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A Contagious Smile Podcast
A Contagious Smile is a powerful platform dedicated to uplifting and empowering special needs families and survivors of domestic violence. Through heartfelt stories, we shine a light on the journeys of extraordinary individuals who have overcome unimaginable challenges. Their triumphs serve as a testament to resilience and strength, inspiring others to rediscover their own inner light. Each episode features candid interviews with survivors, advocates, and experts who provide valuable resources and insights to support those on their own paths to healing and empowerment. Join us as we celebrate the power of resilience, the beauty of shared stories, and the unstoppable spirit of those who turn adversity into hope. Let us guide you in rekindling your spirit, because every smile tells a story of courage and transformation.
A Contagious Smile Podcast
Surgical Surprises: Hospital Mix-Ups, Family Resilience, and the Healing Power of Humor
Ever experienced the chaos of a last-minute surgery mix-up and the unexpected presence of a plastic surgeon? That's exactly what happened to us, Victoria and Michael, as we embarked on a whirlwind hospital adventure. From the frantic journey to the operating room to sharing light-hearted moments with a nurse who recognized us, this episode is a rollercoaster of emotions. Victoria, in her 18th surgery, remains a beacon of resilience, humorously refusing pain meds despite the complex nerve and muscle procedure on her arm.
Navigating the post-surgery landscape turned out to be as unpredictable as the surgery itself. We recount the trials of recovering without proper guidance, facing an allergic reaction to surgical tape, and managing the painstaking wound care at home. Through it all, the unwavering support from our family, especially our daughter Faith, becomes a powerful reminder of the strength and laughter that bind us together. Sharing these moments, we underscore the significance of empathy and effective communication in healthcare, highlighting needs that are as important as the medical procedures themselves.
As we wrap up, we share the behind-the-scenes challenges of improving our podcast, including our quest for better audio quality with upgraded microphones. It's all part of our commitment to delivering a better experience for our listeners, while balancing the humor and heart that define our show. We invite you to join our journey, engage with us on social media, and even participate as a guest. With playful banter and heartfelt exchanges, we offer a genuine glimpse into our lives, showing how humor and love can heal even the deepest scars.
Howdy y'all? Welcome to another episode of a contagious smile, with Victoria and Michael here at a contagious smile. Thank you for following, liking, sharing and all that stuff. So we have our lovely Victoria over here, fresh out of another surgery Well, over a hundred surgeries that she has had and this one is on her nub trying to, excuse me, lessen the pain that she endures every day of her life by adjusting, uh relocating, a couple of nerves in her arm and her nerve and her n, and then wrapping it like a pig in a blanket, as the doctor put it in muscle.
Speaker 2:Well, they transferred two muscles too.
Speaker 1:So she's in a lot of pain y'all.
Speaker 2:Hard-headed.
Speaker 1:Yes, we've had to cut some conversations and interviews short with some guests who have recently made donations and come on our show. So she's getting better, y'all. But y'all bear with her. This week she's in a lot of pain and she's a redhead and she takes no none zip zip pain pills. They probably had to force her to even be knocked out during surgery. She's just a stubborn redhead but she's a good one to have in your corner whenever there's a fight, knowing that she's prepared and fully capable of handling herself one arm and all. And without further ado, here's our lovely Victoria, sexy vixen that she is.
Speaker 2:Oh, my husband. Well, I would like tonight to kind of go on a different route for the show. Forgive me for my hoarseness. It's pretty okay right now, but then I'm going to keep clearing my throat. I'm drinking lots of fluid but, holy crap, I have to pee every five minutes. It's like no, it reminds me of my pregnancy days, because I am peeing like crazy, excuse me.
