Quick word about Door County WI one of the nicest areas in the country to spend some down time. Shops and Restaurants galore on bay side and lots of nature and hiking on the lake side.
It is not an expensive area in fact you can spend a long weekend stay in motel, eat in restaurants and buy a few goodies for 250 to 350 dollars or you can stay at a very nice two bedroom condo eat at the best restaurants and buy a lot of goodies 650 to 850 dollars. If you are not wanting to spend any camp at the many sites available the sunset pictured on this page is taken at one of the camping areas Peninsula State Park, offers 469 campsites, 23 miles of scenic road, 20 miles of hiking trails, and 15 miles of bike trails. There are seven picnic areas, a sand beach, play area, concessions, and two boat launches. Great sunrises and sunsets.
Sunrise at Door County Commercial Fishing Dock
Sunset at Door County from Ephriam Lookout
I had some issues to deal with not the least I was still loosing skin and new was growing back but the last skin lost were the bottoms of my feat so walking was almost impossible, not only the skin problem but the swelling of my feat and legs made it impossible to wear anything but a old pair of scuffs that I had not thrown out for some reason. My first walk outside was to the driveway and back and I slept the rest of the afternoon. Thanks to my wife Cindy and a wonderful nurse Ray Ann (slave driver), who put up with my vetching, I started to be able to go a bit farther each outing and be able to climb one more stair each day.
I finally got off the couch and upstairs August 4th our anniversary. I went back to work mornings and started to deal with my life and living space in the afternoons.
To make a long boring story short, yes I made it to Door County first week of September and hiked the trails with Cindy and took pictures above.
Question 2 from previous post 10-13-08:
What did it feel like?
Different stages different feelings, while I was in coma in ICU, I felt being turned so I wouldn't get bed sores I felt the "chest shaker" (High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation System). I felt Cindy rubbing my hair and brushing my hair. I felt someone shave me, I felt the cold of the bed safety rails, I felt the shots in my stomach and I felt an itch on my left shoulder. I felt choking. These feelings I am pretty sure were real and tangible. While in the coma you feel a lot of other things that probably are not real and tangible. I had flashes of intense heat and cold I felt hands carrying me along a path. I felt the boredom of waiting, for what I'm not sure. I felt time as it slowed and accelerated at differing rates. I felt someones touch deep in myself as if a touch into my physical heart. I felt eyes watching me. I felt "free" don't know if that one was real or not.
Step down unit was next, that's were they move you after you leave ICU and they bring you back up from the coma and decide what state your mind and body is in. If you don't come back up they send you to long term ventilator care in Indiana where they warehouse you until something fails (sounds a bit harsh in description doesn't it, but accurate). If you do wake up they wait to see how much damage the lack of oxygen or the high CO levels have done body works but veggie. First real pain you feel is in this unit for me it was being catheterized and my muscles ache ,throat is sore and I itch all over. I feel I must get up which evidently I tried and fell on my face (no memory, but definitely felt the bruises). I felt either really hot or cold. You feel hungry but don't want to eat almost like you forgot how. It feels good to see your wife and try to talk and extremely frustrating that you cant because of tracheotomy. It feels good to chew first bite of liquid diet (yes, I meant chew liquid diet). It feels good to scratch itch at first and to try to stretch which you cant do. I thought I could feel electricity in the air which of course had to be a false feeling; while I was in Bromenn Hospital, Bloomington had the lighting storm of the decade to the point that hospital was running on a diesel backup, static electricity and the smell of ozone. It was a real memory!!!
Rehab Physical Therapy Unit was next. In this unit is where you learn to walk, feed yourself, use a walker, use a cane, wash yourself, etc. In other words you are relearning everything and trying to get your muscles and nerves to do what you are telling them to do. You go to physical therapy three times a day and slowly learn to walk. I have seldom felt such elation than when I walked from one end of the hall to the other about 70 yards (64 meters). You receive counseling to see how you are handling depression etc. Lest I forget the speech therapy which I had in grade school for many years I could have corrected the interviewer. Then there was the intelligence test to see if you remembered your numbers and words, I was fast getting a case of the A**. Physical therapy was hard work which hurt but I enjoyed I did not enjoy the perky people who do crafts and are there to keep your spirits up, the most depressed I felt was when this person took all of the old folks that were in physical therapy and played games, round blocks, square holes and don't forget the triangles. All of this and my rash/hives were itching and now starting to burn and swell. I felt if I didn't do something soon it would be too late I was in deep guacamole. I started to petition to go home from everyone. "They" kept telling me it was only a rash or hives and the night they put on a whole tube of cream over my upper body that set me on fire. I refused anymore treatment until we got to the bottom of the rash/hives so they started to ween me off of all kinds of medicine. I would not miss that shot in the stomach twice a day or the constant checking of my blood sugar and the shots of insulin I am not a diabetic but some of the medicines shut down my insulin production temporarily. They let me go home with a bag full of medicine, a scared wife (who was trusting my judgment), and no idea what was to come.
Home unit was a welcome sight I couldn't get up the front stoop but the neighbor (Randy) came and helped Cindy get me in the house. I had endured the worst of the pain and uncertainties I thought and then came Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). My rash/hives turned out to be a life threatening reaction to a drug (Plavix) they were giving me daily in the hospital. My body started to swell, I burned from head to foot, and pieces of skin started to fall off. We called the Dr and told him what was happening, he saw me the next morning and said he had no idea, let him call a dermatologist to see me the first ones he called had no time finally he got me appointment next day with young dermatologist in large practice. I was on fire put on long sleeves and covered as much as i could with towel not to freak out the other patients in waiting room. The sun was like a knife and walking was impossibly painful, the walker I had to use was equally painful on my raw hands. The young dermatologist took one look at me and knew what was wrong, he called in his partners for show and tell and took a biopsy and prescribed treatments and medicines that worked fantastically. I hated the feel of the wet sheets and towels that I was wrapped in for two hours at a time three or four times a day but it started to stop the burn after twelve days of H*ll it finally was tolerable. All of my skin came off from shoulders down including all hair and as I was to find out all sweat glands. I also lost most of the scars on my body, all of the callouses on my hands and feet and the spider veins and most moles on legs and arms. I had lost a lot of weight in addition. It took about thirty days to peel completely and all of the swelling to go down with the exception of my lower legs and feet although better are still not back to normal.
Next
Questions 3 and 4
Stay Tuned: I promise not to be so long winded next time.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
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