Difference in a Day

Yesterday was terrible, and traumatically reminiscent of everything that went wrong the fist time around--fever, throwing up, pain. She was really miserable.

I'm sorry--I couldn't post anything on the blog. I thought about it, thought I should, but I truly had no idea what to write. "Today, Jen feels like shit and the rest of us are totally freaking out" seemed neither appropriate nor sufficient, and I didn't want to validate the experience by writing about it, anyway.

Earlier, I had successfully demanded (nicely) of the nurse that she get one of Jen's docs on the phone and let them know what was up, rather than just adding her condition to the notes in her file. It wasn't until late in the day, though, that Whiteford  finally came in to check up on her, which he did quite casually despite acknowledging that she looked crappy. Glancing up, he must have seen a look in my eye because he admonished us to not let our "PTSD" get the better of us. He wasn't worried. He indicated, in that surgeony way, that everything was going to be OK, and strolled out of her room.

Guess what? He was right! After sleeping all day yesterday (except when vomiting, etc) Jen is feeling pretty good today. She's eating an ever-expanding diet (Yay for toast!) and she's logged perhaps two miles of walking through the oh-too-familiar byways of  the Providence Cancer Center's seventh floor.

Up and down, people, as our bodies progress through their healing stages. It is not always fun, but it works.

Room 738

Groggy and thirsty. All well. 

Piece of Cake

All done!  Whiteford says that surgery went perfectly, "Very straightforward." She's in the Recovery area, probably for an hour, then to her room. Home in 2-3 days. 

Just wheeled her into OR

We're thinking about two hours until she's done (than an hour in post-op). 

"I'm ready for my massage and facial, now"

Pre-op

Getting ready for action.  

On the way!

Were off to the hospital for a quick date with Dr Whiteford, then hopefully to the West Wing of the Cancer Center, where angel-nurses meet every need. 

Keep you posted!

-t

Quick update

Hi everyone,

It's been a busy few months back at work, in the field, and in the garden. We are currently up to our eyeballs in tomatoes, and have been racing against the clock to get tomatoes processed and the garden weeded before Surgery #3. 

For those of you who haven't heard yet, I finally got the thumbs up for my reversal surgery. This means that the abscess that developed when my anastomosis leaked has healed sufficiently to support reconnecting the plumbing.  

The date is set for September 24th - one week from today! I am told to expect a few days in the hospital, two weeks of major recovery, and then 2-3 months (or more) for my GI tract to sort things out and get into its new groove. As with everything, every body is different, so time will tell what this one wants to do.  

We expect, and hope, things go much more smoothly this time (no pun intended...ah, the return of poop jokes). And, while I'm not really excited, per se, to undergo surgery again, I am looking forward to being pieced back together again, and facing this next phase of healing.  And if I have learned one thing in all this, it is that the body does heal. Quite amazing, really.

For fun, I'll share a few photos that my friend, Rachel, sent me from a hike we did on her recent visit.  Enjoy!

View of The Gorge on a hike with Rach

Visiting a sailboat - I think I should have one of these, someday 

Triple Falls - a well-earned treat

Ponytail Falls

A little late-season garden panorama.  That's our 400 s.f. garden plot. It's hard to see, but note the giant piles of debris that need to be hauled to the compost.  Those sunflowers are taller than me! There are only about 5 tomato plants left standing...there were about 15.  What can I say - I get a little overzealous.