I am a horrible wife. No really, it's true. Here's why.
Last week Sage, Charlotte and myself all had a little bug. Nothing major, just stomach ache and diarrhea. (nice, huh?) Sage only had it for a day, Charly for 2-3 days, and myself for 2-3 days. We didn't feel horrible, just crampy and had to stay close to home if you know what I mean. So Saturday morning Clint starts saying he thinks he is getting the bug. Not feeling well. We don't make a huge deal of it, because we'd all had it and figured that's what it was. Saturday afternoon we went swimming at his parents and he was laid up in a chair the whole time just not feeling well. Saturday night we stayed home and he spent that evening and night throwing up and curled up in a ball on the floor and in the tub trying to get relief. That should have been sign #1 to me that something was wrong. Instead, here's where the bad wife part comes in. I'm still thinking it's just the same thing we all had and that he's being this huge baby. I text my mom telling her that this is why men could never be pregnant...because they don't handle being sick well at all. I felt bad for him, sure, but...not that bad. Who got him sick in the first place? Me. I knew how he was feeling and it wasn't that severe. Told ya. Bad wife.
So Sunday morning he takes a shower and shaves and acts as if he is going to try to go to church. I make it known right away that that is out of the question. He agrees and lays down. I take the girls to church and come home. He's still asleep. Good. I hoped he slept it off and felt better when he woke up. Well he woke up and felt worse. He wasn't moaning or complaining or anything; just couldn't do much or move much. I didn't find this too terribly odd since he is still using a cane and can't just hop up and do things. So Sunday afternoon everyone takes nice long naps. (Myself included!) When the girls woke up I took them to my folks for dinner. Clint was still not feeling well and wanted to stay home to rest. He was laying on the tile floor when I left him. That should have been sign #2. I check my phone while at my parents and see that I've missed several calls and texts from him. He says he is really hurting and something is wrong. I tell him to take one of my Zofran pills, all the while telling my family that he is totally fine and just being a baby. AH! I really can't believe I didn't take it more seriously. He tells me it's not nausea and that he's not taking a pill. That something is really wrong and he wants to go to urgent care. At this point I was annoyed. You see, in our first year of marriage, he got sick, threw up a few times, and went to urgent care where he got some fluids in his system and was sent home totally better. It was a big bill. So through this whole ordeal, I'm kinda thinking that's what is going on. I'm a cheapskate and didn't want any more medical bills. I wish that had been all it was.
Anyways. He finally convinces me he is going so I get the girls ready to head home, only to realize I have three tires that all need air. So I call him to let him know my dad is fixing my tires and he tells me to call a neighbor to take him because the pain was too intense for him to wait for me. So I call our wonderful neighbor who has been doing all of our yard word for THREE months and ask another huge favor of him at 7:30 on a Sunday night. I felt really bad calling. But he is the best and said it was no problem. Apparently when he drove over to get Clint, he was on his hands and knees in our driveway moaning. Poor guy. Once they made it to the hospital he was admitted within minutes and hooked up to an IV and the tests began. I made it at this point and called his parents, who came right away. His dad and our neighbor gave him a blessing and a doctor came in telling us he believed that by the way Clint was behaving that he had appendicitis. Two different doctors said this. And did I believe them? Nope. As soon as they left, I told Clint, "I don't think it's your appendix." Because apparently, I know more than doctors. :) I said this even as he was moaning and groaning on the table. Looking back I can't believe I was such a brat!
So they make him drink this drink and let it sit in his system for an hour before wheeling him away for a CT Scan. He came back shortly after, and about 10 minutes later a nurse came in. She immediately told him to prep for surgery by removing all of his clothes and jewelry. They asked if he had any metal in his body (haha!) and we gave them the low down. His surgeon came running in and said that by the looks of the CT, his appendix had ruptured already and they needed to get it all cleaned out as quickly as possible. So within a few minutes he was gone. Crazy how fast it all went. We waited for about an hour before his surgeon came in and said that he was going to be a horribly sick man for quite a while. He said his appendix had been ruptured for several days and had released tons of toxins into his body, and that it would take several days of being very ill for it all to be cleaned out.
