thursday morning

Well, my first night out of the hospital went well.  I conked out by 9pm and Mike said I slept hard until 5am.  I guess I even snored.  I do know I hurt like heck when I woke up and screamed for him to come help me.  The bed is a little lower and and I don't have a side rail to grab onto so we sill make have to come up with plan B for getting myself out of bed.  We went out for lunch and had what can only be explained as a sausage cut in half, laid out on some sort of hard roll and covered with mozzerella cheese.  Then left out to cool off and hard a bit.  And yes, we actually picked it out to eat it.  It tasted awesome! I have know clue what it was called but we shared it so wel could go next door and get some ice cream.  I had vanilla- it was to die for.  Now, I not to sure if the food is really that great or if it's the lack of flavor and texture I have suffered through in the past week.  My back/leg and stomach are really killing me.  Everything requires walking and my body is still working on getting back into shape.  I am taking it slowly, but my wheelchair is not coming until today so this requires a little more walking then we all wanted.  My stomach has really been swollen so the PT worked on that area today as well.  I am having lymph....something where they massage the swelling from your tissues.  Feels good for the most part.  The physician wanted me to have it done and setup the appts.  Unfortunately, now that I am no longer in-patient, the charges are out-of pocket.  We are trying not to cut corners but there has to be a limit.  I did cancel tomorrows appt and will keep monday and possibly tuesdays since that's when we leave.  I asked enough questions so maybe Mike can do a partial job, he seems to do everything else.  Look forward to visiting with Marc today.  I need him to take us to the shops around this area and translate all the damn sayings!  Can you believe they have special beer glasses/mugs for each TYPE of beer?! Crazy.  And for all you WIC ladies- the only milk I can find is 3 1/2%, figure that one out!  Nobody drinks milk around here, near impossible to find.  Talk to you soon.
Thanks for looking in on us again.
Love,
Jodi

wednesday

Well, this blog kind of counts for the morning and last two evenings.  Life has been busy here.  The big decision of whether or not to leave the hospital was upon us.  We decided to see how the night went and make our decision in the morning,  The doctors are very supportive in you leaving when you are ready, I even had the option to remain at the hospital until my flight left for the States!  I slept absolutely horrible last night, completely nerves.  I was so anxious on whether or not I was ready to care for myself again, and felt the guilt of poor Mike who has done nothing but sit in the hospital wsiting for me to get better.  Don't get me wrong, he has not complained or said anything, but as the patient- you have lots of time to see who is not getting to do anything but sit in the uncomfortable chair and watch you answer the questions.  After a long night of no sleep, I got up and took my first shower all by myself!!! I of course needed help getting dressed but had the nursing assists. help me get the suitcases on the bed.  I was dressed with makeup, hair combed with gel, and everything packed by 6am.  I then decided I was tired and went to bed.  Mike arrvied around 8am and the doctors started coming in around around 9am.  We said we thought we'd like to try and leave, and they had all of our arrangements made by 10am. The coolest thing about the whole day may sound little but meant the world to me.  I have been craving peaches all week and they have limited my sugar, so no peaches.  When Mike and Mr. Hoch picked me up at the hospital, Mike had gone to the store and purchased me two beautiful peaches.  It just made my day- I love him so!   Mr. Hoch was at the hotel at 10 to get Mike and the hospital at 10:30 to  get me.  The hospital staff made us hotel reservations, wheelchair rentals, PT (massage therapy) appointments and all the arrangements for our medications to be filled at a pharmacy 1 block from our hotel.  There was NOTHING we had to do other than pack our staff.  I gave several doctors and nurses hugs along with a few tears as I truly feel they gave me back my life.  tHey were such a strong part of our "family" while we stayed there that it was hard to feel scared.  One nurse even brought us treats to bring home to our family- I mean eat on the plane?!  It was such a strange feeling walking out of the building for the last time as I remember last Tuesday being scared to open the door and get out, and today being scared to open the door and get in.  This was truly one of the best decisions we ever made.  Sometimes it's OK to give it a "shot in the dark".  I truly believe I had angels watching over me and several nurses who prayed with me us well. 
We now have a week to "heal" and spend time with each other.  The hotel is equipped with a hospital bed and I have my own wheelchair.  We are located right in the middle of the "Marketplace" so a shopping I must go.  The only downfall, I can not do stairs.  Even 1-3 are very difficult so I have to go by Mike's opinions if there is anything good in the store.  We are right next to an authentic German dress maker who has all the leiderhosen and dresses for Oktoberfest.  They are absolutley beautiful but expensive.  If I can get down there when Mike is not looking, Abby is going to get a princess dress.
I feel confident we will do well here.  Mike was trained to do my heperin shots so he is officially my home health nurse.  I plan on sending the state a bill when we arrtive home as he does shots, bed baths, help getting to the toilet and dressing.  Surprisingly I don't think he minds doing too much of it.  We went our for pizza this evening.  It was the best pizza I have ever had.  Granted, I have had nothing but pureed foods for the past week, oatmeal probably would have tasted outstanding.  Looking forward to tomorrow as an old friend of mine is meeting us and I think staying the night in the hotel.  Hope I get a good night's sleep so I can actually have a little stamina tomorrow!  Love you all and thanks so much for the comments.  It is so nice to see people are concerned.  We are trying to eat at restuarents where we can get enough leftovers for the enxt meal.  2 for 1 right?!  Anything to save money.  My medication bill came to over $600.  I kept the receipts in hopes  that we can fight with the insurance company a little- unlikely but worth a try.
Love you all,
Jodi

