WONDER AND STRENGTH

^{Psalm 139:6}  This is just too wonderful, deep, and incomprehensible!
Your understanding of me brings me wonder and strength.

I have been here at the hospital since yesterday @ 7:20am. The events that followed admission quickly reduced my strength until I finally fell asleep @ 8:30pm. I was able to sleep until just before midnight when the night nurse woke me to get my vitals. I then stayed awake until 3am and slept again for a few more hours. This morning was a whirlwind of things that had to be done. I did not settle down until D arrived near 11am.

From admit to waking this morning: Blood draws, IV, Lumbar punch and four vials of spinal fluid drawn, then nuclear medicine injected into my spine, a very difficult and painful nasal packing with six pledgets, throwing up, taped gauze mustache, 1st nuclear scan, replacing gauze mustache every time it got soaking wet (which averages every 2 hours while awake), walking multiple laps around the 9th floor, eating finger foods as best I could, trying to sip a straw without most of the water ending up on my chest, finally given zinc oxide ointment to put on my upper lip, sleeping while mouth breathing, waking to dry mouth and eventually having a sore raw throat.

From waking this morning to now: I woke to change my mustache gauze and washed out my crusty eyes, my NP visited me and ordered a personal humidifier to sleep with so I do not suffer any more ulcers in the back of my throat tonight and she ordered a throat spray for the sore throat, my 2nd nuclear scan, finally having breakfast with D, continuous changing of gauze, washing up and changing into warmer clothes, walking laps, taking a short nap, eating dinner with D and now sitting here looking forward to going to sleep.

Tomorrow morning I will receive the 3rd nuclear scan, they will take blood, my NP will remove the pledgets for lab analysis, and hopefully D will bring me back to the hotel room before noon. I will shower and crash into the evening. Our room has a kitchen so D will be able to feed both of us.

I have my follow-up appointment with my Dr. Thursday morning. There he will give me all of the results of everything found and a treatment plan will be initiated.

As I wrote last, this is testing that will determine if I am leaking CSF, where I am leaking it and what my blood and spinal fluid reveal about my brain and CSF. My Dr. has an excellent reputation here at this hospital.

WONDER AND STRENGTH

I am honored to be my Dr.’s patient. I am in wonder at the way I was referred to him. I am strengthened by the way that God put it all together for me and my future. Western medicine basically wrote me off. I have fought this sentence to “a new normal” with D but certainly on my own. Even with everything we purchased, I utilized in hopes of recovery, only got me somewhat on the road to recovery. I am grateful for my Integrative Medical Dr. and his amazing Nutritionist. They took me from dispair to hope. Then things seemed to plateau until early this Fall when I met an angel. She gave me the gift of real strength by referring me to my Dr. here in Denver. Thank you NR! And yes, thank you to my most dedicated physical therapist for not giving up on me or writing me off.

I will continue to write about the multiple brain injuries that brought me to today. Right now, I am going to get ready for bed.

Good night, God bless you.

Hugs always,

Suzanne