Back in the OR

Around 8pm last night the wound vac stopped working.  This was very unfortunate.

Beep, Beep, Beep.  10 second pause.  Beep, Beep, Beep.  10 second pause.  Beep, Beep, Beep.  10 second pause.  Beep, Beep, Beep.  10 second pause.  Beep, Beep, Beep.  10 second pause.  Beep, Beep, Beep.  10 second pause, etc.

For the next 14 hours.

The night nurse couldn't fix it.  So, he called ortho.  They came around midnight and fiddled with it for a little while.  But, it was clogged.

I woke up around 2am and found Harlie still watching TV.  She was watching How to Train Your Dragon for the fourth time that day.  I tried to take out her hearing aid but she wanted nothing of it.  She did sleep a lot that day, so I guess she wasn't tired.  I tried to go back to sleep, but I wanted to take out her hearing aid and turn off the TV when the movie was over, and that incessant beeping was maddening.

About an hour later the movie was over, so I took out her hearing aid and turned off the TV.  She cried but then was asleep two minutes later.  I, however, could not go back to sleep.  That damn beeping.  They tried to silence it and cover it to at least make it a softer sound.  I heard them saying that it had no vacuum.

I tried to sleep despite the beeping.  But, I couldn't.  And it was a sealed system, so I thought what could be the harm in just turning it off?  So that's what I did.  And then I went back and tried to go to sleep.  But, then I started to worry that I had not made a good decision.  So, I got up and found our nurse and told him I turned it off.  He looked mad.  He went and called the doc to let her know and he told me that she was "upset" that I had done that and that she wanted it back on.  Grrrr!

Eh, sleep is overrated anyway.

Since the wound vac wasn't working, they had to change the dressing.  So, that meant she had to go back in the OR.  She was originally scheduled to go back in on Thursday.  They just moved it up to today.  They stopped feeding her at 4am and she went back in to the OR around 10am.  They irrigated and debrided the wound again, replaced the dressing, put the wound vac back on and measured her for her back brace.  After the procedure they put the cast back on her.  The plan is to put her in the brace after Monday (it takes a couple of days for it to be made).

Her surgeon said that the wound looked good and that there was no more pus or necrotic tissue.  And she said that she thinks she'll be able to close it up (with stitches) on Monday.  So, as of right now, she's scheduled to go back in the OR on Monday.

Only the cool kids get to go into the OR three times in seven days.  I'm beginning to think Harlie is an overachiever.

My mom and sister came up today to hang out with us.  That was really nice.  And it made the day go by faster.  So, thanks Mom and Sandy!

There's more I could write (no surprise) but I am falling asleep as I type this.  So, goodnight all!

Thanks for reading!
~Christy