Brookhaven

Okay lets see how I got to this point I'm at atm. I got sick about a year ago in June of the summer of 2009. Now I find myself in a rehab called Brookhaven. A bout of pneumonia compounded by me fighting off the people in the ER, then tearing my abdominal hernia ( which soon after was operated on ) has landed me here. Sent here to get back on my feet and walk since I had been "laid up" for a few months I thought the trek would be a quick one... Stupid me heh. 

I have now spent a year and then some here in brookhaven, the aides and nurses caring and good at what they do make this place somewhat tolerable. The food horrible makes for skipping a few meals easy heh. I remember a few years ago hearing about this place, a place that was supposed to be aces in helping people lose weight. Now I know why first hand ::smirks:: The food makes you sick, if not, you find an occasional hair in it, oh wait... and better yet bugs =). Yeah I'm what I call a huge bugophobe lol. I freaked out when I saw the fly pressed into the bread of my sandwich. Thats a story for another time tho.

The reason for me starting this blog is to keep an accurate account of the goings on here in brookhaven and have it dated and such. I write things down now in a small daily planner but the lines are small and whatnot and I just cant "vent" =) Which I plan on doing here. Mom much as I love you, I am SICK of you telling me to write it down when I do =P. This way I figure I can vent and give accurate accounts of whats going on day by day without it being "just" on some paper they will probably accuse me of falsifying. 

Alright quick short version of whats been going on so far. Pneumonia, hernia, then brookhaven where i spent about three months straight laid up in bed because they were afraid to have me sit up/walk etc due to my hernia surgery. Then some more months passed, and some more I wasnt getting any bedside PT, just OT ( theres a difference PT, is for strengthening and maintaining your legs, as were OT is occupational therapy upper body and arms ) Scared now to stand and walk on shaky legs I hesitated for a long time, they got me up and things were somewhat okay.. I stood up in my room with a walker for the first time in months. Three people there to help me, one on either side and then one in front of me. It actually felt good, shaky but good. Couple of weeks past, and then I was downstairs in PT, they kept pushing me to stand again ( even though I kept saying i wasnt ready to. I felt that I needed some more work in PT downstairs in the gym ) Eh... They didnt listen, with one person sitting in front of me on a chair, I was made to stand on the parallel bars. No one on either side ( One because one side is blocked by a wall, the other side usually has ppl in wheelchairs blocking that rail ) Needless to say I fell... My arm caught on the parallel bars I swear i thought it was going to snap and break. They pushed me to the cold floor ( where I stayed for a good 2 hours waiting on fire rescue ).

From the cold floor of Brookhaven I went to Winthrop Hospital. ( Not a new place for me to be, nor would it be my last visit unfortunately. ) In winthrop they found that I had compartment syndrome in my leg and I needed surgery ( another huge setback in my path to recovery.) They cut open my leg, and basically kept me in the hospital for about a week, everything was fine when they sent me back to Brookhaven. Having been back a week after the sugery on the lower left leg and having a skin graft taken to cover it from my right thigh, the right thigh slowly became infected. Brookhaven nurses wouldnt change the dressing without specific orders from the "Doctor" Not sure exactly which doc they meant but that was the reasoning... That lil "episode" turned into an infection on my right thigh. Again i went back to winthrop, Spent 5 weeks there or so to get rid of it before they would send me back to brookhaven. 

The days seem to blurr together, they become all one and the same. Im not sure exactly how long passed but I remember soon after having gotten sick again and landing up back in the hospital unconsious for 2 days straight. The doctors and such in winthrop so worried over my condition they kept close eye on me. This is where Dr DiMaio came into my life. I thank the heavens above for him and everyone at winthrop. He had taken note of me being back in the hospital yet again and actually called my mother to ask her permission to oversee my case. I cant tell you how greatful I am for the staff at winthrop hospital. The nurses are incredible, the aids are wonderful and the doctors are caring. I couldnt have had better care in a hospital then I did there. The food was good too =). 

Alright now that my leg had surgery and such, Another few months laid up? yeah... heh. Okay so trying to shorten this some. A few more hospital stays and whatnot and here we are... All for different things, fevers, infections etc..

It's sat afternoon and im sitting here doing this blog, something I had considered doing quite a few times but now determined to do this because it may help my sanity... The "blurred" day in and day out of this place is turning my brain to mush... I want to go home, to get outta here and leave this god forsaken place. To get back home to my kids and family. My mother an angel in all this, I dunno what I would do without her. She brings my spoiled ass food every other day, snacks and such too ( once i a while a goodie or two lol ) My father driving her crazy on her drive down here lol they deserve one another, they drive each other crazy its pretty funny to watch. Then theres my Gmother, She comes to see me on occasion and it breaks my heart when they leave. I hate being here, I dont think Ive ever hated anything more. My kids... It just kills me when they leave, granted they are grown and whatnot but still. I miss them, with all my heart. I hate not being there for them, for them having to go through all this. I know my family is suffering "for" me as much as I am suffering missing them. 

Im sure as time goes by and I continue this blog you will see the mention of alot of names.. Ms Hicks, Ms Gains, Fanny, Jill, Jackie and a bunch of others. These are the women that have been helping take care of me for the past year... The list has gotten quite long. I've had to write the names down as so I wont forget... well for what I have planned ( secret atm lol =P so deal with it ) 

Just a last note, weirdest thing.. I had been thinking of doing this blog like i said, days and days id go and come to this site and never get it started. Well this morning I said "today" and after breakfast and such, the nurse doing the dressing on my belly and whatnot, I started the blog... lol Im typin this blog as im sitting here watching Diary of a mad black woman =P Just thought it kinda odd that I started this then the movie started >.< Anyway, =) Till later, or tomorrow.

~B