Dave was here to visit yesterday! His weekly visits always include: the laundry swap (mmm...clean clothes that don't smell like hospital), outside food (we used UberEats yesterday to order turkey clubs right to my room), a walk outside (I stepped off of the hospital property for the first time in 29 days yesterday - we didn't go far, he wanted to show me that Swiss Chalet was basically 15 steps off of hospital property. So close, yet oh so far) and quality time spent wandering downstairs. Yesterday's wander was pretty successful. We bought a cute onesie in Indigo that I hadn't noticed until yesterday.
Baby A's souvenir of the time she made her Mom sit in the hospital for weeks on end.
Dave reminded me yesterday that this was his last week of work before A makes her arrival. It made me realize that my time in here is about to be over. Today marks the 30th day of hospital living. After being in here 30 days you get to know the rhythm of the day. I know it so well know it's hard to believe it ever felt foreign to me. Here are some lasts I am looking forward to celebrating this week:
1. Today is the last day I will be choosing my food for Monday. Next Monday being surgery day means no food after a certain time next Sunday (note to self: must ask nurse how long I can push the eating thing since they will have me on the liquid diet once I am cleared for liquids). Here is my last Monday order:
2. The last week of the medical practitioner parade. Let me tell you, I will not miss the constant interruptions asking me about my bleeding and bowel movements, especially when I just want to nap.
3. The last non-stress test in my room (I don't know why they call them non-stressful - A hates them, she gets all kicky and I get short of breath. It's almost like she is saying "Let me OUT!")
4. My last chat with my favourite cleaning lady. She's only in during the week, so I will have my last pregnant chat with her on Friday.
5. My last new magazine day is on Friday. I love Friday's. I wait until afternoon to go down so I can be sure the new magazines are out at the Indigo store and look at every cover. I usually end up just buying US Weekly, but do enjoy the front covers letting me know who is getting divorced (usually lies), who is pregnant (mostly lies), who has been cheating on so-and-so with whom (the jury is out on some of these). So much entertainment in my Friday's.
6. The last week of watching as much Netflix and TV as I can expose my brain too. Apparently there won't be time once I return to the outside world.
7. My last shower with my Michael Jackson glove (when I shower I have to tape a medical glove around my hand to protect my IV and feel like the hospital version of Michael Jackson. Yes, I have threatened my nurse that I will moonwalk past the nurses station with my cool gloved hand. I haven't done it yet, so I guess I should do it this week).
8. The last time I will eat cookies in bed. Who am I kidding? I do that when I am at home too. Cookies are the best, but even better when you eat them in bed.
9. My last cinnamon scone Sunday. I thought about that as I slowly savored my cinnamon scone this morning. Note to Dave: must buy cinnamon scones for my return home. Sunday is now cinnamon scone day.
10. My last night wandering down the long hall in the unit. This hall and I have gotten to know each other well. I usually do about 5-8 laps, 3-5 times per day depending on how bored I am and if there is anything interesting going on (gossip at the nurses station, new patient moving in).
11. My last wacky Wednesday, which will likely be uneventful and turn into me avoiding (a.k.a. napping, wandering downstairs or watching a movie) Art with Hal. One afternoon with Hal was enough. I think I will leave my painting here too. It's posted beautifully across from the nurses station...upside down. I guess my art left room for interpretation.
My lovely nurse this morning did tell me that I will be back on this unit for post-patrum care, so that makes me very excited, for real. I will get to do a couple of first things on this unit I've called home since August 26th, like first time getting out of bed after abdominal surgery, first night with baby A, first diaper change with baby A. Plus, I get to see and thank all the nurses that have taken such amazing care of me over the past 30 days and beyond.
I am looking forward to this week of last's, especially when I think baby A is staying until her actual C-section date note.
Exciting! I hope she stays in there until her scheduled date. The thing I wish I'd done in the last week was read up on breastfeeding. I had done a 2-3 hour course and prenatal classes but missed a lot of info on how to prevent troubles and what to do when they arise. Plus a scheduled section can change things too, and I imagine with your little girl being early there may be other intricacies. I thought I had 2 more days to read up (that was the plan) and then Ruby had other plans. Definitely no chance or desire to open a book once they arrive. My experience was that the breastfeeding is way more difficult to manage than the surgery itself. And try drink/eat what they'll let you post surgery... Mine was at night and they didn't let me have much... So at 7am when they got me to walk to toilet I almost passed out on the can. (I imagine low blood sugar and blood pressure). Good luck with everything! It's about to getting exciting, in a good way.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely add breastfeeding troubleshooting to the list of things to do this week. I noticed on one of my many walks that the NICU is hosting a breastfeeding 101 class on Thursday afternoon. I might just have to wander upstairs to check it out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip about eating pre-surgery! That passing out feeling is not fun on a good day let alone post-abdominal surgery.
Hope all is well with you and Ruby!