When he made it to the recovery room and I told him this, he was upset. He immediately asked me to bring his lap top and work phone/charger to him so he could work the next morning. Silly man. I planned to stay with him that night but after a few hours in the chair next to his bed I was miserable and went home to sleep for a few hours. (my mom was with the girls)
I went back Monday morning and he was-as predicted-horribly sick. Very weak, pale, sweating, cramping, nauseous. He had a tube that went from his nose to his stomach that was pumping out fluids and bacteria that was driving him crazy. He has a JP drain that has to be drained several times a day that's pumping pretty things out, too. Day two was worse than day one. He was miserable and said maybe two words all day. They said that when you have surgery, your inner organs go to sleep and that his weren't waking up very well. So, they gave him a little somethin somthin to help move his bowels around and ever since then the poor guy has been having a rough go of things.
Wednesday was no better. He was now on day 5 of no food and on an all clear liquid diet but he wasn't even eating the jello they gave him and hardly drinking anything. So, they had a PICC Line put in. I had no idea what that was, but now I feel like an expert. :) It's a tube they insert through the vein in your arm that leads through the chest to the Vena Cava and allows TPN (Total Parental Nutrition) and antibiotics to be spread through the body faster and more efficiently than the I.V. So this way he is now able to get the nutrients his body needs to fight off the bacteria. I was aloud to stay in the room but had to be in a mask and everything/body was shielded. They start by doing an ultrasound of the arm to locate the vein. Then they disinfect and disinfect and disinfect some more. Then they give a shot of Lidocin to numb the arm, followed by a small needle to make the initial hole. They then use a scalpel to make the hole big enough for the tube to go in. The tube is then threaded through the vein to the Vena Cava. Unfortunately for Clint, they would get his tube about 3/4 of the way there and then were met with resistance. So they'd push it in, then pull it out over and over again. Clint was not enjoying it. He does not do well with needles and the whole time was just sweating horribly and so so still. I felt so bad for him. Once they finally got it all the way in and bandaged up, they tried to get fluids out and were unable to get anything. They are supposed to get a full syringe worth of blood and weren't getting a drop. So they ordered an Xray to see where the tip of the tube was-thinking maybe it had gone into the wrong vein. Thankfully it was in the right spot, just too deep. So she went back, undressed the bandage and pulled it out an inch or two and was able to get the results she needed. Meanwhile, they were in a hurry to get more labs done and the nurses were trying to find a vein on his other arm to draw blood. They couldn't find one because he hadn't eaten in so long his veins were not as open as normal. So he got poked several times on the other arm. He just laid there like he wasn't feeling anything with his eyes shut. I think he was half asleep from all the drugs he is on. He was finally able to sleep for a few hours Wednesday afternoon--thank heavens.
He has nurses checking his vitals and poking him literally every 20 minutes or less. Some of the nurses are fabulous, while some drive me crazy. They turn the lights on super bright and are so loud and obnoxious. But I guess they are just doing their job. His little work phone he was so insistent upon having has been shut off for the past three days now. He can hardly text people let alone talk to anyone. He was pretty out of it.
Thursday was a tiny bit better. Not much conversation or movement but slowly progressing. Thursday night his meds gave him nightmares so he didn't get any sleep but by Friday morning they had things figured out and we know which drugs to steer clear of in the future. I took the girls by to see him Friday afternoon for about ten minutes which was all he could handle. Sage especially was very nervous once we started walking the halls of the hospital. But once we got to his room and saw that he had chocolate pudding, she was totally fine. Sage's prayers have been so so sweet while he has been gone. They say things like, "please help daddy not to hurt his leg anymore and also to not be sick and to not be sad." It just about makes me cry every time she says things like that. She catches on and understands so much more than I give her credit for!
