I'm home at last. It was a nice change of pace after being in the hospital since Monday. The doctors are still putting me back together since my auto accident on February 5. The longer I stayed, the more I began to look like one of those borg characters from Star Trek. Apparently, they never sleep at the University of Iowa Hospital. My docs entered my room at 12:30 AM to insert a tube into my chest and drain 640cc of fluid from my chest cavity. I felt bad for my room-mate who had to endure the chaos while I did my best to muffle my caveman grunts. "I think that probe is touching my heart," I said.
"That's because I'm right next to your heart now," the doctor said. "But don't worry, the heart is a strong muscle."
The doctors used an ultra sound to place the tube inside my pleural effusion and they were quite happy with the successful outcome. I remained in my borg-like state until the tube was removed on Wednesday. CT results revealed additional fluid and the thoracic surgeon visited to discuss inserting a second tube. He recommended delaying or skipping this procedure while my spleen heals. The good news is I'm finally free of IV's, drain tubes, shots at all hours of the day and night, and regular wake-up calls to get vitals. As much as I loved the top-notch care I received at the hospital, nothing beats sleeping in your own bed. Full recovery is still three weeks away. Thank you for all your prayers and support during this period of recovery. I hope to see you soon. Have a great day.
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