5 days later

I’m BAAACK! Nope, I didn’t fall of the end of the world. This is likely to be a long one, so go ahead and take your potty break now, grab your snack, and fix a drink to make yourself comfortable. Last Tuesday I had my surgery, and I gotta tell you, I was scared spitless going in! It was less than freezing when we got up and left my friends’ house at 4FREAKING30 in the morning to head for the surgery center. I checked in and they took me back to pre-op at about 5:45. I was scheduled to be in the OR at 7, but it was almost 7:45 when they came and took me in there, which, of course, had me frustrated beyond belief! This was my 3rd, I think, major surgery. The other 2 occurred when I was 3 & 4, so I have no memory of either of them. I remember crying and telling the nurse that I was about to DIE to go to the bathroom, but when we got there, yeah, nothing happened. I was in a private room with my friends sitting with me around noon-ish, I think. I sort of went back and forth between snoozing, and whining about needing to pee, and random goofy conversation with my friends. Finally about 3:30 I had peed enough to make the nurse happy, and they let me leave. It took 3 of us to get me dressed again, and DAMN it was cold when I got outside, but I was so happy to be able to be on my way home to my cats! I got to talk to the people I most wanted to before I went to bed that night, and my sister came by with some soup. Getting up and down in the night was kind of a trick, as I wasn’t moving all that quickly, and I was on GOOOD drugs! Fortunately, the cats behaved and I didn’t have to fight with them to keep them from tromping across incisions! Wednesday, I decided to move from the bed to the couch in the media room, because I was TIRED of being in a bed! I fixed my little nest, with a big ole glass of water, a bit of dr pepper, my bottle of pain meds, and my laptop. I don’t even remember how many emails I had when I logged in, but I waded through some of them before I took a break and laid down on the couch for a little nap with my Bowbitsy up near my head. One of my friends came by after she’d picked up the kids from school to get a grocery list I’d made. It’s just by chance that she lives about 5 minutes from me, but I was totally astounded when the kids asked if they could stay with me while she went to the grocery store for me. UMM, let me think about this for a second. 1. I had major surgery yesterday, 2. You have spent the entire 5 minutes you’ve been in my house rushing around trying to hunt down my cats despite being told that they are hiding, 3. You have a tendency to do whatever you please despite being asked or told not to do something, and did I mention I just had major surgery? Yeah, I told them that I had just taken another pain pill and needed to lie down so they couldn’t stay. OMG, holy cow, when they came back, they again ran through the house looking for the cats. Sleeping that night was a little easier, and since I had gotten out the wedge pillow, getting up and down in the night was a whole lot easier. Thursday I was moving a little better, and able to go longer between pain pills, but Helen’s car died once she got to work that morning, so that started a whole new drama about what to do. In the end, she found a ride home that night, and to/from Friday as well, with a plan to go look for one to buy on Saturday. Friday morning, I hit 72 hours past surgery, and thus was allowed to start driving. YAY! I had serious cabin fever and wanted the hell out of the house. So I got myself dressed in a shirt, and a pair of pajama capri’s which, on my short little legs, are not capris, but rather a lovely pair of highwaters! My jeans still didn’t fit, and even if they had, I’m thinkin’ the pressure of the button on my incision was really a bad idea, and since I don’t have any sweats anymore, a trip to Wal-Mart was in order. I made it to Hobby Lobby for some ornaments and gift wrap, and then to Wal-mart for some pants that wouldn’t bind or cause problems with my incisions, so I wouldn’t have to run around town in my highwaters or my Dr Pepper pajama pants until I can wear my jeans again. I lasted about 2 hours before my body decided it was time for another pain pill and a nap. I spent a couple of hours sleeping on the couch before I headed out for a few more errands. Once Helen got home, we went over to the mall to pick up a few items. Saturday morning I had to run to check the PO Box, since I hadn’t been there since the previous Saturday, and I needed to mail Darla’s box. Unfortunately, there was a HUGE line, and only 1 person working the counter. Now, WTF is up with that? It’s the Saturday before Christmas, and the PO only has 1 person working? Yeah, well, I knew that I could always go to the airport PO and mail the box today, once I actually had a box to put the stuff in. Lunch was good, and yielded prezzies from Capt, Isa and the cats! I should have brought at least the cats’ stocking in, and given them some of their treats, but that hasn’t happened yet either. I have a fabulous pink piggy moshy pillow! We spent a couple of hours at the car place trying to get Helen into a car, but eventually my body started to protest, and I had to head home, and just trust that Helen would manage. By the time I left for a sorority party that night, I had no idea what was up, but went on the assumption that she either had something, or someone to bring her home. When I got home from the party, which, fortunately, one of my sorority sisters had provided me transportation, so I could take a pain pill before we left the party and I could be ready for bed when I got home, there was a car in the driveway in her spot, so obviously things went well. This morning’s jaunt to church came as a surprise to many folks who thought I would be down for longer than what I have been. I guess that’s the beauty of laproscopic surgery, I’m back to a lot of my regular activities in less than 6 weeks. I took Erin & hers their prezzies after lunch, boxed and mailed Darla’s stuff, and then napped for a little while until I needed to get up and go hang with the youth at church this evening and watch Elf. I’d have to say, that while I do get a bit crabby when it’s time to have another pain pill, I can spend time in traffic without being a total lunatic most of the time, and I don’t feel a constant need to rip someone’s head off! This is a HUGE improvement over my moods over the last several months! Yep, this surgery is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! A think it’s time for bed.