Friday and Saturday he has gotten slowly better. Still not fantastic and has the Picc in. His JP drain came out Saturday morning. He got to start eating soft solid foods today (Saturday) but so far nothing is staying in him, which is why the Picc stays in. One doctor said he might get to come home Tuesday and another said he might get to come home tomorrow. I kind of think Monday or Tuesday will be the day. I think he will still have to heal a little at home after that though. He's missing way more work than he planned on but I'd rather him be fully healed before going back just in case it gets infected.
It's been a super super long week for all of us but I can't complain. The one thing that almost pushed me over the edge didn't happen till today, and it's quite comical. Clint's hospital room is freezing, so I wanted to wear pants today. I absolutely should have worn sweat pants. Instead, I shoved my big badonk-a-donk into my sister's maternity pants. She's like three sizes smaller than me. I was claustrophobic and feeling nauseous all day because of those dang pants. And crabby. Very crabby. :) I won't complain though. We've got lots of family helping with the girls so I can be with Clint for several hours a day and wonderful neighbors who are all willing to help. We are lucky!
And Clint, just for the record:
I DON'T THINK YOU ARE A BABY ANYMORE.
sorry bout that.
Last week Sage, Charlotte and myself all had a little bug. Nothing major, just stomach ache and diarrhea. (nice, huh?) Sage only had it for a day, Charly for 2-3 days, and myself for 2-3 days. We didn't feel horrible, just crampy and had to stay close to home if you know what I mean. So Saturday morning Clint starts saying he thinks he is getting the bug. Not feeling well. We don't make a huge deal of it, because we'd all had it and figured that's what it was. Saturday afternoon we went swimming at his parents and he was laid up in a chair the whole time just not feeling well. Saturday night we stayed home and he spent that evening and night throwing up and curled up in a ball on the floor and in the tub trying to get relief. That should have been sign #1 to me that something was wrong. Instead, here's where the bad wife part comes in. I'm still thinking it's just the same thing we all had and that he's being this huge baby. I text my mom telling her that this is why men could never be pregnant...because they don't handle being sick well at all. I felt bad for him, sure, but...not that bad. Who got him sick in the first place? Me. I knew how he was feeling and it wasn't that severe. Told ya. Bad wife.
So Sunday morning he takes a shower and shaves and acts as if he is going to try to go to church. I make it known right away that that is out of the question. He agrees and lays down. I take the girls to church and come home. He's still asleep. Good. I hoped he slept it off and felt better when he woke up. Well he woke up and felt worse. He wasn't moaning or complaining or anything; just couldn't do much or move much. I didn't find this too terribly odd since he is still using a cane and can't just hop up and do things. So Sunday afternoon everyone takes nice long naps. (Myself included!) When the girls woke up I took them to my folks for dinner. Clint was still not feeling well and wanted to stay home to rest. He was laying on the tile floor when I left him. That should have been sign #2. I check my phone while at my parents and see that I've missed several calls and texts from him. He says he is really hurting and something is wrong. I tell him to take one of my Zofran pills, all the while telling my family that he is totally fine and just being a baby. AH! I really can't believe I didn't take it more seriously. He tells me it's not nausea and that he's not taking a pill. That something is really wrong and he wants to go to urgent care. At this point I was annoyed. You see, in our first year of marriage, he got sick, threw up a few times, and went to urgent care where he got some fluids in his system and was sent home totally better. It was a big bill. So through this whole ordeal, I'm kinda thinking that's what is going on. I'm a cheapskate and didn't want any more medical bills. I wish that had been all it was.
Anyways. He finally convinces me he is going so I get the girls ready to head home, only to realize I have three tires that all need air. So I call him to let him know my dad is fixing my tires and he tells me to call a neighbor to take him because the pain was too intense for him to wait for me. So I call our wonderful neighbor who has been doing all of our yard word for THREE months and ask another huge favor of him at 7:30 on a Sunday night. I felt really bad calling. But he is the best and said it was no problem. Apparently when he drove over to get Clint, he was on his hands and knees in our driveway moaning. Poor guy. Once they made it to the hospital he was admitted within minutes and hooked up to an IV and the tests began. I made it at this point and called his parents, who came right away. His dad and our neighbor gave him a blessing and a doctor came in telling us he believed that by the way Clint was behaving that he had appendicitis. Two different doctors said this. And did I believe them? Nope. As soon as they left, I told Clint, "I don't think it's your appendix." Because apparently, I know more than doctors. :) I said this even as he was moaning and groaning on the table. Looking back I can't believe I was such a brat!
