Home @ Last!

FINALLY HOME!!
March 29, 2010

Getting Ready to LEAVE!


Goodbye Hospital...I will miss you...NOT!!


Can you see the window washer dude?


Ace said it looked like a fun job.



A Honda Shadow...just like Ace's
I think Ace just said it was only 600cc.

So we got home and got to the steps outside the house and I couldn't go up them. I was like, "OH CRAP!! We never practiced this!!" So there was a li'l bit o' confusion about going up and down steps, which is why I need the babysitter for the next few days b/c I'd be stuck. Anyway, Ace and I figured out a very nice way to go up and down steps.

Du..du..du...THE Steps!


FINALLY!!

YEAH!! FOR BEING HOME!!!

Well, we are home. I just want to thank you all for all your love, prayers, and support. I was looking back through the picture o' me on the ventilator and in that bed thing and I don't like looking at those pictures. It scares me actually. So I can't imagine how friends and family stopped by and was able to look at me like that. Ugh...I looked ugly... Anyway, friends, family, and people we don't even know have been SO kind and generous to us over this past month. We've gotten probably over 100 cards, which is just crazy! Everyone's kindness has been overwhelming.

So what does the road look like ahead for me? Well, for sure I'm not allowed to go back to work for definitely the next 2 weeks; however, Ace would like me to take the next month off. I can see how a month is a good thing though. Also, I have to have a babysitter to watch me for the next couple weeks as well because I can't go up and down steps. So between different ladies o' the church, hopefully, I will be able to have someone babysit me throughout the next couple weeks.

THE END!!!

(26th-28th) God-Heart, CT Scan, Bruises, CVA Removal, Bella Outfit!

UPMC Montefiore N1071
Weekend, March 26-28, 2010
Hospital Count Day: 28, 29, 30!

I was laying in bed and Ace looked over and was like, what is that? I looked down, and low-and-behold one o' my stitches was poking out thru my shirt. Haha...

Can you see my Stitch?

I got this really cute letter from my li'l buddy Jasmine that came to visit me. She made it at school. I wish I would have taken pictures o' the rest o' the card b/c it was SO cute. The one part says, "Jillian, you have to leave [the hospital] before you turn into peas." Oh, when Ace and I read that part, we just laughed and laughed.

I'm too CUTE to be in the hospital!

The doctor's ordered yet another CT scan.

The contrast stuff was DISGUSTING!!

After drinking the contrast feeling BLAA...

Visitors
(Mama F, Patty Palmer, Mama M)
Aunt Patty got me this BEAUTIFUL Bracelet
It's a heart, but it also says GOD.
Do you see it?

BRUISES--

Where they tried to get blood.

Taking out the stitches from the Central Line.

Because o' all the fevers that I had been having, they decided to pull the Central Line, thinking that that was contributing to the fevers. So here the surgeon is pulling out my Central Line. Also that the very beginning the tape kept pulling my hair, so that's kind o' funny.

No, I was not attacked by a vampire, suture marks from the Central Line.

A cute outfit that Scott and Dana got me!
(And I'm also going for a walk!)

THE END!!

(25th) New Room-N1071, popsicle, visitors

UPMC Montefiore N1071
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Hospital Count Day: 28

/\/\/\MOVIN' ON UP/\/\/\

This morning I got the wonderful news that I was going to be moved out o' the ICU. I will now be spending the remainder o' my stay on the 10th Floor North in room 1071. It's so much nicer having my own room. I've got a great view, a huge bathroom, and visitors can come see me any time during the day. And best o' all, Ace doesn't have to sleep in the waiting room anymore. He gets a chair right next to my bed. With any luck, we will be out o' here soon.

My own room!!!

I'm super-psyched!

My room has a great view o' the hospital entry. Can't wait to see it as we're walking out the door.

The best part about being out o' the ICU...RASPBERRY POPSICLES!!

Just because I'm out o' the ICU, Ace won't let me slack off on my breathing exercises.

My first visitors in my new room!

This li'l guy can brighten any day.

/\/\/\THE END/\/\/\

(24th) Chair Day, Visitors...HS,CS, PR,MM.

