Friday, May 25, 2007

I got my bell

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at PhotobucketSteve put my bell up on my headboard today. You can see how tech savy I am getting by whether or not the picture is up when you read this email. We are life in the fast lane here at the Sussex home, and EVERYONE is pitching in.

The bell....Sunday nite I got home from the hospital after a long surgery where they took everything out (uterus, tubes, lymph nodes, ovaries, another tumor, and I think that is all) and I got myself out as quick as possible from the hospital (even though I might not have been really ready to come home, I just wanted out of the hospital). I had transitioned from a button with self pain medication dispensements through an IV to 2 pain pills every 4 hours which I seemed to need any time I used my severed stomach muscles. When I arrived home, cathetor out, no IV, 32 staples, and healing scar, I suddenly realized that I was on my own in the middle of the night...Steve slept soundly, as usual, snoring occationally and tossing enough to make me think about sending him into the other room for the night. Erica, Dan and Sean were up watching TV, so I arranged with Erica to wake me up at 12:30 then again at 4:30 am. No one had thought about me helplessly waking up in the wee hours of the morning and having to get my own pain meds AND get up to go to the bathroom. Well about 1 am I awoke in pain and managed to get my meds and get up and walk down the hall. "Erica, are you there?" no answer..."Erica, are you there?"..."Erica! You're fired!" and I went shuffling back down the hall to bed. Well to give her credit, she made it to me just as I positioned myself back into bed, appologized and showed me her cell phone that was an hour early (good thing it was not still on Australia time) which she was using to alarm herself, gave me a back tickle (don't think I was up for a full rub), and promised to do better at 4:30 am.

Several other times, less notable perhaps, the phone was unplugged on my behalf, but no one answering it, or I could hear my cell phone down the hall (Sean and Dan had gone wake boarding-burr, and lost his phone into the lake, so my phone has been communal) and I would yell for anyone to pick up or HELP with no response. Later of course it is still my fault for not answering!

Today, as the kids are preparing to have a garage sale I am much more mobile, but I see my bell has been put in place and it is a good one!

4 comments:

Cory said...

Kerry, the bell is a great idea - but competing with Steve's snoring might be a bit difficult with just a bell...how about a whistle??

Yeah, a whistle that you can also use to roust him out of bed and push him towards the pool on occasional mornings.

We've been missing you, and stand at the ready to help in any way we can - including keeping Steve's endorphin levels as high as possible. Need a person to mow your lawn? I'm your gal. Take Bailey for a swim? Rocket would be happy to share the back of Tim's car on the way. Do a few loads of laundry? I'm a champion tshirt-folder!

Hope you're feelin' the love we're sending your way....

Sarah said...

Kerry, No wonder you've been MIA! We can't hear your bell at the pool. So, call or blog anytime you need a hand - my cell phone has the correct time!

As for meds in the middle of this night, it seems that you could elbow Steve a couple times to help you out - afterall, he hasn't been getting up early to hit the pool (or so I hear - not that I would know).

Rest assured, we'll miss you in the hot tub and look forward to your return...

petagi said...

What a great idea--a bell!!! Now all you need to do is to attach a string to Steve via the bell and pull it when he is snoring or when you need help in the middle of the night.
Seriously though when I get back into town I hope that there is some job for me to do

Anonymous said...

Great work.