Speaker 2:So I would like to talk about the healthcare system, because this was surgery like 18 on my hand, nub, arm, whatever and we went in with the mentality of it that they were going to cut open my leg and do what's called a nerve transfer, a nerve transposition, and all this other rigmarole that I've already had done previously. Excuse me. So we were kind of not sure as to what was going on and we were told to have a certain arrival time. My husband was supposed to be being quiet, but y'all all know how men are. So we're driving down to the hospital, excuse me. We get a phone call that says where are you? Your surgery starts in 38 minutes, or something like that, and we're like wait what? And the one thing any person in this planet knows about me is that I'm always early, like it's almost comical that I'm always early and if I'm on time I'm late to me. That's like my biggest pet peeve. So I was like, wait what? And Faith, bless her heart, is in the back and I said, can I ask who this is? Because it wasn't my surgeon. And he was like, yeah, I'm with plastics. So of course Faith is now freaking out why a plastic surgeon is going to be in here and I'm like hell if I know I didn't get any. You know fun stuff ordered. I'm not getting anything. I thing I'd want this is just I don't know.
Speaker 2:So it's a long drive from us to the hospital and we get there. Now, remember, we're still not completely sure on what's going on. We've called the doctor's office a couple of times prior to to get some clarification and never received a phone call back, excuse me. So we get there and they basically take me directly into pre-op and normally you know there's a little bit of a wait because you have to have everybody and their sister come in and chat with you and yada, yada, yada. So you're making a lot of noise. So we get in there and I said let me get stripped down and get ready with the IV and that, yeah, and then we'll get you in faith to come back. So I had a hilarious nurse and he was amazing and he actually told me that he listens to our show and everybody there either recognized me or they recognized faith, which you know is good and is bad.
Speaker 2:And so when we finally got my husband and Faith to come back, they were having conversation there was a room of like five other doctors in there at the same time talking about everything and the nurse goes over and tells Michael, you might want to pick up her bag over there. It looks beautiful with your eye color. And of course my husband just turns very red and gets uncomfortable. He has no problem with gay men, none. He just is not someone who likes to get hit on by a gay man or by a woman, because he's totally off the market. But anyway, I'm about to pee on the bed because I am laughing so hard at the fact that this nurse is giving him the cutie patootie face and it is a prank. But I couldn't say anything because I never get into the pranks it's between you and Faith and I never get to get one in there. So that was kind of fun.
Speaker 2:So then the surgeon appears and says, hey, you know, this is what we're doing. And my husband wants to ask a question. He's like what is this going in with the nerve? And he's like we're going to figure out right now what we're about to do. And so that was like wait what? And they had allotted four hours for the surgery. And then he said that he was going to like reduce some nerves. He already moved the ulnar nerve and so the radial and the medial were left and he was going to cut out some muscle in other parts of my body and transfer it. And that's originally what he thought maybe they would do with my leg and then take a nerve from there and move it. So while we're literally going back, getting ready to go back, so while we're literally going back, getting ready to go back, they decide they're going to do it from the inside upper part of my arm, away from the shoulder replacement. So I say, all right, I'll see you all in a little bit. We get going, get to the OR.
Speaker 2:I don't do any kind of pre-medication, no versed, I don't want any of that. Everybody in there is getting ready, right, and here comes my surgeon, like pushing on my nub, trying to figure out everything. And then they have to do a timeout where they introduce everybody in the room to the patient if the patient's alert and somebody says, hey, do you want to give her any antibiotics while she's doing this? And he's like, yeah, okay, whatever, just yeah. I'm like wait, wait, wait what doing this? And he's like yeah, okay, whatever, just yeah. I'm like wait, wait, wait what. So I noticed I don't have an allergy band on and it just seems like nobody cares.
Speaker 2:We get done and I'm in the post-op and they keep telling me I need to breathe deeper. For some reason they put me back on oxygen for a minute and this is ridiculous. So then they tell me before that I might stay overnight. I was like, yeah, no, and I tried to make them understand because it was the same surgeon who amputated me that if I didn't get an overnight or over week stay during an amputation, I am damn sure not staying for this.
Speaker 2:And he's like, well, we'll see. No, we won't see'm not staying. I am not staying. This is like a big thing and you're gonna understand. You're gonna see my naked butt walk down the hall with one of those hospital gowns to the elevator because I am not staying period. So his resident that was helping him in surgery said don't worry about it, I've already done your orders so you can go home. Okay, thank you. So we come home. On the way home they stopped to get something to eat. We come home and I the next day asked to speak to a nurse because in my discharge papers there is nothing that says about afternoon care or a follow-up appointment or anything of that nature, and that's like not.
