Freeze!

Who stole a week from my life?? It cannot be a week since I was here last. Someone obviously has stolen it. It was here a minute ago.

Anyway, since last week, I have been to my plastic surgeon twice. Last week I got the wonderful thrill of going down to the Medical Center. Coming home was the problem. It was a holiday weekend, and all the rats were deserting Swampland. What traffic!! At that time, he removed one of the three drains. When I had them removed after the mastectomy, it didn't hurt. Not this time. It "bit" all the way out.

I have lived with the other two for this week. I have been able to sleep on my right side - sometimes. Sometimes it really hurts to sleep on my right side. Both of the remaining drains enter my body on that side.

Today I went back. But I went to another area that a fellow blogger calls "White Man's Land." It is a planned community directly north of Swampland. It is probably further away for me, but it doesn't have the traffic.

I was hoping for the other drains to be removed. I knew it wasn't going to happen because they have been working all too well. They did take number 3, but left number two. So I get to go back next week. This time there was no pain, but it felt like the thing was a mile long as it snaked out of my back! I got put back on antibiotics. Oh hum. I need to be sure to buy some yogurt!

We want to go to the SSB next week, so Med Center here I come. They will be back in "White Man's Land" next Friday, but they don't get there until noon. We need to have commenced the five hour journey at that time.

So much for my health. Last night was a first. Lady Bug stayed with us - overnight - for the first time in her 7 1/2 years of life. She announced to me a little while ago she wanted to stay over tonight too. Knock me over with a feather.

The circumstances behind her staying weren't too great. Her brother, Monkey Boy, decided to have a temper tantrum last night at 9:30. We both have raised hearths on our fireplaces, which has always scared me with the little ones, and he plowed his forehead right into the edge of said hearth. So he got to go directly to the ER - don't pass go. I told K that it would be silly for Lady Bug to be here, get sleepy, then get dragged back home to go to sleep only to return. I was keeping her today - like all summer.

So she spent the night. She seems to have been having fun. Last night she slept with me. G has been afraid to try to sleep through the moans when I move. I told her she might have to sleep where he has been sleeping. She didn't care. She just wants to stay. Finally. It has taken a long time.

Have a great weekend. Hope all goes your way!

Promise kept

I said I would be back and here I am. It has been ten days since surgery and seven days home. I am still wondering just what the heck I have done to myself and angry at facing the prospect of the next surgery that really is required at this point because I am a total freak. I looked at the results from this first surgery in the mirror last night, and I was completely horrified. There are lumps and bumps everywhere. I can't see that this will ever look any where near normal.

I have an appointment with the doctor today. I'm facing it with real dread. He had me fill a prescription for four vials of antibiotic which he will inject today. I'm thinking I heard somewhere it would be into the drains. That means more time for the drains. I think one of them is no longer working anyway. I also think I heard that at least one will be in at least three weeks. I absolutely hate them. It was the worst part of the mastectomy. They didn't prevent the infection, and, to my way of thinking, made things worse.

For the first four days of recuperation, my knees were such an issue because I wasn't really taking care of the usual meds and things. I made sure I took the antibiotics like clockwork and I was absolutely sure I took the Femara. I would take the blood pressure medication just to be sure, but it just wasn't that important. Wednesday I decided I better get back with the arthritis regime. By yesterday, I was much better. Today the knees are good.

Last night was my worst night with the exception of Friday night in the hospital. All the sutures in my back seemed tight and painful (I hope no infection). I wanted to sleep on my right side so badly! I finally got up and changed to the other side of the bed. (Poor G is on the daybed in the study.) It was a fitful night at best. I made the decision not to take the two pain pills when I went to sleep. At 3AM I knew it was too late. Coming down from them would have made me sick.

I know I have to complete what I started. I just hope that the resulting breast reduction and repositioning isn't as painful. I have to ask why I am already numb under my left arm and around the left breast. There was nothing done in that area.

If at all possible, I am going to wait until September or so to complete this mess. I am not ready for more surgery. I look at some of the ads we get on local TV selling these "complete body makeovers." I just hope these people realize what they are in for. I once thought if I could get to the "ideal" weight, I would like to have the lifts and tucks for the extra skin. While I still hope to re-lose the weight that found me after chemo and chuck a lot of the rest of it - there will be no lifts or tucks for me in the future. Should the miracle happen, and there is a lot of excess skin, I will imply tuck it in somewhere. It's not going to be cut off!.

I survived

I'm home from the hospital. Not yet hitting on all cylinders, but getting there. The surgery went well. He was so pleased that he added the implant during this surgery. It lasted about six hours, and I was in recovery for another two. I have never been sick after anesthesia, but I was this time, so I got another shot via the IV and was out most of the night.

They kept me in the hospital until Saturday afternoon. I was released on oral antibiotics and pain medication, but the pain has really been minimal. My knees hurt more than the incisions.

The worst part was when the IV infilitrated on Friday early morning. My hand was doubled in size and that left me with no other place for an IV. Fortunately all worked out well.

I took a couple of pain pills this morning because my left leg was so sore since I can only sleep on my left side or back. They are kicking me pretty hard right now - I think it is time to sleep!

I'll be back soon.

What have I done and other musings

Um, hi. My name is Grandma K. I used to come around here quite a bit, but life has been getting in the way a lot! I'm here today and gone tomorrow for a while again.

Seriously, things have been happing rather fast around here. I am wondering just what I have gotten myself into - I'm having surgery on Wednesday. It will be a latissimus dorsi breast reconstruction. I'm happy and I'm very scared at the same times. The surgery will last about four hours, and I will be hospitalized 3-5 days. This time I will stay as long as the surgeon recommends. I learned my lessons with the mastectomy.

I am no longer keeping Doodle bug, and while I miss her a lot, I have free time. I don't know what to do with myself!! I actually got to make a new blouse (one of the five I have planned and have the fabric for), and got the craft room straightened out! That was a job in itself. She is seemingly doing well in day care - in fact a little better than I would have predicted.

Mother's day was good when all things settled out. My children still have sibling rivalry - at least daughter does. I just don't know why she is so seemingly needy when it comes to our relationship. She lives a mile from me. We talk several times a day. I have kept all of her children as babies. We are really friends now - not just mother and daughter. But I can still see those green horns of jealousy from time to time. Some things never change.

My daughter in law and son in law really can't stand one another. They are civil. On the surface they get along well, but underneath. Oh, my! That means there is tension for me whenever they are together.

But when you shake it all down, all went well. I hope your Mother's Day went well. I'll be back in about a week!