While I was at the hospital Roger had me set up with my
phone and his laptop so I was well connected. My mom and I emailed many times a
day. One day she asked me if I can get up and walk around at all and what I do
all day at the hospital. Here was my response back to her.
"Nothing except get up to go to the bathroom &
take a shower 2-3 times per week. I have the laptop. My friend Amber gave me a
gift subscription to Netflix so I can watch movies & TV show series on the
laptop. I could do it on my phone also but that's too small. Here's my typical
day:
I get up every morning at 7am. I can't sleep any later in
here. It’s hard to sleep here. Then I go to the bathroom & wash my face
real quick while I’m in there. When I walk back I open the blinds to the window.
Then I get back in bed to call in breakfast, brush my teeth, put on my
moisturizer, etc. I watch the local news while I’m eating breakfast. When they
start repeating news I turn it off. When I finish eating I call the nurse and
they bring me my meds, stool softener and multi-vitamins. Then they flush my
saline block which is the IV in my hand, but I'm not connected to a drip… it
always stings. Then they hook me up to the fetal monitor and I have to be on
that for at least 20 minutes unless the baby is not cooperating and I have to
stay on longer. Every time since I’ve been here this visit she doesn't
cooperate and I’ve had to stay on an hour. And when I start that I also put on
the leg compressors and keep those on for 4 hours to prevent blood clots.
After I get off the monitor, I usually check my email for work and home, which
sometimes distracts me for a while as I go back and forth with people about
stuff. In between I check Facebook and I get lots of texts from people asking
me how I’m doing or asking/telling me stuff. I read a chapter or two out of a
book of mine. My OB or MFM (maternal fetal medicine dr) come in at any time of
the day to check on me. They ask me lots of questions. I ask them questions. We
talk for a while. Then they leave and go put everything in the computer that's
right outside my room. The nurses come in at different times of the day to
check on me. Then all of a sudden it's 11-12 so I order lunch. It takes about
30-40 minutes for meals to arrive. It’s delivered to me in bed. I have to wait
for someone to move the empty tray for me. Usually in the afternoon someone
comes to visit me. If my tray is still here I ask them to move it for me and if
I need anything done I’ll ask them to do it for me. While I have visitors I don't
check my phone or email or Facebook or texts or anything. I turn on my side and
have them sit in a chair next to the bed so I can give my back a rest from
sitting up all morning. When they leave, I check everything again, email for
work and personal, texts & calls I missed while I had a visitor, Facebook,
sometimes I play a game on my phone or laptop. Sometimes I watch a movie. Then
about 4pm I lay back and rest my eyes and turn to the other side to rest my
back again. Sometimes I fall asleep, sometimes I don't. About 5pm I put on the
leg compressors again. If I haven't fallen sleep I get bored so I call in for
dinner so I eat and am done when Roger gets here. He gets off work at 5pm now
but does stuff at home when he gets off so he doesn't hit too much traffic
coming up. While I eat I’ll watch HGTV to pass the time. When he gets here I turn
off the TV and he either eats dinner here if he brings something or he'll eat
at home before he comes up and we'll just talk about the day, what the OB's
said, what happened if I had an ultrasound, etc. He does stuff for me like
helps me take a shower if I need one, brings me stuff I remembered needing and
puts it where I want it to go. About 7:30-8pm I call the nurse for my evening
meds and to get on the fetal monitors again. They flush my IV again. As soon as
I get off the fetal monitors, I wash my face in the bed and Roger brings me a
towel to dry off. We usually have a last snack together. He helps set me up for
the night if I need his help. About 9pm I take off the leg compressors. Rog
leaves about 9:30-10pm sometimes later because he doesn't want to leave. I brush
my teeth in bed. Call the nurse for Ambien so I can sleep. Turn everything off.
Read a little bit and go to sleep. I wake up 2-3 times every night to shift as
my hip hurts laying on one side for too long and I turn over to the other side.
Then I start all over again the next day. Same old, same old usually. But
sometimes interesting things happen. Like when they order an ultrasound. And I found
out this morning there is antepartum social hour every Monday and Thursday at
4pm so I will start going to that if I am here. They do a craft or activity so
that will help the time go by also. I think I’m going to watch some You Tube
videos and try to teach myself how to French braid my own hair. I can do it to
other people but can't do it to myself and no one I know knows how to French
braid so I never get my hair French braided. I figure this is a good time to
learn."
So that’s the jist of hospital bed rest. Boring. I’m so
glad to be home. ~ Holly
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