Speaker 2:you would think they would provide something about that. So we asked for a call back. We never got one. And then yesterday I looked in my chart again because I looked at it right after surgery to get an explanation as to what they actually did and nothing was in there for aftercare. And then why are you staring? At me like this I'm fascinated by you. Why.
Speaker 1:You're my wife, my last lover, you're my everything Continue.
Speaker 2:And they had no aftercare instructions. So I look again yesterday and it now says after 48 hours I can undo my dressing. So I'm gonna let my husband explain how much fun that one was, because, oh my god, now I am not patting myself on the back, I don't have a hand to do it so I can't. But I have a stupid high pain tolerance like amputation no pain meds, both my jaws replaced with titanium no pain meds, ever, never, ever, ever. So I take all this wrapping off. I want to see, and then I I don't know what kind of scar to expect. That's like another thing, because I don't have much skin left that isn't scarred and I I'm hoping that he entered one he already created was my hope.
Speaker 2:And when my husband, who has been amazing I just publicly want to thank you so much because you know I always say normally you fall asleep and you know whatever, this time he didn't. I could see he was worried, I saw it in his face. He was so sweet, he was really concerned. It seriously like. I was very, very surprised, because you normally sleep during my surgeries, but you were conscious and very alert and very concerned. I could see that. And so we get down to the nitty gritty. The banded, the ace bandages are off and here we are with the gauze and um pads and stuff like that and I'm gonna let you pick it up because I gotta get something to drink real quick. So what happens at this point?
Speaker 1:She starts crying like a baby as the tape comes off.
Speaker 2:I did not, I did not. One tear came down, not one.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you were in pain.
Speaker 2:Yes, but why? Why was I in this much pain with the tape?
Speaker 1:Number one. You were allergic to it. Right your skin started breaking out.
Speaker 2:My skin started peeling open.
Speaker 1:And it started ripping off. Yes, yes, so taking off the tape took us right at an hour to take off the tape and the one bandage. So thank you, Dr F.
Speaker 2:Yeah, don't say names.
Speaker 1:I won't.
Speaker 2:No, it was more than one, because there were stereo strips too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but that was that's pretty minor, it's easy and the tape.
Speaker 2:Basically, they didn't use just a little bit of tape. They had the gauze over the incision sites, stereo strips over the actual stitches and nice amount of tape that literally took all three sides of my arm right. The front and the sides were covered in this tape, and even just to barely pull at it, literally you could just see instant that it was raw and red and it didn't like me, and so I wetted it down. I even went to one of my little toolbox kit tricks, which is if you have bandages and they're hard to come off, you put Vaseline all over that and it gets in there, makes it easy to pull off. They lied that didn't work. So we had the surgical stuff that helps remove adhesive. They lied this didn't work at all. So my loving husband literally kept getting water on gauze and bringing it to me so I could try to get it loose.
Speaker 2:And Faith is sitting there. I got you, mom, I got you. I got you. If you ever meet Faith in person, this is the most resilient, amazing girl you'll ever come across. Do not let her take a band-aid off of you, because this kid waxes you for free. She will say, okay, it's not going to hurt, that's it. She takes it and just rips it off of you. But when she came home last year from the ICU, holy crap, right, do you remember?
Speaker 2:No no the tape. Oh, do you remember? Oh, no the tape. Oh my God, oh no, no, no, it's going to hurt. So it's good for the goose, it's not good for her gander. So we get all that off and the scar is how long it's over a foot. All right, I'd say about a foot long y'all I would have said maybe that, or it's a little longer than that. Yeah, tons of stitches.
Speaker 1:Approximately 100. 30, 40. Whatever, a lot of freaking stitches.
