Bustin Out

Breaking free from the monotony of tubes and bells to get some fresh air out in the hallways. Nisha did sleep fairly well last night, sleeping a few hours at a time. We may bust out of the hospital in the near future, but for now no one can figure out how she is going to get home. She has to remain completely flat to avoid a repeat incident of the stitches bursting. Apparently, the nursing staff is going to attempt to harness her to the back seat in the van. It should be very interesting. If we do make it home, she will have to return on Monday for an evaluation and stitch removal. Not sure how we are practically going to maneuver around, but we shall see.

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Turkey Day from sleeping Nisha, puppy, and a bored mother ;)

Surgery Report #2

So you might have noticed I didn't update last night. . . sorry. I had two very emotional boys at home and one late night surgery. The second surgery was a butt lift (doctor's words) to fill in the skin from the tumor removal. The doctor said it was touch and go in that he had no idea if the surgery would take considering the make up of her skin. Currently, Nisha is in a body restraint that forces her to lay straight to avoid pressure on the stitches. There is no way she can go home so we are spending Turkey Day chowing on Jello and watching Dora. While not the typical holiday party, we are giving thanks that Nisha made it through two difficult surgeries in the last 24 hours!

Your prayers are working, as the fever and vomitting have ceased. Surgery will be pushed back to 7:00. It may be another long night.

Delay

The last 2 hours have brought a fever and vomitting :( Surgery will now be pushed to 3ish. Thank you for all of the encouraging prayers, songs, and well-wishes via e-mail and the comments. Really, they are a tremendous blessing as we can't see anyone right now! A big thanks to Natalie who snuck in for a quick visit by putting her daughter in a wheelchair and pretending to be an admitted patient. That certainly has brought many chuckles over the last few hours ;) More when we are called back or when something changes . . .

A Long Night and More Surgery

Wow! It was a L O N G night with Nisha waking up every 10 minutes screaming despite the sedatives and pain killers. Her back bled so much that she soaked the bed 4 times and she screams loudly about her eye and back pain. This morning when the intern came in and said they would turn off the morphine (and all the other -phine drugs) I about socked him. I told him I refused to go home.

With the help of a great nurse, we discovered Nisha's back wound (6 x 4 inches) was completely torn open and bleeding out. Unfortunately, this means she has to be rushed back to surgery within the next couple hours or so. Now that we have a plausible explanation for the tremendous pain, all medication pumps are back on and running smoothly.

Aaron slept on the bed in the hospital and I sat in a wood chair holding Nisha's hand. Despite the fact that my arm was completely numb and bluish, I thought it was a small sacrifice compared to the pain she was in. If I even tried to move my fingers a little bit, she started wailing.

Currently, I am at home eating (because I am not eating McDonalds- the only food option) and showering (because of the sock incident). If all goes well, Aaron is coming home tonight to be with the kids while I take night duty. We will probably switch off in an effort to catch a little bit of sleep.

Thanks for following Nisha's story and thank you for your awesome prayers :)

Good news, Bad news

OK, I am typing one with one hand as Nisha is firmly gripping my other while moaning loudly. The good news is that the surgery went well. Most everything the doctor set out to accomplish was achieved. In all, 12 large areas of skin were removed. The Melanoma splotch is out, although further test results won't be in until next week. Nisha's nose did get pulled with the stitches (to avoid a graft) so it appears like a deviated septum. The doctor is hoping it will look better with less swelling, but the verdict is still out. The only way to correct the nose would be to cut the stitches and place a skin graft over the area- no thanks.

The bad news relates to Nisha's current state. Would you believe I heard her screaming in the recovery room a floor and half away? Despite several doses of various sedatives and pain medications, Nisha is in tremendous pain. . . and that would be an understatement. I have never witnessed anyone in this state of pain. She is now on a special burn unit with her own private nurse. Please just pray that she can rest and get some relief from something!

Keeping it real here, tonight has been one of the top 3 worst experiences in my life. Seeing her in that much pain made me vomit. . . literally, as in 8 times. While trying to focus on the big picture and the necessity of what was done today, I am struggling seeing her in this much pain. Sadly, this even outshines the gut-wrenching sobs that poured out of Nisha the first night I had her in India (unexplainable). The recovery room situation was too much to bear. I am embarrassed to report that I couldn't even go inside without getting sick. Perhaps hospital memories of my brother's tragic experience are milling around and influencing my normally tough outlook. Aaron has been great and has done an outstanding job staying tough. Thank God for a partner.

I have no idea what time table we are on here. The nurses clearly know we aren't going anywhere anytime soon as pain management is the current issue.

On a totally funny note (I have to keep my sense of humor) I just realized that I forgot to put on socks today. Yeah, as in sweaty feet in furry,wool boots. . . get the picture? Note to self: Don't take shoes off tonight and put on some socks tomorrow ;)

Thanks for checking back. I will continue to update as changes occur. We covet your prayers!