what a wild ride

So I had surgery almost a week ago. What a wild ride this past week has been...

Stewart and my dad made it to Graham, NC the day before my surgery. Thanks to everyone who prayed for their safe and uneventful journey, as it was just that! The same day mom and I took the girls to stay with my nanny, who was staying with a sister in Lillington, NC.

Up and at it bright and early the next morning. Surgery scheduled for 8am, which meant arrival at the hospital had to be 6:15am. As mentioned in my last post ~ surgery is scary. This particular morning I was fairly calm. Not looking forward to it, but not as nervous as I would usually be. Prep for surgery went well. No they wouldn't use the port, so they placed an IV, which was less traumatic as usual. After I mentioned the nausea that I woke up with after my last surgery, they gave me a patch to wear behind my ear. May I just say that I HIGHLY recommend anyone having surgery to request this! Doctor said the surgery itself went well. Pathology will be back by my post-op appointment. Praying for good news!

Surgery required an overnight stay at the hospital, and we all know that means no sleep! Nurses came in every 3-4 hours. Even though they kept me up, I had the BEST nurses! Surprisingly the pain was not too bad. The doctor on call wouldn't give orders to take me off fluids so the nurses and I went against his orders (considering I almost overflowed the plastic thing they measure output with, we didn't think I needed any extra fluid!) Besides, what does the doctor know?? Come morning I was ready to get out and go home! Well not home, but my home away from home. Discharge never goes as quickly as you would like. After a visit with the doctor assistant and the physical therapist I was finally released.

So it's Friday and I've been released and I'm at my home away from home. All is going well, I feel great and not hurting too bad. Trying not to overdue it. After this surgery everything is numb, probably because of all the nerves that are disturbed during the surgery. I'm thinking now that this is why pain isn't as bad as you would think considering what was done. Friday evening comes and the drains that have been put in have to be emptied for the first time. This will have to be done twice daily until I return to see the doctor. Stewart is an excellent nurse. He handled the job perfectly! I'm sure glad he meant his vows when he said them because I have really put them to the test! Can't imagine what it is like to have to nurse your wife through the same illness that took your Mom's life.

Saturday morning I woke up feeling good. My mom and dad decided they were going to head back home, so I got up and was going to sit at the table and have a cup of coffee with them before they left. Let's just say I never got to have that cup of coffee. Once I was up and moving I was hurting where the tubes to my drains were inserted. I thought if I could just get the coffee and sit down it would get better, but instead I got really dizzy. What happened next... I passed out!! Woke up with everyone all around me, and worst of all I fell on my left side (surgery side and the side the tubes are inserted). As if that wasn't bad enough I lost control of my bladder too! What a way to start the day. Rest of the day was spent in bed. After inspecting the incision and the tubes it didn't seem that I had done any damage. Although later that evening I did have a little blood and we think it came from where the tubes were inserted.

From that day til now the surgery part of all of this has been better than I thought. Yeah, it's a little different not having a part of your body. The incision is pretty big and the tubes are probably the worst part. None of that really matters when you realize that this surgery means that all the cancer is GONE! Sure I still have to do radiation, and there will be one last surgery  in about 8 months, but all of that is just extra measures so there is no recurrence.

With all going better than I expected I decided I was ready to make the trip home. So Monday morning we got up and headed to Stumpy Point to catch the ferry that now provides our route on island. We arrive just as they are telling everyone that the landing is broke and won't be usable for 24-48 hours. REALLY!! After 4+ hours in the car I just want to be HOME! Thankfully my sister lives in Manteo, so we headed to her house to spend the night and figure out what to do the next morning. After hearing that a ferry would run from Swanquarter to Ocracoke at 7 the following morning we decided to get up and be there in time to catch this ferry. Left my sister's about 5am on Tuesday morning and got to the Swanquarter ferry at 6:30. Just when we were pulling into the line, we get a call informing us that Stumpy Point had just started running again. REALLY!!?? So glad they worked hard to get it fixed, but wish I had known it would be up and going so quickly. After a two hour and forty five minute ferry ride to Ocracoke, and then an hour and a half wait for the ferry to run from Ocracoke to Hatteras we finally made it home. Yeah it was a wild ride, but we made it and that's all that really matters! I must say I was a little disappointed with the "priority lines". In a situation such as we were in, one would think that "priority" would have less to do with who you are or what you do for a living, and a little more about common decency and courtesy to others. Of course, that's just my opinion, and that doesn't count for much ~ just makes me feel better to say it!

Rested a lot yesterday, and I'm so glad to be HOME!! Looks like it was just in time for school to start tomorrow. I will be heading back to Chapel Hill for an appointment on Monday. Hopefully drains will be removed and we will get good pathology reports back! Now to focus on an upcoming birthday and anniversary! Karlene will be 10 years old on Saturday and I will have been married to my wonderful nurse of a husband for 13 years on Monday! Happy Birthday Karlene! and Happy Anniversary Stewart! I am blessed with the best family! They have been so helpful and I thank God for them everyday!