UPMC Montefiore TICU
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Hospital Count Day: 27

/\/\/\CHAIR DAY/\/\/\

Wednesday was another big day in my recovery process. I have been doing well maintaining my oxygen levels while in bed. Now it is time to see if I can handle sitting in a chair. It's amazing that the simplest tasks can become so important after surgery. The nurses helped me into the chair just after 11:00. And I sat there for almost five hours. The nurses said that I did very well, but I don't think my bum was too happy. Now that I have mastered sitting the only thing left is walking. I think we've done enough for today, so we'll put that on tomorrows To-Do List. The doctors also said that I will probably be going back to a regular room tomorrow. I will definitely NOT miss being in the ICU.

This measures the amount o' oxygen I am getting.

Now, with night vision.

Sensors to measure my heart rate, respiration, and other vitals.

Mama stayed with me most o' the night.

Sitting in the chair. Believe it or not, I am trying to smile.

That's a li'l better

They also gave me a PCA pump again. I'm trying not to use it too much.

It was hard to get from the bed to the chair with all o' these tubes. I can't wait to be free o' them to.

Heidi came back to cheer me on.

Aunt Patty has been watching Caden so Heidi could be with. Now it was her turn to see my pretty face. I love her so much!!

Caden came to. But the nurses wouldn't let him come back to see me. Maybe tomorrow when I'm in a regular room.

/\/\/\THE END/\/\/\

(23rd) A.M Visitors...MF,BJ,MC,GH,HS,AS....Great Escape/no ventilator...Workout Video

UPMC Montefiore TICU
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Hospital Count Day: 26

/\/\/\MORNING VISITORS/\/\/\

Monday night was thankfully uneventful. I am continuing to rely less and less on the ventilator and am hopeful to be free o' it soon. This morning I was greeted by several visitors. Mrs. Jefferis, Mrs. Callahan, Brenda, and Gram all came down to see me. I am still conscious enough to respond to my visitors so that makes things a li'l nicer. Ace was excited that they brought breakfast. A whole dozen o' his favorite Dunkin' Donuts.

Don't I look ready for an exciting day?

Ace giving me a morning pep talk.

I don't think he's quite awake yet either.

Nurse Jen making sure everything is ready to go.

A quick breakfast and we're ready to go.

Which one would you choose?

Mom Finnegan checking up on my progress.

This is Brenda's second trip out to see me. I think she's a li'l worried about me. Don't worry Mama B. I'm gonna be just fine.

Mrs. Callahan is so sweet to come be with me.

I think Gram looks a li'l worried about her favorite granddaughter.

But she knows I get my toughness from her, so this will be easy.

Now that I could communicate a li'l bit I had lots to say. I wanted to use sign language, but no one else knew how to read it. I knew there was one person that could translate for me, my sister Heidi. Here is me writing Heidi's name on Ace's hand to let him know that I wanted to see her.

/\/\/\CAUTION: PICTURE AHEAD MAY CAUSE NAUSEA...PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!/\/\/\

After my visitors left, it was time to check on my healing. The doctors say my incision looks great but I'm not so sure. They had to take out some of the staples when they went back in to make sure there wasn't a leak. So now I have stitches in their place. If it looks a li'l sore believe me it is. I'm not sure if I'm gonna have a belly button anymore either. I guess this will be more evidence that I was really hatched.

Sorry to those who are a li'l squeemish.

I think Ace needed a li'l comforting after seeing this.

/\/\/\THE GREAT ESCAPE/\/\/\

At around 2:00 I decided that I had had enough. This ventilator thing was noisy and uncomfortable. And the doctors wanted to leave it in for another whole day. I had tried to pull it out earlier that morning but was unsuccessful. As a result, they had strapped down my wrists in an attempt to restrain me. When the nurse walked out o' the room to get more sedation meds, I saw my opening. I moved my face close enough to my hands to get a hold o' the tubes and yanked them out. Free at last, free at last!! When the nurse returned to the room she could not believe it. She quickly put an oxygen mask on me and called for the doctor. When the doctor arrived he saw that I was maintaining my oxygen level just fine on the mask. So they decided to forget the ventilator and let me breathe on my own.

Can you tell I'm ready to be off this thing?

Summoning all my strength.

These things will never hold me!!

FREEDOM!!
Don't I look much happier?

Heidi is proud o' her baby sister.

So glad Amanda could come to see my victory over ventilation.

Ace is glad to be able to talk to his beautiful wife again.

Now that I was off the ventilator, it was time to start my rehabilitation. Mama is good at making sure I am working to get strong enough to get out of bed soon. I don't think I'm ready to make a workout video yet, but I am getting better.

/\/\/\THE END/\/\/\