Tuesday

This morning a cat came to our window to visit which put a smile on Jodi's face.  We had some leftover leberwurst which he loved.  It sounds like the cat is well known to the hospital.  I gave Jodi a ride in a wheel chair to downtown Bogen today (4 blocks) to see how she does.  She walked around a couple of shops and we had coffee.  She did pretty good but did get tired after a little while.  She is still nervous about leaving the hospital tomorrow, so she may stay one more day.  The doctor gave her a copy of her xray showing her artificial disks, really neat.  The doctor said she is physically ready to go tomorrow if she wants.  She is still stiff and sore, so we will see how she feels tomorrow.

monday evening

Today has been a bit longer of a day.  The muscle spasms tend to get the best of me at times.  I tried a few of Mike's french fries- wouldn't be doing that again! enough said--  I officially received my english menu so will have my first "real" breakfast tomorrow morning.  I have been on pureed and mostly liquids with no sugar for the last week.  The doctor reluctantly allowed me to have a small glass of st. coke as I have been missing it so.  They all warned me about the effects of pop on bone healing and that less is better.  For some reason the pop tasted horrible.  I guess I decided the investment we put into this back (pain and most importantly financial) is not worth risking failure over a can of pop.  I needed help getting out of bed 2 times last night which was disappointing as I have been doing so well lately.  Mike and I also went out for a walk this evening.  I couldn't even make the whole block without needing the wheelchair.  This was extremely disappointing as we are hoping to leave on Wednesday.  I don't know what good it does for us to get discharged and pay to sit in a hotel bed versus staying in the hospital where it is already paid for.  I am also concerned that Mike will not be able to leave me alone, at least here someone can help me up if I'm stuck in bed.  This gives Mike the opportunity to go out and walk around town a little while I'm with the "babysitter".  So many questions that I never thought would ever cross my mind.  It is quite scary to be 34 years old and fear being by yourself in case you can't sit up to get yourself to the bathroom or get a pain pill.  Mike has been excellent and agrees with the doctors that I need to be able to completly care for myself before we leave.  I just don't want to spend our entire vacation in the hospital.  I have not even seen the town yet.  We literally came straight to the hospital from the airport.  I know, kind of feeling sorry for myself today.  Every now and then a person is allowed to have thier own pity party right?  Have not slept to well today and was hoping to have gained a few more baby steps.  At least I didn't try translating any words today?...........................
Thanks for the comments, I really do enjoy reading them.  It picks up our spirits to see that people care.  My kids still seem happy but I worry about my cat- I have several suspects if she is not there when I get home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday

