Monday 1:10 PM--Ups and Downs

Catherine had another terrible night with pain issues....the nights are so hard for her, and I am not able to be with her then, so it's really a pain (no pun intended!) for me too. I hate to see her with tears dripping down her cheeks first thing in the AM....I might just stay over tonight...we'll see if I am up to it! So far, no one has come in to the room (I should have stayed last night, since there was no one else in there....(her roommate went home on Sunday) I don't know if we'll be lucky enough to have this room to ourselves again tonight...

Anyway, Dr. B came in this AM and the first thing he told us was that everyone at K2M sent their love....(And he also proudly announced he beat Dr. Woo in arm wrestling----what exactly do you guys DO at these CSSG meetings???) Anyway, he said Catherine can probably go home pretty soon (as soon as her pain is under control) and that we don't have to stay in town to wait for a post op appointment...so I guess when we get the ok, we can just go to the train station directly from here! I know getting home and having a more calm schedule will help her.

A Dr. from Pain Management came to see Catherine today, and we have her on a new regimen of drugs....only trouble is, she woke up a little nauseous, so we have to be careful to give the new stuff on a little more full of a stomach.....her lunch is here, but she's not ready to try it yet. They just gave her some anti-nausea pill.....

After Dr. B came in, the physical therapist walked around the hall with Catherine. She said Catherine would probably only use the walker a few more weeks, then graduate to a cane, and then to nothing. The pain guy visited, the chaplain visited, but then the best guy in the whole hospital came to see her---Franco....the hairdresser! He was about the size of Danny DeVito! and he washed Catherine's hair (while in bed) and blew it dry(sitting in a chair), and even put curls in it, with a curling iron. After a night of pain, Catherine looked like she was in heaven having her hair washed! I will put a picture of them up. Notice the height....she is in a chair and he is standing next to her!!

It is such a madhouse in here....a Dr. just came by to look at Catherine, plus the physical therapist....and she hasn't even had lunch yet....it's hard to get any rest here...We told PT to come back in an hour....maybe by then her stomach will settle, and she will be able to eat something...

Sorry no blog from Sunday, but Ashley, Catherine's friend from Virginia Tech, who is coming to NYU for graduate school in a few weeks, came and visited on Sunday. She doesn't get many visitors, so that was really nice for her....

I know these blogs must not be that coherent...it takes me like hours to do them, due to all the interruptions....since the last paragraph, she has felt better, eaten her lunch, had a check up visit from the pain Dr., had a volunteer visit her from the lending library....you name it, they've been in here!

Thanks for your continued support....keep those comments coming!
Oh, forgot to tell you, we had the worst storm today....hail falling into the East River, thunder, lightning, rain like crazy....it was quite a show....glad I was already here by then.

OK, bye for now.
Cindy