Boogers on the ceiling and screaming naked guy

Who knew going to the hospital could be such fun???? Hayley was moved to a new room which is evidently right down the hall from the psych ward. Shortly after I arrived this afternoon we started hearing a ruckus a few rooms down. Either some guy needed to poop out a football, or he was in pain....or both (we're not entirely sure if there was one guy or two...this was before we started really paying attention). Anyways this guy was hollering and screaming for 911 (just like Jeff Conaway on "Celebrity Rehab"), for his doctor, for his lawyer, for the police, maybe for a toilet (again, not sure if this was the same guy). He was in pain and letting everyone know it. I really wanted to go down there and bitch slap him, letting him know that my best friend had just been not only gutted like a mackeral but taken in for not one but two surgeries on the same damn day and he should just SHUT the hell UP....but I didn't. Apparently I didn't have to as he was visited by the po-po shortly thereafter (not to be confused with poo-poo) and that calmed him right down. At least for a little while. I'm sorry to say we missed the best part of the show. While Hayley was getting checked out by her nurse, we had the door closed so as to protect what little privacy she has. All of a sudden we heard the guy yelling in the hallway "I'm in paaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnn" and the slap slap slap of running feet. We asked the nurse if it was the same guy. She apologized and said yes, and that it wasn't something we really wanted to see because he was nekkid as a jaybird. Hayley and I agreed that it was, in fact, something we wanted to see, so we made sure to keep that door wide open for the duration. Unfortunately he settled down again and they kept him in his room with the door closed so I couldn't even check it out. Oh well, maybe he'll be there tomorrow.

Here is a picture of Hayley's ceiling (above her bed). We are convinced that this is a booger that was flicked on the ceiling by a previous occupant (remember, psych ward). What do YOU think?

The Green Wire

What a day! It all started so nicely--TJ and Laura brought Hayley a donut for breakfast, which she proclaimed to all was the best buttermilk bar ever! She looks way better (no matter what Mister Negative might say). Then Dan, Marcy, Connor and Gerrard dropped in for a nice visit, followed by Mike and Shirley. Patricia then stopped off and delivered that nice rack you see in the previous picture, along with a nice x-rated tic tac toe game. Then it was Cathryn with a wonderful M&M dispenser and a cool pair of shades for Hayley.

Around 7:00 cousin Jackie dropped by and the 5 of us were having a great time chatting and telling old story's. At about 7:30 we had decided to go grab some dinner, when one of the doctors came in and said he wanted a minute with Hayley. The nurse chased us out of the room, and a few minutes later the Dr. (not Buntic, but one of the younger Doctors) came up to me and let me know that they were no longer getting any feedback from Hayley's right breast. He continued to explain that if the breast may not proper blood flow. So they were going to do a couple of other tests first, but it looked like she would have to go back into surgery!

F---Me! That would mean getting her ready to go back under, and a couple more hours on the table under the knife, then start the recovery all over again (ICU and the whole nine yards!) At least 4 more days here! Then he said, "Not to worry you, BUT it is never a good thing when after 4 days we have a problem". No shit Sherlock! Now those little voices that were all rested up since Tuesday night started back chiming in. This time i had TJ, Laura, and Jackie all to share my fear with.

Enter the coolest cat in the room, Jackie, who led the troops in a stirring battle of HangMan, as we all tried to keep our mind off of the impending surgery. After saying the Serenity Prayer about 10 times to myself, I pulled TJ aside and told him, there must be some kind of mistake--maybe the wire was disconnected or something.

At about 9 the more senior doctor on duty tonight (Dr. Buntic was called, and would be in to do the cutting) came in to take a look for himself, before the surgery. They had just finished a 8 hour surgery, some poor guy had got his hand stuck in a cement mixer (and it had been cut off) and they had re-attached it. He took one look at Hayley's new Juggs, and said "they look awfully good to not have circulation". A collective sigh from the 5 of us. Then he asked the nurse if she had checked the wire? "No, never though of it" she said. He switched leads, and low and behold her right breast was actually getting plenty of blood flow--there had been a faulty GREEN WIRE!

So after an hour and a half of terror, all was back to peacefulness! Jackie broke into the M&M's and we sucked down the victory candy that melts in your mouth not in your hand! Finally Hayley chased us out--she was ready to go to sleep. The younger Dr. came back before we left and apologized, he was sorry to have put us through the ringer like that, he just wanted to be on the safe side. We all told him we understood, and thanked him for looking out for our girl.

Jackie led us to some great Thai food, and then took TJ & Laura out for some liquid relaxation. I came here to update you all, and to let you all know that all is well, hopefully Hayley and I will be coming home Monday or Tuesday, and as of right now, there will be no more surgery!

Next time, check the GREEN WIRE FIRST!

Funny Stuff

Today brought lots of visitors to Hayley, here is a picture of some of the loot!

TJ and Laura have had just too much fun,
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Dr. Buntic

This was from the Tuesday, the day of the surgery. Hayley knew that they would be using sharpies to mark the spot where she was to be sliced, so she brought a full package of sharpies for Dr. B.

Saturday Morning

WARNING...images in this blog entry may be unsuitable for our young viewers (or those with weak stomachs)

Well, since I've been so lame and not posted anything as a guest blogger yet I figured I better have something good. We're here, reporting live from the hospital with Hayley on this beautiful Saturday morning. 

Seeing that I'm a giver I've decided to expand all of you all's medical knowledge today...So put on your thinking caps, look at the picture and tell us what Haley is holding in her hand. I'll give you a hint and tell you it's not a juice box.

It's a POCKET BUDDY which is a drain to remove unwanted fluids and other undesirable substances from Hayley's parts and Hayley has four of them! Yea! Feel your lunch coming up yet?

Hayley looks fabulous today and is definitely her old perky and sometime inappropriate self. 

Friday update

Great news! Hayley has been moved out of the Critical Care Unit and into a regular room on the same floor. She no longer needs the oxygen or the morphine drip (oh damn) and was able to eat some oatmeal this morning. Unfortunately that became an oatmeal fountain but hopefully it was a short turnaround and tasted just as good the second time! She is doing just great and getting better every minute. No doubt due to all of the good wishes coming her way! Keep 'em comin'....

Thursday Night

An early one tonight, as Hayley was a good sleeper today! All those visits yesterday made her quite sleep. Somewhere someone told me that your body really repairs itself during quality REM sleep--or maybe i just made it up. At any rate, that was what she was doing today, and it seemed to make a difference. She is still in ICU, but i would bet she will be out tomorrow, the doc thinks she will be out of bed by Sunday.

Gets me tired just thinking about it! You all know Hayley, and seeing someone who has that much energy stuck in bed is a strange site. It is wonderful to see her improving. Hospitals can be wonderful places. The Milkshake guy came around today, and delivered Hayley a really great milkshake (i did help her out with it and it was yummy).

But for some folks the Hospital is not so kind. In the room next to Hayley is a woman who came out of surgery (unknown) and her entire extended family is in the waiting room outside the ICU. They take up every seat and spill into the hall. From the looks of the family things may not be doing so well--I cant really tell what they are talking about as their conversation is in Spanish. I hope for the best, but I see the fear in the family's faces, and understand. It is the fear of the unknown. Two days ago I guess I looked like that too. My what a difference 48 hours can make!

Well its off to bed, while your thinking about Hayley, say a little prayer for the woman in the next room. I hope her family and friends have a strong network like we do.