It's a nice fall day today (partly sunny and warm).  The doctor was in this morning to visit with Jodi.  Jodi asked if she could have a little diet coke which the doctor approved as long as it was only a small glass.  Jodi was happy to try it, but it didn't taste as good as she remembered (probably not a bad thing).  The PT gave her a foot massage which she really enjoyed.  She can't lay on her stomach so a full massage is out of the question for now.  She stood next to me and I think she may have grown a couple of inches but I am still taller.  We thought she may have been taller yet after surgery but the doctors said that she had good spacing still between her vertibre.  Others that have the surgery may not have any spacing (bone on bone) and tend to get taller with the procedure.  They brought her a menu in english to choose her next meals, so she is no longer stuck to the pureed meals.  A woman from the Pro Spine office was over this morning to make sure things are going good for us.  She is going to contact the hotel in Straubing to make a reservation and a driver as well.

Sontag Nacht

A lot of the same today.  Jodi is still dealing with a sore belly and muscle spasms in her back, all of which is expected.  She sure misses her diet dew or coke and food that doesn't come out of a tube.  She is on a light diet which consists of leberwurst, soup, mashed potatoes, carrots, gound turkey patty, bread and some desserts.  I think she would love to have a cheeseburger.  After talking to one of the doctors this morning, it sounds like she will be staying in the hospital until at least Wednesday, which sounds good to us.  They say that she can stay longer if she doesn't feel confortable to go on her own.  What a switch from our system.  She is still pretty sore so this sounded good to us since we don't want her to over do it.  She is still able to leave the hospital whenever she wants just as long as she checks out so they know where she will be.  We went for a little walk outside the main entrance tonight and when we walked back in we talked about how nervous she was the first time she walked through those doors.  Wow, what a difference a few days has made.  The anesthesiologist also came to her room this evening to visit.  We had a long talk about healthcare differences, cultural differences, families, etc.  This is turning out to be a most memorable trip not only for Jodi's behalf but for me also.
Later,
Mike

Sonntagmorgen

Slept a little better last night after a change in medication.  I woke up in the middle of the night to a real bad muscle spasm which made me jump and tore open my drain wound.  After a couple of dressing changes the bleeding finally stopped, being on heparin probably doesn't help.  I did get a three hour stretch of uninterupted sleep which felt really good.  I continue to have muscle spasms and weakness in the left leg which the doctors assured me will improve with time.  I still haven't been allowed to take a shower, so I bribed Mike into washing my hair and giving me a bed bath.  For being an engineer he has mastered catheter care and bed baths, I think he chose the wrong profession.  I'm not sure if he'd pass the CNA test yet, but he follows direction well.  Its been cloudy and colder so we haven't been out on the deck much.  Mike handed a bag of laundry to the cleaning lady back at the hotel.  Hopefully we will have a clean bag of clothing soon unless she just throws it in the garbage.  I'm dying for a diet coke but I'm not allowed to have carbonated drinks.  They even asked me to quit eating Mike's apple because it would be to tough on my stomach.  One of the surgeons was in today and recommends we remain here until atleast Wednesday.  I don't feel like leaving right now anyways as I can't walk much further than down the hallway.  This is my first official day of no tubes and loving every minute of it.  Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers.  We will talk again soon.  We love hearing the comments from everyone, its nice to know that our friends are thinking of us.
Love,
Jodi (Mike)

Saturday Evening

Jodi had a fair day today.  She was having muscle spasms in her back which were bothering her all day.  One of the doctors said it was normal because her muscles are reacting to the the procedure (she called it the chiseling and sawing during the surgery).  She's also been starting to eat regular food that I think is causing an upset stomach for her.  Her intestines need to get straightened out as well after the surgery.  Hopefully this all will pass.  She is feeling positive that her pain and numbness in her legs and feet are gone.