Speaker 2:So I go in there to wash it and put antibacterial soap on it and wash it all off. I already had a nerve conductive study done and that part is paralyzed forever and there's nothing I can do about that. But there were parameters where it went to. And then the rest of me on that part of the limb on the other side, I could feel, and I'm hoping that they just did something like putting in a bunch of stuff on the inside. I do know they had layers of stitches internally as well, but I've lost more feeling in the actual nub, if you will, than I had prior to and it just was concerning because is this what our healthcare is going to? I mean, this is a physician that I've said I love him as a person. I actually told him I don't know if you heard me before we go back, I said I love you as a doctor. I would really just rather come up and say hi and say hi to the staff and bring you Christmas cookies, but I'm tired of being on your OR table. And I told him that and he just. You know it's not like it used to be with surgeons and doctors anymore. You know they take these time outs. Okay, great, you know, my doctor at that point didn't care, he was too busy playing around with my nub and deciding where he was going to go in. And then what kills me is they have to sign their initials on wherever they're going. Okay, I have one amputation. So you initial my amputation because you're worried you're going to go to the other side and take that off or what. I'm just trying to figure that part out. There's supposed to be things you're supposed to do. They're supposed to have you breathing into these machines after surgery to help clear out all the gunk in your lungs, to prevent pneumonia and things like that.
Speaker 2:Nobody gave me that. Like I said, I never had a band on. I told them I didn't want gabapentin. I don't believe in it, I don't like it. There's a lot of bad effects that come with gabapentin. And of course, course, I said don't write it, I won't fill it. And of course they wrote it. It's still at the drugstore, I haven't picked it up. I don't understand the logic there. And, um, I just hope this is the last time, because I'm really tired of surgery. I really, really am, and I'm just kind of like you know, and then they're like well, you have to keep it elevated. Well, no shit, sherlock.
Speaker 2:So I've been drinking what I would say a gallon of unsweet tea a day, trying to stay hydrated, which explains why I get up to pee all the time but you have to keep your nub arm whatever elevated, so it's kind of hard to do that at night because you want to move around. I'm a snuggler, my husband snuggles me, so you have to be ever so careful to make sure and you get paranoid that if somebody gets close enough to it, holy crap, that you know you're going to jump out of just uncomfortability right off the bat. So that has been our adventure, if you will. I got a lot of crap from people I love because I went right back to work. Uh, friday, even though surgery was thursday, I did three shows. Um, well, no, I, he, yeah, I recorded two but I talked to the third and pre, you know, pre-interviewed and all that stuff. So I didn't record the third technically, but we did a pre-show.
Speaker 1:So and who was there to help you.
Speaker 2:My husband and I said that I was so impressed. My husband has been such a light. You know I'm so used to doing this all by myself, for myself and for Faith, and he's been there for me for at least a couple dozen surgeries already. But this one I don't get it, because the amputation you were nowhere near like this this time. You know you were like y'all better take care of my wife. You know you were making it clear I'm that redneck who has a hole in the backyard kind of attitude. You know. Just, babe, you need to drink this, you need to do this. Do you want some ibuprofen, do you? You know, I mean like.
Speaker 2:And then today, which is probably the second time I can got up, I had already done the dishes, cleaned up the kitchen, let the dogs out, empty the dishwasher, fill. The dishwasher came in, start working and it was after lunch. I said can we go lay down for a minute? And he went with me and he was so sweet and I know I'm being mushyhy, but I'm just. I just want to thank you because I love you.
Speaker 1:I do well, that was a fascinating story. Now let's get back to nurse s, and you know who I'm talking about, mr muscles oh, yeahcles oh yeah.
Speaker 2:It's a man. It's a man.
Speaker 1:I know it's a man Because he talked about five big muscles Stars. Now I like a good prank, okay, and I was at a loss as to what to say Because I don't.
Speaker 2:Unless you are very flamboyant, I may not tell if you're gay but in fairness, you know, you and I don't have a jealous bone in each other's body about anything. You look at him, you'd say he's a decent looking guy. He's right, he's a good looking guy. Good looking guy, he's a good looking guy very fit, a very, very nice haircut clean nails.
Speaker 1:He very athletic right, and so he played the part beautifully, like absolutely spot on and I didn't see any other other other nurses hinting that this was a joke oh, they all they all know me and they all know faith and they're like oh yeah, we're in on this, we're gonna keep it quiet.
Speaker 2:So he said I got this. I'm a huge pranker. I got it. And then he was like do you have any of those stickers? I told him about the rectal stickers we did Nice and he was like I'll put it everywhere. He's like I'll happily just. And I really was like if you pat him on the butt, I will find a way to give you 10 stars.
Speaker 1:No, no, I mean, I lost it then.
