What a Week, Cont'd

Wednesday:

I started the day off early at Honda getting an oil change. Who willingly gets up at 6:30 to be the first in line?!? Really! Then, it was off to my Lady Doctor appointment. Again, more scales and check-ups...good times!

That night, Steve and I tried our hand at Chicken Marsala. It actually turned out awesomely. In addition, we had asparagus and Lemon-Chive Red Potatoes. It was really good. This was a test run, as we will be making this for our parents. They are going to finally meet one another next Sunday.

Thursday:

Dria and I headed out to grab lunch at Pizzeria Piccola, stopped by The Outpost for some delicious Little Oatie treats, and then headed over to Mayfair to see Bridesmaids. That movie was HILARIOUS. I laughed out loud several times and shed a few tears here and there. I definitely will add that to my movie collection!

For dinner, we just dove into leftovers and then headed out to the Brookfield Public Library to see my mom give a book talk about her award-winning biography on Janis Joplin. It was definitely helpful to keep my mind off of the next day's events. When we got home, we decided to watch Paranormal Activity 2. Even though we know it's fake, it was still freaky! Then, it was time for bed. I could hardly sleep and when I did my brain was still on surgery mode. I woke up over and over due to some bad dreams about surgery going wrong.

Friday:

Ah, the big day! We got up around 4:45 so that we could get to the hospital about 5:30. I've only had surgery one other time when I was about two or three, so have no recollection of it. My stomach was in knots. We got there and the nurses were awesome. It definitely helped to have Steve with me and that the nurses were talkative. It put me at ease.

One of the funniest parts of this pre-op situation was that Steve had his computer on the floor and the screensaver had popped up. His screensaver is a rotation of the 275 pictures I took of our trip to Oregon. Since that was where we got engaged, there were a few ring pictures in there as well. The nurses would be talking or starting to prep materials and they would just stop and watch pictures for a little bit.

Steve and I found it amusing how they would just stop what they were doing. After I was all hooked up to my IV and sitting pretty in my periwinkle hospital gown (which had vents to hook up to a warming machine), the transport nurse came. Again, he was transfixed by the pictures. He kept stopping mid-sentence. Too funny!

After I was wheeled over the operation holding area, I met my anesthesiologist and OR nurse. Both were really nice and willing to listen to any questions I had. Not only did I get a nifty warming gown, but they also put my legs in braces that help keep the blood circulating. This was a pretty high-tech situation. The surgeon came in and we chatted a bit and he explained how the surgery would happen.

Steve decided to stay (love him for that!!) and sit in my waiting room for the 3 hours of surgery and a few hours of recovery. However, before I headed into surgery, he gave me a quick kiss and I was off. All I remember was moving from the gurney to the operating table. The anesthesiologist told me I would probably start to get tired and that is the last thing I remember.

When I woke up, I was definitely tired and felt like my eyes couldn't open! Apparently, the surgeon came by to talk to me but I don't remember any of it. He also talked to Steve, which meant at least one of us would know what was going on! I was in the recovery area for about an hour. I did need a breathing treatment because my lungs felt really tight. After that I was doing all right; although, it was difficult to remember to breath out of my mouth only!

After hanging out in my waiting room for a little while, we got home around 2 and I just hung out on the couch. The pain was pretty much a mild headache, so I opted to skip the Percocet they filled for me and just rely on Extra Strength Tylenol. I know I tend to get sick on pain meds, so would rather stick with the Tylenol. I tried to sleep but kept waking up. My mouth was SO dry it felt like my tongue was going to fall out of my mouth. It was really painful.

I got some beautiful flowers from Tara to brighten my day. Steve ran in and got my prescriptions and popsicles/Italian Ice cups to start with. My parents stopped by with soup in tow, as well as Land Shark for Steve. Thanks, guys!

Saturday:

I hate that I had to sleep on the couch so that I'd stay upright and protect my nose. I miss sleeping in my bed! I woke up at about 4:30 a.m. and just kind of hung out, reading and watching trash tv. I took little naps throughout the day. My gauze moustache is really hot. I also think I have a little bruising under my eyes...either that, or they are MASSIVE dark circles from lack of sleep.

Steve went out and got various types of soup from Panera last night. We just took a few bites of each. Unfortunately, my throat is still a little sore and I couldn't really taste the soups. We watched some TV and then I was ready for bed!

This was actually taken on Friday night. Not too bad.

Sunday:

Today, again, I was up around 4:30. I have been coughing a lot and it's becoming harder to breathe over time. Not sure what's happening inside of this nose of mine, but my guess is it isn't pretty! I got up fed Emerson, read a little, fell back to sleep for a little while. Today was a big day in that I changed into a different outfit! Steve and I may also venture out to my parents for Sunday dinner that I can't have since they told me to stay away from chewing for a few days.

This is me this morning. I look TIRED.

Oh, what a week! I'm hoping this recovery moves quickly!