So they make him drink this drink and let it sit in his system for an hour before wheeling him away for a CT Scan. He came back shortly after, and about 10 minutes later a nurse came in. She immediately told him to prep for surgery by removing all of his clothes and jewelry. They asked if he had any metal in his body (haha!) and we gave them the low down. His surgeon came running in and said that by the looks of the CT, his appendix had ruptured already and they needed to get it all cleaned out as quickly as possible. So within a few minutes he was gone. Crazy how fast it all went. We waited for about an hour before his surgeon came in and said that he was going to be a horribly sick man for quite a while. He said his appendix had been ruptured for several days and had released tons of toxins into his body, and that it would take several days of being very ill for it all to be cleaned out.
When he made it to the recovery room and I told him this, he was upset. He immediately asked me to bring his lap top and work phone/charger to him so he could work the next morning. Silly man. I planned to stay with him that night but after a few hours in the chair next to his bed I was miserable and went home to sleep for a few hours. (my mom was with the girls)
I went back Monday morning and he was-as predicted-horribly sick. Very weak, pale, sweating, cramping, nauseous. He had a tube that went from his nose to his stomach that was pumping out fluids and bacteria that was driving him crazy. He has a JP drain that has to be drained several times a day that's pumping pretty things out, too. Day two was worse than day one. He was miserable and said maybe two words all day. They said that when you have surgery, your inner organs go to sleep and that his weren't waking up very well. So, they gave him a little somethin somthin to help move his bowels around and ever since then the poor guy has been having a rough go of things.
Wednesday was no better. He was now on day 5 of no food and on an all clear liquid diet but he wasn't even eating the jello they gave him and hardly drinking anything. So, they had a PICC Line put in. I had no idea what that was, but now I feel like an expert. :) It's a tube they insert through the vein in your arm that leads through the chest to the Vena Cava and allows TPN (Total Parental Nutrition) and antibiotics to be spread through the body faster and more efficiently than the I.V. So this way he is now able to get the nutrients his body needs to fight off the bacteria. I was aloud to stay in the room but had to be in a mask and everything/body was shielded. They start by doing an ultrasound of the arm to locate the vein. Then they disinfect and disinfect and disinfect some more. Then they give a shot of Lidocin to numb the arm, followed by a small needle to make the initial hole. They then use a scalpel to make the hole big enough for the tube to go in. The tube is then threaded through the vein to the Vena Cava. Unfortunately for Clint, they would get his tube about 3/4 of the way there and then were met with resistance. So they'd push it in, then pull it out over and over again. Clint was not enjoying it. He does not do well with needles and the whole time was just sweating horribly and so so still. I felt so bad for him. Once they finally got it all the way in and bandaged up, they tried to get fluids out and were unable to get anything. They are supposed to get a full syringe worth of blood and weren't getting a drop. So they ordered an Xray to see where the tip of the tube was-thinking maybe it had gone into the wrong vein. Thankfully it was in the right spot, just too deep. So she went back, undressed the bandage and pulled it out an inch or two and was able to get the results she needed. Meanwhile, they were in a hurry to get more labs done and the nurses were trying to find a vein on his other arm to draw blood. They couldn't find one because he hadn't eaten in so long his veins were not as open as normal. So he got poked several times on the other arm. He just laid there like he wasn't feeling anything with his eyes shut. I think he was half asleep from all the drugs he is on. He was finally able to sleep for a few hours Wednesday afternoon--thank heavens.
He has nurses checking his vitals and poking him literally every 20 minutes or less. Some of the nurses are fabulous, while some drive me crazy. They turn the lights on super bright and are so loud and obnoxious. But I guess they are just doing their job. His little work phone he was so insistent upon having has been shut off for the past three days now. He can hardly text people let alone talk to anyone. He was pretty out of it.
