 Well, it’s Monday and I can sure tell you that I’m glad it is today and not last Monday. A whole lot can happen in just 7 days!! As you know, the spectre of Toxic Shock Syndrome in our daughter overshadowed the bliss of having a first grandchild. All of a sudden, marveling over perfect, tiny toes and fingers of the baby turned into a fearful dread over a sunburn-like rash, high fever and excruciating joint pain in Momma. 
I don’t know about you, but Toxic Shock Syndrome is something I had only read about in boxes of feminine products. I’d never heard of anyone having it and I wasn’t really sure that it wasn’t made up by some pharmaceutical company to promote a drug and give us something else to worry about besides restless legs or dry eyes. But it is real and it is bad. It is deadly. It can be caused by staph or strep bacteria (in this case it was staph caught at the hospital) and within a matter of a couple of days, can be fatal to its victim. General flu-like symptoms with fever are the initial signs, but the tell-tale bright, bright red rash over the entire body (that looks like the victim has been blow-torched) is the warning that a hospital admission had better be in the very, very immediate future. We feel very fortunate that dear daughter’s case was caught early and that the worst thing she had to experience was lots of drawn blood and IV megadoses of antibiotics that nipped it in the budding staph rampage. The pseudo-HAZMAT suited personnel were a little disconcerting, but heh, it was staph! I have to say, though, as for me, a battle with a recliner and the ensuing laugher healed my angst and stress I was feeling, better than any medicine could do. The nurses were very generous in trying to find a comfortable way for me to stay with my daughter each night so that Daddy could take Baby home away from all germs. When they mentioned a recliner would be more comfortable than a cot, I envisioned overstuffed and soft and readily agreed. I was not prepared for the ’70’s era, straightbacked, minimalist black monster that appeared while I was in the cafeteria.  That evening, after making sure that daughter was as comfortable as one can be with tubes attached from arm to a stand of hanging bags with the inability to move freely, I fluffed pillows and a blanket into the recliner and positioned it to leave a pathway for the nurses whom I knew would be appearing every hour on the hour. I sat down, leaned slightly for the foot rest to pop up and then used every ounce of my upper body strength to force the back of the chair into a reclining position. It was then that I realized that it was the kind of recliner that makes an “ab buster” passe. The only way that this piece of furniture would stay reclined was for me to remain rigid, using stomach and thigh muscles as springs. I figured I could do it.  I turned my head on the pillow, closed my eyes and was hit with a beam of light that flashed through my closed eyelids and made it impossible to sleep. A square light was positioned on the opposite wall and I think it was illuminated with a 200 watt bulb. I sat up and removed blankets, slipped on shoes since we were told not to touch the floor or put anything onto the floor, found the light switch, turned it off, squirted sanitizer on my hands and trotted back to the chair. I sighed with pleasure as I reclined again and fell asleep with tight stomach muscles holding the recliner in place. As soon as I fell asleep, I relaxed, and as soon as I relaxed the chair shot back into position and I was rudely awaken to sitting straight up in the chair that was about two feet back from where I had started. It was on rollers and my abrupt upright snap sent it backwards a few feet. I slipped shoes back on and instead of getting out and postitioning the recliner, I placed both feet to either side of the foot rest and walked the chair, ala Fred Flinstone, into place. I reclined again and settled myself to sleep and did fall asleep, only to be awakened again in an upright position and further back toward the door. The nurse walked in and I greeted her as if the chair and I were best buds. She said nothing about my blocking the doorway or about my tennis shoes sticking out from under the sheet. She did her blood-letting and disappeared. I made an effort at getting some sleep and again woke up, sitting up and had to walk the chair back into place. It was then that I started to giggle. I didn’t want to wake my daughter but my situation was feeling pretty hillarious. I finally figured out that sleep was not an option, trundled back to the light switch for the wall light, switched it on, slapped some sanitizer on my hands and read a book until the sun peeked through the blinds at the window.  The next day, I requested a cot which was comfortable as all get out for each hour that I was allowed to sleep between nurses’ visits. As it turned out, my daughter had the most positive outlook of us all and pointed out to me on her final night there, that we were at a 5 star hotel in a room with a view. She had me open the shades and I was astounded at what I saw. It was just breathtaking. Lights glittered over the city of Oklahoma City and the Devon Tower rose above everything with glistening lights like a nighttime ride at an amusement park. The view made me so thankful to be an Oklahoman with praying friends and family. Life is good!!  So thank you again for your prayers, thoughts and notes. God has blessed my family with His healing hand and we are all very grateful.  |
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Tags: doctors, hospital, nurses, Staph, Toxic Shock Syndrome
Having spent some Unquality time in one of those chairs, I can truthfully say they are instruments of the devil. Like you I kept getting shot up, and at the time I was very light weight, and once almost ended up in the floor. Needless to say, they are not one of my most favorite memories. However, at the time, a cot was not offered, so i rode out the night in that chair. Next time I have to spend the night sitting with someone in the hospital, I will take along an inflatable bed to use. Glad your daughter is much better, and that all is again almost normal in your life.
Thank you Judy!! The think squeaked and squawked too, everytime I tried to get it to recline. At one point, I was giggling myself silly and my poor daughter was totally oblivious. We are back to normal – whatever normal is!! 🙂
I’m glad you were able to find a little humor in a scary situation! I’m so VERY glad your daughter is doing better! It sometimes seems that it is more dangerous IN the hospital! Yikes!
Thanks Candy!!!
Hope you have a very peaceful Christmas and are able to enjoy your new grandbaby.
Most definitely, Dannie!!
I am so happy that your daughter is on the mend. God is good. I have slept in that same recliner I think, when going through a tough time with my grandson. Again Praise him always..
Amen, Vikki!!
I’ve always been the one to sleep in the nice bed but it sure was fun to read how your night went! I didn’t know anything about toxic shock, so thanks for the little lesson. SO glad she is alright now. Wow. That must have been scary.
Fortunately, Rebecca, I was blissfully ignorant of how REALLY dangerous and fast developing it is. I didn’t find out until she was loaded up with drugs and under constant care, so that was a good thing!!!
Oh, LOL! Any Mom who has stayed in hospital with a loved one will understand. When DD was 10, I ended up ON the floor to sleep. It was the most comfortable place – though not an option for you. Now when the last grandbaby was in hospital at 8 weeks and I did night duty so his Mom could sleep, they gave me an actual bed, ah bliss. Your hospital sounds awesome. So happy to read your good news. Will continue to pray.
Thank you Jennifer! 🙂
I’m very pleased that things seem to have settled down. God Bless you and yours for Christmas.
(:D) Best regards,
Jim (aka Hawkeye)
You too, Hawkeye!!! I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and I know that God has blessed you with your daughter nearby so it doesn’t get better than that!!
I am very glad and thankful to hear that your daughter is better. I am laughing about the chair thing too!
Yeah, Carol. It’s always good to realize how ridiculous your situation is sometimes!!! 🙂