[FarPoint]

2. Can you get a bedside commode?

That quicker access may indeed help while you have the wound vac... Get two...bedroom and one where you maybe sit most of the time...

[cyclonefence]

4. It's a really good idea

I found today that my cord allows me to get from my tv chair to the powder room if I make sure the tube/cords are clear of each other. But a commode would be great for the other room I sit in (when my husband is watching soccer on the big TV).
I'm not willing to put money into one--this thing has got to come out soon; the nurse who comes MWF to change my drainage tank said my wound was only a little deeper than one centimeter today, and it started out big enough for the surgeon to put his fist in--but I am willing to pee into some kind of container. I'm going to figure this out--thanks for the suggestion!

[FarPoint]

5. Not knowing the location of the wound...

sounds like you can if not already be getting switched over to a wet to dry dressing change...remove the wound vac..

Also, depending on the brand of wound vac...you should be able to carry the vac in a pouch with a strap/ battery powered....... mobility is essential...

[cyclonefence]

6. The wound is in my back

and I can carry the vac around, but it is heavy (for me) and I've had it in since mid-January. I'm sick of it.

Due to pneumonia, which happened at the same time they found the abscess, I'm weak and short of breath.

Misery misery misery!

I saw the surgeon who repaired my hernia and told him I blame his successful surgery for all my problems. Before he fixed it, I had stomach and guts up in my thorax. Now they're down where they belong, leaving space for the empyema, which was the beginning of all my troubles. He had a good laugh.

I'm planning to use a nice cooking pot somebody left here at Thanksgiving and which no one admits to owning (we figure somebody stole it from the airB&B) as a urinal. Right there in the living room. It'll be a squat, but better than peeing my pants.

I'm just fed up, that's all, and here is where I vent. Things could be a whole lot worse.

[FarPoint]

7. It sound actually as if you really are close to a great recovery...

The rehab and follow-up/ wound care etc does take a while and time goes by slowly.... I do hear positive recovery happening from a complex clinical focus.... Come Spring...wound vac off...do some PT....you will feel improved.


Oh.... pots were used way before urinals were created....

[cyclonefence]

8. Your post to glob's ear

[XanaDUer2]

3. Wonderful.

Best of luck to both of you