The magnitude of this illness is beginning to sink in as I lay in the hospital for about a week after the surgery. It seems that during the surgery I stopped breathing or something and they had trouble getting me going again so I ended up on a respirator in the ICU. Every time my blood oxygen level dropped below 80 the machine would beep, the nurse would come into my room and tell me to take a deep breath. Pretty soon I was able to do it without being reminded. After they took out the catheter (oh yes, all the indignities you can imagine) I had to get out of the bed which was designed with very high sides on the mattress and very high up off the ground. About the third day in ICU the physical therapists came and, one on each arm, dragged me out of bed. I really thought I was going to die but I didn't and I DID have to pee.
Meanwhile, I'm pressing the pain button every few minutes... finally they shipped me up to my room with a horrible sore throat, dry lips and puffy as hell. After another three days up on the 5th floor I was able to go home.
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