A few of my friends have asked me to write a post detailing the events of my days stuck in the hospital. As it is my last day here, I figured I would oblige. It isn't like a day at the spa, but it really hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. I chalk that up to a positive attitude, good friends and family making the trek down here, and my amazing nurses who I will miss. The nurse practitioner came in this morning to check my reflexes and ask about my pooping schedule, then proceeded to tell me that the nurses are all sad I'm leaving because I've become their favorite patient. That brought a huge smile to my face because they have been so fun and kind and wonderful. Being nice and kind to your nurses pays off. They deal with a lot of cranky, nasty patients. Be nice to your nurses!
If you ever find yourself stuck in the hospital on bed rest, remember to be Tigger not Eeyore. Keep your hours filled and the time will pass much more quickly than you realize.
7:30am Wake-up. I am either awaken by the nurse practitioner coming in to ask me about my bowel movements and push as hard as possible on my giant belly OR I wake up in a panic scrambling to get my pants on before they throw back the covers to reveal my giant granny panties.
8:00am Monitoring. I have come to hate this so much. I also start the morning out with a dose of Procardia to keep my contractions at bay.
- Breakfast somewhere between 8 & 9.
8:30pm Zach from rehab calls me every morning at 8:30 on the dot to ask if I'd like to attend
beached whale society pool time. It's always him calling, so I just answer the phone with "Hi Zach!"
Now, here's the thing about pool time. I have made some friends attending pool time who I now check-in with everyday (they all delivered the same week while I sit here with an achy butt, waiting for these boys to stop stretching out my skin) and get to hear all about how their littles are doing in the NICU. Then, there are those who just stare at me when I try and talk to them. I'm pretty sure some of these moms think I'm a nut, but hey! We're stuck here together - we might as well be chummy. Or at least civil.
9:00am I waste away the hour either monitoring if I got a late start or chatting on Facebook or watching The Mindy Project, which is my new favorite show (sorry I didn't listen to you, sister).
10:00am Pool time. Again, this could really go either way. The very first time I went down to the pool, the PT who rolled me there made up this elaborate story about what a treat this is. She said all of the other patients call it "the spa." What Pollyanna didn't realize is that this is clearly a joke. This room was built 20 years ago, the pool is a small square that looks like it hasn't been tended to in a while, and there is no calming spa music - just the very loud hum of the fan in the ceiling that forces you to talk louder so the others can actually hear you.
11:00am Thankfully, I am back in my room. Shower time.
I don't know what it is about these showers, but they are heavenly. All of my overnight guests have said the same thing. When Kylie and I first arrived and checked out the room, we looked like the Beverly Hillbillies walking into the Ritz Carlton. The showers had been upgraded with really nice tile and the towels were rolled (not folded like a commoners towel at the Motel 6) and placed into beautiful, built-in, wood shelving. I mean, it really doesn't taken much to impress us.
So, shower time lasts longer here. And hey! At 33 weeks, I'm still able to shave my legs every single day. I consider this a huge conquest!
12:00pm Procardia again. Depending on the day, guests usually begin to arrive at this time with food. The hospital food isn't terrible, but it isn't great. Thankfully, friends and family are more than willing to bring anything this fatty is craving. Unfortunately, I want salt and then sweet. Luckily, there is a Starbucks two blocks down from the hospital.
I have made friends with some of my nurses and they are now Facebook friends. As I am being discharged today, I will now say that I have been rolled to that Starbucks many times, praying none of the doctors or nurses happen to catch me. In 6 weeks, I was never caught. Others have been caught, but not me. I'm just such a small person that I am able to slip past without anyone knowing (did you catch the sarcasm?).
In the 6 weeks that I have been here, I have had 3 or 4 days without a friend or family member stopping by to keep me company. You guys! That is incredible! THANK YOU so much for helping make this time go by faster. Having company made all the difference in the world.
12:00-? Continues with friends, coffee or maybe a nap for the little one. I usually get to go outside at this time, which has been hit and miss with the weather lately. When it's nice, oh man! It's so lovely to sit outside in the sunshine and breathe fresh air.
3:00pm More monitoring. Kill me.
4:00pm Procardia. More visiting, TV-watching or whatever I can do to fill my late afternoon.
5:00pm If Maddie is here, we usually take her down to the playroom in the Children's Hospital. We attempted a puzzle once while she played. She told us we "weren't very good at puzzles."
6:00pm More visiting, playing or TV-watching.
7:00pm Shift change.
7:30pm Final round of monitoring for the day. Again, kill me.
8:00pm Procardia.
8:30pm Done with montioring. Another short shower to wind down. I'm telling you...there's something about these showers here.
9:00pm Old lady pill time. You wouldn't believe the amount of pills I take every night just for this pregnancy. Josh isn't sure how I can take all of them and not get sick.
9:00-11:30pm TV binge. And texting my cousin, my sister and my sister's high school buddy.
11:30pm Mouth breathing and drooling.
12:00am Awoken out of my mouth-breathing sleep for more Procardia.
4:00am Again, more Procardia.
7:30am Back to the scrambling panic to find pants before the nurse comes in to check my reflexes.
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