Saturday Morning

Hello friends and family.  I've made it to Saturday morning.  I must admit the surgery was more than I had hoped for but what I had expected.  I had feared the pain similar to the previous surgery but hoped that would not be the case.  This was unrealistic due to the significance of the procedure.  I questioned myself several times Thursday if I had made the right decision but like everything else in life every day gets a little easier.  The doctors and nurses have been good despite some language barriers.  We have a beautiful room with a lovely view but the sun went away today and we are getting rain.  We've had many people recommend places to visit.  The hardest part is seeing and hearing kids which makes me miss mine even more.  Thank goodness for skype.  It did bring tears to my eyes yesturday when Ryan asked when mommy was coming home.  Mike has been outstanding and pretends not to be bored off his ass sitting in my room.  At least he has another empty bed that he can nap on even though he snores.  I look forward to feeling well enough to start venturing out as Mike says the town is very serene.  The time difference is hard to get used to.  Whenever we want to talk to someone it is usually in the middle of the night back home.  I am not sure when I will get out of the hospital, its not like the US where they try to get you out as soon as possible.  They actually want you to stay until you can fully care for yourself.  We've had a couple of nurses that have absolutely no clue what we are saying, so we are getting good at charades.  What would your action be to ask to go to the restroom.....
Love you all, thanks for the posts,
Jodi  (dictation by Mike)

Friday Evening

Its Friday evening now and Jodi is going to try and get some rest.  She had a good day today.  She was able to take a few walks down the hall and several to the bathroom.  She is fortunate to have a balcony attached to her room.  We can step outside to take advantage of the beutiful weather we are having.  She no longer has IV's and has been eating a little today.  She no longer has pain down her leg which is what we were hoping out of the surgery and hopefully in time the pain in her back will disappear.  It's nice to hear the comments from everyone.
Mike

Friday Morning

Its Friday morning and Jodi was able to get some rest last night after a long day of not getting any rest and being very uncomfortable.  I think the nurses were having trouble with the machine that administered the pain killler and later just took it away.  We explained to them that she was in a lot of pain and could not rest, so we asked them to try the machine again.  The younger doctor showed up in the evening and he put her back on the medication.  She felt much better and was able to rest through the night.  Sorry for taking so long to update but it was a long evening and when we were able to rest we took it.  She is in better spirits today and looking much better.
Mike

Out of Surgery

It's 5:50 and I just received word that Jodi is out of surgery and it went well.  I haven't spoken to the doctor yet, but will go see Jodi in a 1/2 hour.

Forgot to Mention

Hello everyone,
I forgot to mention that I'm lucky they didn't do the surgery on me.  The first doctor we saw was a young gentleman originally from Czechoslavokia (a wild and crazy guy).  He was unfamilier with the name Jodi and since her name ended with i he assumed it was a male name because he was familier with Star Wars and the word Jedi.  So he started asking me the medical questions before we corrected him.  I can understand how he connected me with a Jedi, with all the wisdom I have.  Anyways, we had a good laugh.

There are several pizzerias just a couple blocks away so thats all I've been eating because its the only thing I know how to order right now.  I'm hoping for a brat and beer later.
Mike

hello

Hello to everyone.  I am about to go in for surgery.  Mike and I have been in quite a culture shock!  Things are so beautiful around us and today is such a gorgeous day.  What a waste to be having surgery and not outside.  Although, I think it is a sign that this is a new beginning of less pain.  We are trying our hardest to learn the basics and have finally learned the restroom sign.  I have met every doctor, nurse, pt and aide they have and had several other exams including another discography.  That was not fun but confirmed the reason we are here.  Mike is doing well.  The doctor walked him to the pizza place last night.  I'm afraid he may start smoking though as it seems everyone around here does.  We even have a balcony in our room and a large picture window showing a large retaining wall of flowers and plants.  Look forward to having this behind .and being able to enjoy our "vacation".  I miss my kids.   Please give them hugs if you see them.
Jodi

We would like to skype with our friends any time.  Please email Jodi's yahoo account (jflaaganrn@yahoo.com) and place a time that you would like to call.  I will try to be available at that time.  Keep in mind we are 7 hours ahead of you.
Mike

Morning before surgery

We are settled and Jodi has met with several of the doctors that will be taking care of her and will be meeting the surgeon at 11 am.  She will be going to surgery at around 2 pm.

