In Lieu of Flowers, Please Send POCKY
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Today is L's last day of mobility for quite a while. Early tomorrow morning we'll be yawning at the hospital, then he's off to have his spine fused. Seriously, they want us there at 5:30 am.
I'm overwhelmed by the number of people who are keeping him (and the whole family) in their thoughts. I'm also overwhelmed by some of the ways people try to be helpful. Like offering a cane or pair of crutches.
...
He's, um, having his spine fused. He won't be able to use a cane or crutches.Both use your back muscles... The helpful suggestions of a wheelchair or home hospital bed, Those are good suggestions. IF he wants them. Right now he connects wheelchair or motorized bed with being disabled. Since he doesn't see himself as disabled, and his goal is to be enabled as soon as possible; he doesn't want either.
He does have one request.
In lieu of flowers, please send POCKY.
You've got time :D He'll be in ICU for at least the first day, maybe longer.

Today's pain relief methods are amazing. They're going to use an epidural for the first day and a half or so, then switch him over to vicoden. He'll come home with percoset. That's the plan, at least. He knows (cuz I told him so) that the effectiveness of pain meds depends on your genes. If the vicoden works, great! If it doesn't work, ask for something different. Part of "being brave" is speaking up and letting your caregivers know if you're hurting, if you need help going to the bathroom, if you are uncomfortable being bathed by a certain nurse, etc etc etc.
Good feedback doesn't make you a whiner. Caregivers want to give you the best care possible. Feedback enables them to give you the best care possible.
I'll be asking "What's that?" for every single thing the nurses bring in. And I'll ask in my usual cutely curious, I love to learn, way. Because I love to learn. And because sometimes medications and IV things go to someone they weren't intended for. Which is why nurses check and double check your wristband. Asking what it is never hurts.

The closer we get to surgery, the less happy we are. And it is what it is. Post-op, our time will be divided between the hospital and completely sterilizing the house. Thank heavens for hard wood floors! Oh, and he's getting a new mattress set, too.

Now then. I know I can't make the house completely sterile. And by the time they release him, his wounds will be closed over and healing pretty well. And he doesn't *need* a new mattress because he had back surgery.
He needs a new mattress because the one he's got is like, 20 years old. (ewwww)
And scrubbing the house will give me something to do. Besides, we're converting the living room into his space for the next several months. Lots of room, a straight shot from the living room to the bathroom, and a wheelchair will fit down the hall. If all goes according to plan, he won't need a wheelchair, but he can have one if he wants it.

I'm rambling. Anyay, surgery is early tomorrow morning at St. John's Mercy Medical. Prayers, thoughts, and Pocky are gratefully accepted.