Show & Tell - Nursing/School

OK, finally... I am going to do a show and tell for this week.  And I will attempt to explain why I haven't blogged anything else this week, despite having completed three science experiments (for which I have pictures), and having received an award from two blogging friends.     

 

On Wednesday of this week, my DH had his ACL repaired so school has been combined with nursing duties this week.  We did do some school on Wednesday morning, but I spent the entire afternoon at the hospital sitting with DH in the pre-op.  So Thursday and Friday we did schoolwork while trying not to disturb Daddy, and interrupted by needing to do things for our invalid.     Here are some pictures:

 

Landon and Kennady were quite happy to do their schoolwork on the living room floor, so they could be near Daddy, and the upside to that was that he was feeling well enough to supervise, and to give Landon spelling tests, so that I could do some other things, including errands:

 

 

This is the "ice-man" - it is basically a sixpack size cooler filled with ice and water.  There is a hose thingie (yes that is the technical term, I'm pretty sure) that carries the cold water to a pad and circulates it continuously.  The pad is positioned at the surgery site, so the ice water helps keep inflammation and pain at bay and is much easier to work with than an ordinary ice pack.  The downside of that is that we need to keep refilling it with ice.  The kids are helping me with this job though.

 

This is the CPM machine (I don't know what it stands for!  Continuous Perpetual Motion? Seems redundant.  Controlled Post-operative Motion?  I don't think so.) that DH has to use 8 to 10 hours a day to bend his knee for him.  When he is not using this machine, he has to be in a brace with about 6835187633 velcro straps to keep his leg completely straight and rigid.  Because he can't bend his knee, he needs one of us to undo and do up the brace every time he gets in and out of the CPM machine.  Fun times.  The machine is pretty cool though - I say that now, because we haven't received the bill for it yet.

See all the hydraulics and stuff?  Maybe we should do a little mini-unit on hydraulics?  I hadn't thought to make this truly educational, but I figure it's building character.  Although Harrison did ask to watch the operation...  

 

I will not show a picture of the actual incision with staples, and I'm sure at least some of my readers will thank me.  (It doesn't look all that bad though - I've changed the dressing twice and still haven't heaved LOL)

 

Thanks for stopping by my Show & Tell - be sure to visit CanadaGirl to see more Show & Tells, or to participate!