Speaker 2:But it was hilarious. It was hilarious because I mean he.
Speaker 1:It was, it was.
Speaker 2:You know, and he did it unbelievably believable- he was spot on, but now Nurse.
Speaker 1:S. Our daughter will not shut up. She keeps telling me about you have pretty eyes, you have pretty eyes, you have pretty eyes, you have pretty eyes. It's not funny, y'all it's hilarious.
Speaker 2:But one of the best things about us here is the fact that, no matter what the situation is, whatever we're going through, we still make each other laugh and that's the best part of it. So, like I normally bring cookies and stuff to my OR team right before I go under, I give them to them, or I go in and they twilight me, or I stay awake for the whole surgery, whatever the case may be, and I always want to start off with them laughing. I feel like it bonds the group together. So I'm in there and everybody's, you know, just talking and talking, and I I'm like what kind of music are we listening to today? What's he listening right to, you know? And then he comes in and I was like and his resident told me he'd been with him for three and a half years and never got him to laugh. I was like 30 seconds, I got it. He's like no way. I said all right, we'll see. So he comes in and I was like so you're about to get on my nerves? And he just shook his head and he started laughing. He's like I can't get this man to laugh. I said once you do, you break the barrier. So then I was like well, are you cutting your feet? Is your feet half off, since my limb is half off? And he started laughing again and he's like I can't get him to laugh and I was like it's taken me some time it does, but you have to, and like it was just hilarious.
Speaker 2:I saw Faith was getting very stressed and very scared. You know she and I asked the doctors to listen to both my husband and my child to see if they had any questions, because their voice matters and they need to have questions answered. If they had them and you know she was like why is plastics going? What are you doing? Blah, blah, blah. And I'm just watching my husband and he's hilarious and I know at the same time he's trying desperately to pay attention to what my surgeon is saying. He is fuming a little bit and he's watching his butt side because my nurse is right behind him. So it was kind of a fun thing at that point. But we always make each other laugh. You know laughter is the best part of everything.
Speaker 2:You're dropping stuff we lay in bed and laugh a lot oh my god, we laugh so hard that we start like coughing, and that's the best part of it. It is and and this time I'm not really sure what the difference was this time versus any other time Because you literally were like you can fidget all you want. That's nausea medication. You can fidget all you want. But what was it so different this time that made you so much more uncomfortable?
Speaker 1:I don't rightly know, ma'am.
Speaker 2:I call bullshit.
Speaker 1:Well, call it all day.
Speaker 2:Now, you've had three naps today, so I don't know why you're even thinking or trying to tell me you're tired. No, I'm not tired, that doesn't.
Speaker 1:But y'all hear what she says, laughing with each other. Yeah, I didn't have that in my first or second marriage. Um, and it's something, something that I really, I really cherish now to be able to look at my wife and and talk to her and we laugh about the same shit and, uh, joke around and just laugh. You, you know everyday experiences, even with our dogs, you know, or our daughter or each other, because I'll know I'll say some stupid stuff. I'm like, ah, did you hear that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I even made him breakfast this morning, which he didn't wake up for because he stayed asleep. Yeah, still fast asleep.
Speaker 1:Well, granted, we only got three hours of sleep last night.
Speaker 2:Because you decided to watch a movie with her that had nothing to do with me. It's Saturday, daddy daughter movie night. I don't get a movie night with my husband. You get the rest of my life, so does she.
Speaker 1:That's true. She gets one Saturday a week.
Speaker 2:No, she doesn't. You gave her most of the evening tonight already. And if she says, dad, let's watch a movie on Friday, okay, babe, let's go watch a movie. Come on, kitten, let's watch a movie, come on, kitten. Yeah, to heck with mom, which I love, but still I mean.
Speaker 2:The reason that I wanted to talk about this is because the health care system, as an advocate for special needs parents and for survivors of abuse, you know when you go in there and you're having a surgery and it's scary no matter how many you've had, it's still a scary thing. And to go in there and not know the procedure, not know what you're having done, you know that that can be quite Nerve wracking. Ha ha ha, get it Nerve wracking. I thought it was funny, but still, you know you can't go and wonder. You know there was no aftercare, so I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing.