Thursday was a tiny bit better. Not much conversation or movement but slowly progressing. Thursday night his meds gave him nightmares so he didn't get any sleep but by Friday morning they had things figured out and we know which drugs to steer clear of in the future. I took the girls by to see him Friday afternoon for about ten minutes which was all he could handle. Sage especially was very nervous once we started walking the halls of the hospital. But once we got to his room and saw that he had chocolate pudding, she was totally fine. Sage's prayers have been so so sweet while he has been gone. They say things like, "please help daddy not to hurt his leg anymore and also to not be sick and to not be sad." It just about makes me cry every time she says things like that. She catches on and understands so much more than I give her credit for!
Friday and Saturday he has gotten slowly better. Still not fantastic and has the Picc in. His JP drain came out Saturday morning. He got to start eating soft solid foods today (Saturday) but so far nothing is staying in him, which is why the Picc stays in. One doctor said he might get to come home Tuesday and another said he might get to come home tomorrow. I kind of think Monday or Tuesday will be the day. I think he will still have to heal a little at home after that though. He's missing way more work than he planned on but I'd rather him be fully healed before going back just in case it gets infected.
It's been a super super long week for all of us but I can't complain. The one thing that almost pushed me over the edge didn't happen till today, and it's quite comical. Clint's hospital room is freezing, so I wanted to wear pants today. I absolutely should have worn sweat pants. Instead, I shoved my big badonk-a-donk into my sister's maternity pants. She's like three sizes smaller than me. I was claustrophobic and feeling nauseous all day because of those dang pants. And crabby. Very crabby. :) I won't complain though. We've got lots of family helping with the girls so I can be with Clint for several hours a day and wonderful neighbors who are all willing to help. We are lucky!
And Clint, just for the record:
I DON'T THINK YOU ARE A BABY ANYMORE.
sorry bout that.
9 comments:
So Sorry~ We heard at church today! Let us know if we can help in any way!
when it rains, it pours. My heart goes out to you guys. we have the same things (kinda) going on here. i've been in and out of the hospital on top of cancer, brandon has been crazy sick with body aches, migraines and arthritis. AND he had moles removed, he's on the edge of cancer too! then we get a phone call that he has MRSA in his wound (from the moles removed). im tellin ya, when it rains it pours! i hope you guys are done with the hospital...besides the bebe!
Poor guy!!! Can't catch a break! I have heard rupturing an appendix is extremely painful, I can't imagine! I would probably think the same thing about Michael though...men are bigger weenies when it comes to pain and sickness.
By the time you have your baby ya'll will have spent the better part of the year at the hospital! I can't imagine the bills!! Hopefully you will get a big tax return for paying all the medical and them having another baby. That's what we are hoping anyway. :) I hope he feels better soon and I am so glad you are getting tons of help. Being a single mom for just one day wipes me out, let alone several days!
You guys have had the worst luck. Hope he gets better fast.
oh man!!! Poor Clint!!! :( I am so so sorry!!! I hope he starts feeling better soon and life can get back to normal for you guys! We will keep you guys in our prayers! Love ya!
Oh Marianne, you are so funny. Poor Clint! What horrible luck. Hopefully this will be the last unwanted trip to the hospital!
Oh my goodness! First of all, I feel so bad for clint. Sounds miserable. But don't beat yourself up, any wife would have thought what you were thinking. Especially right after a stomach bug that passed through everyone else. I have given Sean colds that knock him off his feet, and I am always thinking I just had this very same cold, why is he in bed?!? Second of all, you are amazing at writing. I loved the way you wrote this out! So real! Wish we lived close by and could help...so glad your folks are there now! Hugs to you guys! Hope he gets better super fast!
The moral of the story is that you can't put a price on health. I can't believe that he didn't go to the dr or expresscare when he was lying on the tile.
Seriously? Poor Clint! And you! I so would have thought the same thing. I bet you are EXHAUSTED!!! I hope he continues to get better and y'all cam have a little down time before the baby comes!
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