In the hospital I had a great night nurse and one great day nurse assistant. The others were ok. I really did not have much nurse help. I got out of bed by myself. I walked the halls by myself. I asked how to get out of bed when I got home and was told to roll over but I was never shown. I had to ask for ice water any time I wanted it as they never offered it. I was never offered a snack between meals as being diabetic. For having gut surgery one nurse listened for bowel sounds only one time. The resident doctor came in to see me at 5:30 the first morning and at 2:30 the second morning. I was not awake enough to think of any questions to ask about the surgery itself, what was done, what to expect, pathology, or anything else. The surgeon came in once about 24 hours after I was done with surgery. I'm not sure any of them ever listened to heart or lung sounds either. They were more concerned that I did not get up to pee at all one night. I actually slept through the night and barely woke up when they came in to take vitals and when the doctor came in. My pain was down and I was out.
I was on tylenol for pain and oxy only if needed. I think I had 3 oxy tablets only while in the hospital. The doctor wrote a prescription for that but I did not fill it. Tylenol is all I have used for pain since being discharged. It is all I have needed and I have hardly used any of that since the first week. I was on a clear liquid diet for 24 hours after surgery then put on a full regular diet. I could order anything I wanted. They did not put me on a heart healthy diet nor on a diabetic diet. They did take me blood sugar readings and gave me insulin shots though.
Saturday and Sunday after getting out of the hospital I slept a lot. I could get out of bed by myself and I showered without any help. By Monday I was up in the chair watching TV a big part of the day. I was really getting around and feeling so much better right out of the hospital than I ever thought I would be.
Wednesday Emily and her girls came over to work in the yard. I went outside and played with the girls. It was my first outing. We chased butterflies and picked lilacs. We made lilac beds because we were lilac princesses. These two are the most beautiful lilac princesses, don't you think?
It was a lot of fun playing with the girls even though I sat in a lawn chair in the shade of the lilac tree most of the time. I was really tired & hurting at the end of the afternoon and went to bed early that night.
 |
We have to pull the petals off the flowers from the bushes to make our princess beds.
Princess Isla Princess Flora Even Aunt Rose gets lilacs in her hair.
Saturday(one week after getting out of the hospital) the girls, Grandma Karen and Aunt Rose went on an outing to shop for flowers and out for lunch. That was my first ride in the car after coming home. After that I was ready for a 'rest' with the girls. I was wiped out. That was harder than chasing butterflies.
Yesterday was Karen's retirement reception at school. We went over to school for that. She received some very nice gifts from her fellow teachers and co-workers. They gave her some nice flowers, decorative flower pots, a flower pot with paper flowers with gift cards in each flower to different restaurants and one to the quilt shop. There were other cards and one of her other retired friends even gave her $50.00 cash. They had punch, cupcakes, and trail mix. Someone went to a lot of work and found yearbooks for every year Karen had worked in the district and marked the pages that she was pictured in. This was displayed on a table covered with quilts. They definitely know her and her hobbies. She didn't really want this recognition but it really was nice. I'm glad I was here to celebrate with her,
Today, two weeks after surgery, I made my first alone outing. I drove for the first time. I went to Washer Specialty to pick up an order for Cathy. I then decided to get gas in my car and went out to lunch at Spangles. On the way home I saw garage sale signs so I decided to follow the trails. I stopped by four garages. I bought a Christmas tree topper that is a shinny brass filigree star that will go perfectly with all the shinny brass filigree ornaments I have for the tree. I paid a whopping 25 cents for it. At another garage I spent $6, $1 for a sturdy steel plant stand for outside and $5 for a step ladder with 4 steps and a tray to hold tools and paint cans. It is metal piping base construction and heavy plastic/rubber steps. It will be much nicer for working outside around the house than the two step kitchen stool.
Overall, I think two weeks after surgery I am doing well. My incisions are healing nicely. The glue and scabs are getting loose and I having to cut off sections that are loose so that it does not catch on my clothing and pull off what is still attached and not ready to come off. My tummy muscles are still a little tender in spots and the belly is still swollen and oddly shaped but it is tender and getting better. I even wore regular jeans with zipper and button waist band yesterday. Yes, they are 2 sizes larger that the pair that I wore the day I drove to Wichita. Driving was not a problem but the rough roads, speed bumps, and potholes make me hold my tummy a bit. What bothers me the most is my knee that needs a replacement and the opposite hip and lower back. I think because of the one it effect the other. That has nothing to do with the surgery so I'm good.
I know I am not fully recovered and still need to take it easy. I have a follow up appointment with the surgeon next week. I did get a call from the nurse at the surgeon's office with the pathology report. She told me that they removed 31 lymph nodes and they were all clear. This means I am cancer free. I will get more information on the follow up appointment. She did mention that I will be referred to an oncologist for further followup regarding the cancer. I hope she will let me go to Dr. Moore since Mom has seen him in the past for colon cancer and is now seeing him for breast cancer. Because of that family relationship with him as an oncologist, I would like to continue that if she thinks that would be appropriate. After that I am hoping to be able to go back to western Kansas to the farm - to go home.
Home!! Finish recovery. Back to regular life. Back to seeing Mom & Dad every day. Back to helping them in whatever way I can and whatever way they need.
I may have had a cancer diagnosis but it has been a blessing in my life. I have felt calm and peace throughout this entire process. I have felt that all will be ok, no matter what happens, God is in control and will take care of me through it all. I will not be left alone. I have felt comfort and I have felt joy. The timing of finding the malignant polyp and the size it was to everything that has happened in the meantime that lead to a heart cath showing that my heart is in much better shape than the doctors thought and having the colon surgery to find no further cancer in the colon or lymph nodes. I have been blessed with healing. I have been blessed with peace. I have been blessed with an increase in faith. I have been blessed with an increase in my testimony of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I have been blessed by the Holy Priesthood. I have been blessed by attending the Temple, The House of the Lord. My family has also been blessed because of what I have gone through. My siblings have stepped in to help with our parents while I have been away from the farm and not there to do that. Dad has been ill and in the hospital and not able to do all he has on the farm and others have had to figure out their own responsibilities. This, too, is a blessing to our entire family. I am so grateful for all the blessing my family and I have received through our trials over the past few months. I know God has a plan for each of His children and I marvel at how all things work together for our good. My heart is go full of love and joy and gratitude. Thank you, Loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, Savior and Redeemer of the World.