Speaker 2:I always prep home before we leave for surgery. So it's just, you know nothing's in the way when you're walking and you won't fall and trip over anything and everything you need is within your reach. And like I'm going and I said to Michael, I don't even know if I'm going to be limping, I don't know if I'm going to whatever, because I don't know what they're doing, and to this day it's still in there that they went through my leg, but they didn't go into my leg.
Speaker 1:Have y'all read her book who Kicked First? Have y'all read her book who kicked first? You get through amazon by victoria curey? Y'all read that one and you're you'll come to know some of the reason why she's had upteenth surgeries on her arm, nub and if they read narc, narc, who's there? They'll get some real insight on my arm and if you're really brave, yes, read the prequel, her second book.
Speaker 2:Who Kicked First is much harder to read than Nart Nart.
Speaker 1:Nart, nart, who's there? Also by Victoria Curie. It goes into more depth and learn a lot about narcissism. But y'all go check those two books out who Kicked First and Nart learn a lot about narcissism. But y'all go check those two books out who Kicked First and Nart, nart, who's there?
Speaker 2:Just type in Victoria Curie, you almost botched my name, I did. Victor Victor.
Speaker 1:Vector Victor Victor'd. Hey, you're not a turd. You'd be my favorite turd. No, our daughter's our favorite turd hey, you're not a turd, you'd be my favorite turd. No, our daughter's our favorite turd.
Speaker 2:Wow Right, she's not a turd. No, she's not. She's amazing. She's trying to be a dog. She's been yours from day one. I won't say that. She's been yours from day one and you know it. How could the hospital do better for you as the spouse?
Speaker 1:It's the same across the board, victoria. They must be on the same page. Everybody nurses, practitioners, anesthesiologists, doctors, whomever the freaking janitors all need to have access to the same clipboard, the same set of notes. Everything should be on there. You know it has different tabs, but everybody should be able to click on tabs from Dr So-and-so, nurse Ratched, whomever.
Speaker 2:Flirty, flirty.
Speaker 1:Right, mr Muscles, and I hope you're laughing about this, mr Muscles.
Speaker 2:I told him he did. You know, as they were wheeling me out, he gave me a thumbs up and a bump and I was like you rocked it. I'm, I'm five starring you.
Speaker 1:you were amazing he comes on this show.
Speaker 2:I'd love for him too. He was so much fun. He just we were laughing like crazy until they wheeled me back. He was just so much fun. They even asked him are you ready to go to lunch? He's like I'm not leaving her until she's back there. This is great. How often do I get patients that's like this? I'm waiting, we're good. I mean, you know, I told him. I said I'm a hard stick because of being stuck so much. And then he was like well, if I can't find one, I'm not going to do it. They can do it in the back. And I was like where have you been?
Speaker 1:Oh my God, and that was just. That would be my chief complaint. They must be on the same page Because we have seen time and time again where these notes don't correlate with these Correct. And you're yawning, are you tired?
Speaker 2:No, I'm not boring you.
Speaker 2:No, I don't. No, my body's in recovery, so. But then they put on a wall. You get a number and they put on a wall telling you the status of your number. And I asked him and he said that the surgeon never came out to see him, came out to talk to him afterwards and you know, I just think that's kind of I thought that he would have you know, because they didn't ask me do you want us not to go out there? And I was like no, I want you to talk to them. And nothing else was said. So you know, the only thing I've ever said is don't go into anything specific that could scare Faith. Right. Other than that, you know, go out there. She's great, she's great, she's in post-op. You'll see her in a few minutes, right? But I mean, I just wish some of these people would take a moment and realize what it was like if they traded places with us for a second.
Speaker 2:You know, I mean, they just see, right, you know, go in and do it. How many can we get done in a day? Whatever, not all, but a good majority of them. And they don't take into consideration that when you go home in your expensive vehicle, your big house and whatever you know, your patients are going home and they're trying to deal with the uncomfortability. How often do people get addicted to pain meds, which is a reason why I've never tried any of them, you know? I mean, think about it. If I've had over 100 surgeries, think about what kind of addiction I would have to pain meds. That's crazy. So it's just kind of common courtesy.