3 days and counting!

Well, we continue with all of the planning for the trip.  I am gettting more and more nervous, mainly about leaving the kids.  We are still trying a few last avenues with insurance, which we are not getting very far.  Now they want to talk to the doctor to see what he's actually going to do BEFORE the surgery.  Nothing like leaving things to the last minute!  Doesn't matter, we will do this regardless if they will help- which we are 99% sure they aren't going to.  The kids are starting to understand that we are leaving and starting to get a little anxious as well.  This weekend is all about fun- and a little cleaning and packing!  We are going to do crafts and Abby and I are going to make puppy chow and eat it in bed!  My back and leg have been horrible and I continue to have nasty dreams.  Can't wait for this all to be over.  I did speak with someone from Valley City who had a much more involved surgery in Germany, she said she wished she would have done it sooner.  It was nice to hear a few more details from someone who had actually experienced it.  Apparently I can leave the hospital to go out for dinner, etc.  They actually encourage it!  And they encourage you to stay until you feel you can care for yourself.  Hope the food is good.  I wonder if they have cheeseburgers, fries and dt. coke/dt. dew.  That would make me very happy. 

hello

For those of you who haven't heard- Mike and I are heading off to Germany in 8 short days for me to have back surgery.  I had a large herniation of my L5S1 disk on 1-3-09 which required surgery.  I have continued to have lasting back and leg pain.  The pain radiates down my entire left leg into my toes.  I have no feeling in the majority of my left foot, and suffer from horrible leg cramps in that leg most nights.  My back pain has increased greatly in the past few months as well.  Over the last 20 months, I have tried several different options.  I started with physical therapy and traction which gave very minimal results.  I then was referred to the pain clinic and started a series of epidural injections.  These actually seemed to increase the pain for a few weeks instead of helping.  I have also gone through a procedure to try chemically "burning" the scar tissue from the previous surgery to help release the nerve.  None of these procedures have worked.  After much frustration and pain, I decided I needed to get another opinion.  This took me on a 3 doctor chase to get where I needed to go.  I finally found a neurosurgeon in the cities.  After reviewing my history, he agreed that the proper procedures had been followed and the surgery was indeed necessary.  He requested that I have a discogram to determine if the pain was disc or nerve related.  After having a positive discogram on 2 discs, he provided me with 2 options.  The first option was to have a 3 level fusion which would leave me with considerable loss of motion along with increased risk of further disc injury.  My other option would be to go to germany and have artificial disk replacement.  This technique is currently not covered by insurances and just starting to be practiced in the States.  Right now, the FDA has approved 1 level ADR's even though the insurance companies have not yet covered them.  I require 3.  I spoke with a few of the hospitals in the States who are doing the surgeries.  I was informed that they would probably not have FDA approval for cases like mine for at least 20 years.  My physician informed me that it was a good possibility that my back would "auto-fuse" in the next 5 years if I continued to go untreated.  He strongly encouraged me to look into germany due to my age and the fact that I have a young family.  He also remarked that I had no structural problems, it was exclusively my degenerative disc disease.  My most recent MRI showed considerable degeneration after 6 months.  I also have a small tear in one of the discs.  After much consideration, Mike and I feel this is in our best interest.  I want to regain my ability to play with my children and not be in pain after sitting for 1/2 hour.  There are no guarantees, but what other option is there?  I was desperate for relief and the money became less of a barrier as the pain worsened.  Please pray for our safe travel and a successful surgery.  I am terrified of the plane and the upcoming surgery.  Most importantly, I worry about being so far away from my children.  Also, please pray that my children are OK and don't eat their grandparents while we're gone!