Bjørn Update....
After a good long cry on the phone to both my mom & dad...(HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY! I so wish I was there...) A couple glasses of wine... a little Hanna Montana (in English...way to go Disney Scandinavia...) I thought I would give you an update on Bj...
Yesterday he went in for a marathon surgery... almost 10 hours... I only knew he had gone down in to surgery after the 15th time I tried to call him on his cell with no answer... around 11am I called the nurses station. Where an overworked, RUDE, witch answered the phone... I will save you all of the details & just say the conversation ended with me apologizing for being a worried wife, & saying that when I called the next time, I hoped there would be someone a little nicer on the other end. CLICK. (I know really mature.... but I just HATE the way things work here...)
Finally about 7pm last night, recovery was nice enough to call & say he was out of surgery.
I talked to Bjørn for a few min... & he said not to bother coming to the hospital because he was in a lot of pain & was going to try to go back to sleep.
I went into work today...ASSUMING.. (that makes an ASS out of me...) that he would be back in his room & things were fine. I called his cell phone another 15 times before calling the nurses station only to be told that he was still in RECOVERY... umm, this is around 2pm. I then call my mother in law who informs me that Bjørn had a blood clot... & was in pain all night I quote... "he thought he was going to go crazy he was in so much pain".... (This coming from a man who would have to have his testicles cut off before he complained of being in pain)
...... so that is why they kept him in recovery until about 2:30 this afternoon. BLOOD CLOT? PAIN? Sorry... thought I was the wife & someone might call me... Um, nope... that's not the way it works here.
I did manage to get a hold of Bjørn after he got back to his (4-man room)told me I didn't need to come to the hospital after work because he was hurting & just wanted to sleep....
Of COURSE, I have to drive overto the hospital to check on him before I picked the kids up.
I get to his room & he is just covered in sweat.... attached to a some sort of morphine bag that he can push a button & get drugs when he needs them.
I look at his arm... ( I will save you the gory details... but they STILL have not stitched him up... so basically he is open from his wrist to his elbow.) The wound is wrapped in some sort of plastic wrap so I could see more than I wanted....
I did ask to speak with a Dr. before I left the hospital... one of the surgeons showed me the x-rays & said they would do the next surgery on Friday....
FRIDAY? We seriously thought he would be home by the weekend....
Umm nope.... looking at another 2 weeks in the hospital... ANOTHER 2 weeks?
Have I mentioned we are supposed to be going home in 3 weeks?
I managed to keep it together until I left the hospital...but fell apart in the car on the way to pick up the kids....
I am exhausted & angry about everything... I am mad at Bjørn for falling... (like he did it on purpose...) I am mad about not being at home ... in an American hospital...surrounded my support system... I am mad about not understanding/accepting the way things work here... I am mad about not having daycare after next week for Eva... & none for Dane right now... & still having to work full time.... I am just pissed off...
Believe me... I do realize how much worse it could have been.... I know we are blessed... it has just been a very VERY LONG DAY....
So all of you that check in to "American in Norway" thank you for letting me vent... just getting all of this off of my chest.... so now, I can go upstairs & pretend everything is OK & cuddle my babies before I put them to bed....
Here is to hoping tomorrow is better.... love, T
Yesterday he went in for a marathon surgery... almost 10 hours... I only knew he had gone down in to surgery after the 15th time I tried to call him on his cell with no answer... around 11am I called the nurses station. Where an overworked, RUDE, witch answered the phone... I will save you all of the details & just say the conversation ended with me apologizing for being a worried wife, & saying that when I called the next time, I hoped there would be someone a little nicer on the other end. CLICK. (I know really mature.... but I just HATE the way things work here...)
Finally about 7pm last night, recovery was nice enough to call & say he was out of surgery.
I talked to Bjørn for a few min... & he said not to bother coming to the hospital because he was in a lot of pain & was going to try to go back to sleep.
I went into work today...ASSUMING.. (that makes an ASS out of me...) that he would be back in his room & things were fine. I called his cell phone another 15 times before calling the nurses station only to be told that he was still in RECOVERY... umm, this is around 2pm. I then call my mother in law who informs me that Bjørn had a blood clot... & was in pain all night I quote... "he thought he was going to go crazy he was in so much pain".... (This coming from a man who would have to have his testicles cut off before he complained of being in pain)
...... so that is why they kept him in recovery until about 2:30 this afternoon. BLOOD CLOT? PAIN? Sorry... thought I was the wife & someone might call me... Um, nope... that's not the way it works here.
I did manage to get a hold of Bjørn after he got back to his (4-man room)told me I didn't need to come to the hospital after work because he was hurting & just wanted to sleep....
Of COURSE, I have to drive overto the hospital to check on him before I picked the kids up.
I get to his room & he is just covered in sweat.... attached to a some sort of morphine bag that he can push a button & get drugs when he needs them.
I look at his arm... ( I will save you the gory details... but they STILL have not stitched him up... so basically he is open from his wrist to his elbow.) The wound is wrapped in some sort of plastic wrap so I could see more than I wanted....
I did ask to speak with a Dr. before I left the hospital... one of the surgeons showed me the x-rays & said they would do the next surgery on Friday....
FRIDAY? We seriously thought he would be home by the weekend....
Umm nope.... looking at another 2 weeks in the hospital... ANOTHER 2 weeks?
Have I mentioned we are supposed to be going home in 3 weeks?
I managed to keep it together until I left the hospital...but fell apart in the car on the way to pick up the kids....
I am exhausted & angry about everything... I am mad at Bjørn for falling... (like he did it on purpose...) I am mad about not being at home ... in an American hospital...surrounded my support system... I am mad about not understanding/accepting the way things work here... I am mad about not having daycare after next week for Eva... & none for Dane right now... & still having to work full time.... I am just pissed off...
Believe me... I do realize how much worse it could have been.... I know we are blessed... it has just been a very VERY LONG DAY....
So all of you that check in to "American in Norway" thank you for letting me vent... just getting all of this off of my chest.... so now, I can go upstairs & pretend everything is OK & cuddle my babies before I put them to bed....
Here is to hoping tomorrow is better.... love, T
Comments
::HUGS::
I hate that you all are going through this, but it will get better. Hold on honey, hold on.
Like Deb, all I can do is give you a big, cyberspace *HUG* and hope that things will begin to improve.
Just to let you know, I'm thinking of you and sending heaps of positive wishes, for a quick recovery for your hubby.
Is there a way that you can have his care transferred to the States when you come?
~hugs~
These types of injuries are very complicated and they follow a certain path in the surgery, let things subside, more surgery, etc. My nephew had bolts coming out of his leg that were attached to a bar. He looked like something out of Frankenstein.
And you are allowed to break down. Do it when you can. It's cathartic.
more later.
Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife
Take care now.
Robin
You are doing a great job, though. Your husband is alive and being taken care of (even if in unusual mannerisms) and your children are cared for and you have pulled yourself and kept your family together.
Vent all you want!
I am SO sorry for your pain during this horrific hospital experience. I wish there was something I or anyone else could do to help you through this.
I haven't been online in the past 5 days - but every time I check my Google Reader, I look forward to seeing an update from you on Bjorn's progress.
I am sending good thoughts and prayers that things get better in the next few weeks before your departure to the U.S.
A great big gramma hug to you.