Speaker 2:I remember back in the day, you know, 10, 15 years ago, when you had surgery, they called you the next day. Even the hospital wanted to know how you were, if they had any questions that could be answered. You know, I mean now no, it's not, it's not done like that at all anymore and they have sections of the hospital now that you go in for surgery depending on the length of your surgery, because it has to do with turnover time. Like he told me that my surgery was to start like at 1103 and be done by 313. And I was like that's crazy. I mean that's literally crazy, because who's going to say, all right, it's 311. You got two minutes close up, right, I mean? And then you have to turn the room over and whatever. But I mean I just don't think that there is that personal care as much as there should be anymore, because it can be very scary for people. You know, just because you're seasoned at it doesn't mean that it's something you want, because you don't now now you've had.
Speaker 1:You've had um different companies in the past dealing with the um. I don't know what it's called, the the stint stem router.
Speaker 2:Stem router. I've stem router.
Speaker 1:I've had four, they were pretty good, they called a lot you know?
Speaker 2:Yeah, because they made commission on their thing. There's the difference. I even had them on, I had the group on. But the doctors also get a kickback if they use certain companies.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, so we're not, you know, we're thankful for you know them trying to fix my wife. Hopefully this, this, will be the last surgery on her nub that you know she'll be in. Hopefully no more pain, but at least less into where she can go throughout the day without you know suffering.
Speaker 2:And I don't think I asked for anything unfair. I've made it very clear from the beginning and you were there when I said that to him. I said I'm not asking for unreasonable. I'm made it very clear from the beginning, and you were there when I said that to him. I said I'm not asking for unreasonable, I'm asking just for tolerable. I just want to be able to tolerate the pain and discomfort that I go through on a daily basis on just this limb. That's all I'm asking.
Speaker 1:Make it where it's not excruciating, okay tolerating is like probably my 6-7 on a 1 ten. Okay, right yeah.
Speaker 2:But I mean, even my husband told him that my arm goes into like seizures while I'm sleeping and it can't be controlled and and I told him I only want it to make it livable, just make it where I'm not, you know, uncomfortable every minute of the day and all night long, because you know, but then they don't expect like doctors don't understand if they, you know you have two hands, you can go in there and do surgery. I can't, you know, I can't go in there and do that. So you might know what it says in a book of how you're supposed to feel in general. And I'm not just saying my surgeon, I'm saying in general that oh, I, this is how the patient's supposed to feel. But you don't know, you have no idea until that limb is gone what it's like.
Speaker 1:Okay, so that was our weekend, y'all.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm Abby will be here in less than three weeks. Yay, I'm so'm so excited. For real, I love my niece and she even checked on me before I went back she's probably not even listening she does so, yes, she wrote me a text message, but we'll be here. Hey, I'm trying to get her the whole summer yippee she's so good for faith and she's so sweet. She just doesn't put up with your shit. That's the problem. That's your issue is that you get more pranks put on you yes but they're fun. Come on now.
Speaker 1:They're fun well, welcome iby to the show when she gets here she's been on several teen talks.
Speaker 2:I know we'll welcome her again that ought to be good, because they're planning some stuff on you just great.
Speaker 1:I look forward to it.
Speaker 2:I will do video. I will be making videos y'all I've've.
Speaker 1:I've tried here recently to get a couple new microphones for us, because her and I sharing a microphone doesn't sound the best quality. So bear with us for a little bit longer it's great when it's just one.
Speaker 1:Yeah on one, but not when we share one so we we're going to wrap this up no pun intended because we have to change my wife's bandage and rewrap it and she's in a little pain right now and we will see y'all next week Get it, see you. No, thank you for listening to a contagious smile Unstoppable my wife Victoria. She's awesome, as always. Y'all drop us a line. Somewhere on our website there's a contact us and people reach out social media wise too, and y'all come on our show if you want.
Speaker 2:Or just keep bugging my husband, telling him how great he is and that he needs to continue.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:Yes, no, yes.
Speaker 1:Good night y'all.
Speaker 2:Don't leave me in stitches, it's not really.
Speaker 1:Ha ha ha, You're freaking hilarious.
Speaker 2:I thought so, I thought I was.
Speaker 1:Hit the dang stop button. Say, please, please, say, I love you.
