I was up bright and early the day after surgery. As I said in Part 1, it is pretty impossible to sleep in the hospital. The nurses were in every hour giving me everything from antibiotic IVs to curb infection, nerve medication, pain medication, blood thinners, etc. The number of medications I was given made my head spin.
My boys called around 7:30 a.m. as they prepared to leave for school. I was thrilled I got to speak to Jackson. I bragged that my breakfast had just arrived and smelled delicious. I told him I ordered scrambled eggs, French toast and bacon. My favorites! (I am not lying when I say it was scrumptious!) He was instantly jealous because he wanted "room service," I told him I might stay forever because I get waited on hand and foot at the hospital. 😊 Jackson's voice sounded so much better that morning. It was a relief that the surgery was over and that I was on the road to recovery. The original plan was for him to come to the hospital to see me after school, but that soon would be turning into a surprise. I couldn't wait!
(my delicious hospital breakfast)
Nick arrived at the hospital after he dropped Jackson off at school and the pup at a friend's house for the day. Many wonderful people offered to help us while I was in the hospital. Physical Therapy arrived around 9:30 a.m. and said they had already heard how great I was doing. 😁 They said they needed me to walk down the long hallway and then go to the stairwell to learn some tricks about the stairs. We do not have a first-floor bedroom, so I must go up and down stairs daily. They wanted to make sure I could do that safely. PT walked behind me with a wheelchair in case I got tired. I rocked walking down the hallway! All those pushups I did pre-surgery are paying off! I told them I planned on scooting up and down our stairs since I had mastered that with my other surgeries. They wanted to show me this trick with a shower chair to climb the stairs. After brief instructions, they asked if I wanted to try. Of course, I wanted to try it; I'll try anything. I mastered it on the first try, and the PT said I did it better than she did. She also suggested that I become a patient advocate, which I told her I would LOVE to do. My whole goal is to help others.
Physical therapy cleared me to go home less than 24 hours after my surgery. I also had to wait for my surgeon to come in to clear me. My nurse already knew I would be going home that day, so she sent in my bajillion prescriptions to the pharmacy. I was given a walker and crutches to take home to help me be mobile. As much as I hate to admit it, I love my old lady walker. She doesn't cause stress to other parts of my body. My surgeon said I could go home because I was doing fantastic. Nick and I have a great relationship with him and his physician's assistant. Of course, going through this for over three years, you develop a rapport. He knows my humor and where my mind is, which is lovely when your Dr. truly knows you as a person. His PA is my guardian angel. I don't think I could have gotten this far without her.
Nick picked up Jackson from school and told him they were headed to break me out! I was so happy when my sweet boy walked in. He's my partner in crime. I have worried about him the most throughout these last three years, especially through this surgery. He is quiet and doesn't share his feelings, which concerns me. His smile when he walked into the room reassured me that at that moment, he was OK. 💖
I'M FREE! At 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, Feb 16th (the day after surgery), I was in the car headed home. I had imagined that the earliest I would get to come home was Friday. That is already one obstacle I have overcome! One down, many more to go.
HOME, SWEET HOME! It was such a wonderful feeling to sit down on my couch and see the faces I love so much. Since being home, my boys have been incredible. Nick has amazed me with his nursing skills. He has alarms set every day for all my medications. He wakes me up at night with a pill and water. He has yet to miss a dose. He has completely stepped up and taken over all of my responsibilities and his new nursing responsibilities. He deserves so much praise. If you see him, please give him a fist bump, a high five or a beer. He has earned it! Jackson has been helping with laundry, medication, vacuuming, helping me get up and down the stairs, and assisting Nick with dinner. These guys have stepped up, and I owe them big time. These two boys of mine are exceptional, and I am so lucky to have them.
(First Pic at Home!) I will honestly say I had a small mishap on my crutches when I first returned home. Nothing big, just very wobbly and almost bit the dust. I have not seen those crutches since. Apparently, Nick is playing hide and seek with them. For now, it is just me and the old lady walker. I've been trying to name her (my walker), but I can't fully decide on the name. I'm going to let you join in to help name my walker! See the poll below at the bottom of the blog!
Pathology will take a few weeks to examine all the removed tissue to see if there are any cells elsewhere. If not, then we will continue to monitor through scans and tests. If there were cells elsewhere, I would have to undergo further treatment. So please pray that there was only one tumor and that the Dr was able to have clear margins.
Over the next few weeks, I will continue to rest. My post-op appointment is scheduled for March 2nd. We appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and encouragement throughout our journey. Until next time!
Love, Cort
NAME MY WALKER!
Princess Consuela
Pheebs
Estelle
Gladys
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