Big Girl Pants
Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 3:14 am
Ive spent all winter involved with the care of my mother. She went into the hospital on January 15th for a major surgery, and her recovery is still going on now. Complications resulted in her spending a total of 10 weeks in the hospital. Her huge incision absysed, and she wound up wearing a wound vac.
A wound vac is a little portable machine that is designed to make huge wounds close up faster. The original size of the wound was 13cm long by 4 cm wide by 4cm deep. Very huge, very deep, and very scary. I have been able to avoid looking at the wound all this time, as the vac totally seals it up, and nurses have been coming to the house 3x a week to change the dressing. It has always been impossible for me to look at anything like this.
I freely admit to being someone who cannott deal with injurys and wounds of any kind. Unfortunately, once you leave the hospital, you are on your own, and forced to make decisions for the person who is in your care. A wonderful male RN who is a wound specialist from the hospital, stayed in touch with me by e mail. He had taken quite a liking to my mother my sister and I.
Last week he instructed me to measure and photograph the wound. It was the only way for him to determine if the vac could come off. The mere suggestion almost made me faint. I was like " What are you kidding me???"
It took me 24 hours to get up my courage. I pumped myself up, for when the nurse came to take off the dressing. Walked into the room with my camera. Looked. Measured. and photographed the wound. I e mailed him the photos. His feeling was that the vac could come off. Yesterday, we went to see him, and he took it off. It now requires a wet dressing. He taught me how to do it. I will be changing the dressing 2x a day. The wound is still 12cm long 3cm wide... but only .50 cm deep which makes it more superficial than horrifying. Its still and ugly and frightening thing to see. But I did it.
Once again taught me that we can do anything we have to, or put our minds to doing. Its great because my mother is very happy. Shes in less pain, she doesnt have to stay plugged into a socket in the wall, and we dont have to be stuck waiting for nurses to come to the house. Taking care of someone else is a huge responsibility. It is a responsibility I did not want. I have been quite resentful about it sometimes. The patients problems become your problems, and your life gets altered. It also makes you feel good. The greatest feeling comes from knowing you are keeping someone safe, who cannott look out for themselves. There were incidents in the hospital where inept staff almost killed her. And the visiting nurses are not skilled enough to know when the vac has to come off. A too small wound with a vac causes more pain, as the dressing is too tight. It pinches and causes skin irratation.
They want to keep coming, as it is a fee everytime they do come. So you have to use your brain, and all of your powers of taking responsibility, and take part in making decisions. Yes, even at this age you have to put on your Big Girl Pants, and meet the challenge of something you thought was beyond your capabilities.
A wound vac is a little portable machine that is designed to make huge wounds close up faster. The original size of the wound was 13cm long by 4 cm wide by 4cm deep. Very huge, very deep, and very scary. I have been able to avoid looking at the wound all this time, as the vac totally seals it up, and nurses have been coming to the house 3x a week to change the dressing. It has always been impossible for me to look at anything like this.
I freely admit to being someone who cannott deal with injurys and wounds of any kind. Unfortunately, once you leave the hospital, you are on your own, and forced to make decisions for the person who is in your care. A wonderful male RN who is a wound specialist from the hospital, stayed in touch with me by e mail. He had taken quite a liking to my mother my sister and I.
Last week he instructed me to measure and photograph the wound. It was the only way for him to determine if the vac could come off. The mere suggestion almost made me faint. I was like " What are you kidding me???"
It took me 24 hours to get up my courage. I pumped myself up, for when the nurse came to take off the dressing. Walked into the room with my camera. Looked. Measured. and photographed the wound. I e mailed him the photos. His feeling was that the vac could come off. Yesterday, we went to see him, and he took it off. It now requires a wet dressing. He taught me how to do it. I will be changing the dressing 2x a day. The wound is still 12cm long 3cm wide... but only .50 cm deep which makes it more superficial than horrifying. Its still and ugly and frightening thing to see. But I did it.
Once again taught me that we can do anything we have to, or put our minds to doing. Its great because my mother is very happy. Shes in less pain, she doesnt have to stay plugged into a socket in the wall, and we dont have to be stuck waiting for nurses to come to the house. Taking care of someone else is a huge responsibility. It is a responsibility I did not want. I have been quite resentful about it sometimes. The patients problems become your problems, and your life gets altered. It also makes you feel good. The greatest feeling comes from knowing you are keeping someone safe, who cannott look out for themselves. There were incidents in the hospital where inept staff almost killed her. And the visiting nurses are not skilled enough to know when the vac has to come off. A too small wound with a vac causes more pain, as the dressing is too tight. It pinches and causes skin irratation.
They want to keep coming, as it is a fee everytime they do come. So you have to use your brain, and all of your powers of taking responsibility, and take part in making decisions. Yes, even at this age you have to put on your Big Girl Pants, and meet the challenge of something you thought was beyond your capabilities.
