Good morning!

I know it has been a while since I have posted, and I thought this morning would be a good time to give you an update on how everything is going!

I had surgery a week prior to this past Tuesday, and everything went really well. I was admitted to the hospital at about 12:30 in the afternoon and was immediately taken back by myself to the pre-op room to get prepped for surgery. Once my prep was done, my sweetie and two youngest sisters, Jennifer and Trina, came back to keep me preoccupied before I headed back for the moment we have been working for so long to get to, surgery! I was so thankful to have them there with me, because in all honesty I was really scared!! Well, it was no time before Jason and the girls got back there that we all were having a terrible bout of the giggles, and I was sure my nurses were going to start telling us all to behave ourselves!!! 😉

Before I knew it, the time had passed, and my anesthesiologist had come to let me know that the surgeons and staff were all ready for me, and it was officially my turn for my procedure!! The anesthesiologist gave me something in my IV that almost immediately made my nervousness go straight away, and I told Jason and the girls that I would see them soon. I have to tell you that looking into those three sets of eyes as I was wheeled out of the room was probably the ABSOLUTE HARDEST thing I have had to do to get ready for this surgery!! I really HATED to leave them in there! You can’t help but have a moment where you think that you just might not ever get to see them again, but thankfully, as you well know, God had other plans for us!!! 😉

Well, as I was rolling down the hall on my gurney, I started to really feel relaxed (thank God for whatever it was the anesthesiologist had given me!!!), and all I remember thinking was 1. I hope none of my co-workers see me like this, you know – bra-less (hahahaha!!), and 2. Light. Light. Light. Light. as I was passing underneath the lights in the hallway – THAT was how relaxed I had gotten. Once I got into the operating room, I remember them asking me if I could slide onto the operating table, which I did, and then I remember looking around thinking – Hey, this doesn’t look like ANY operating room you see on TV!!! Next thing I know I was out!!

I don’t remember dreaming anything, or really any thoughts of any kind running through my head while I was unconscious during surgery, but what I do remember is thinking I was dreaming, because every time I opened, and then re-opened my eyes it was like I was seeing a different scene, with a different room, or different people. I remember that people were talking to me, but I don’t remember what they were saying. I do remember distinctly opening my eyes at one point, and calling out to my mamma – I figured since it was a dream, she just might show up, and at that point I was really hurting and needed her to come fix me up. I also remembering asking a nurse why it was taking so long to get my surgery started, and her telling me that they were all done! Well, that figures, but thankfully it was all a blur, and I really don’t remember waking up until I was actually in my hospital room!

When I first remember waking up, it was because I saw as clear as a bell that Jason, Jennifer, and Trina had walked into the room, and I was happy as a CLAM to see them!!!! Then I was out again! 😉 The remainder of the night was more of the same, in and out of consciousness, thinking I was dreaming the whole darn thing, and I just kind of waited for the alarm to go off so I could get up and get ready to go to work! I do remember Jason being upset at the nurses because I was in pain, and he wanted them to deal with it now, and not after shift change completed, and then falling back to sleep, being nauseous and trying to throw up (unsuccessfully (thank goodness)), my girlfriends BobbieJo, and Julie showing up, and BobbieJo walking straight up to me asking me if she could pray with me, and then falling asleep during the middle of the prayer, I think I walked twice that evening – the first time only making it barely out of my room before the nurse turned me around, and back to bed I went, the second time being at 2 in the morning because the nurse hadn’t realized there was a certain distance I had to walk or my surgeon would have a fit in the morning, but again – it really was all a blur.

When I finally awoke enough from my stupor to realize I wasn’t dreaming, I saw my sisters sitting next to my bed, and I asked Jennifer, “Where did BobbieJo and Julie go?”, and she just laughed at me and told me that it was the next morning, and that they had gone home the night before! My only response was, “Man, I told you guys I miss everything!!!”
😉

The next day and a half, before I got to go home, was pretty routine! I napped a lot, took a lot of walks, had more tests done, visited with all of my visitors, including my girls, Jennifer and Trina! I napped some more, etc. etc. I think you get the picture!! Jennifer, Trina, and my brother-in-law, Austin, stayed with me until the evening of the second night when they had to head back to Roseburg. I am so thankful that they got to come down, they really did help make my hospital-time more fun!!! and I am sure with my fancy hospital gown, they got more glimpses of their oldest sister’s bootie then they ever really wanted to see, but for me that is what made it more like it was a slumber party!! 😉

Jason and I then spent the evening by ourselves, just talking, holding hands, walking, dreaming about the future, and of course with me doing some more napping!! 😉

By Thursday at about 11:30 am, I was home, hanging out with Jason, Faye, and Sophie, doing my “Only 3 Jobs”: sipping, walking, and breathing!! I had discovered that I had gained a little more than 10 pounds during my hospital stay from all of the surgical gas they literally blow you up like a balloon with, and then all of the IV fluids they fill you up on afterwards!!! (which thankfully, I had been pre-warned about because if they hadn’t warned me, I would have probably FREAKED out about!!! – WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT I JUST HAD GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY AND IMMEDIATELY GAINED 10 POUNDS????? LOL!!) 😉

Now, that brings me to a little more than a week later, still doing my “Only 3 jobs”, and feeling pretty good!! I still get tired rather quickly, but my spirit is wanting to go-go-GO!!! I am still on a full liquid diet, until next Tuesday, which is really getting old, but I have lost 60 pounds in total from my highest weight, and 10 of those pounds are from after surgery (not including the 10 pounds I had gained during my hospital stay), so I think I am off to a great start!!! I am still off of work for the next two weeks, and if all goes well, I will get a thumbs up to return back to work – ready and raring to go!!!

Before I get ready to sign off, I really want to take a moment to say thank you to my sweetie, Jason! He has been unbelievably supportive during this entire process, but most especially during my hospital stay, and recovery this past week and a half. I would not being doing so well right now if it weren’t for all that he has done for me while I have been recouping!!! He has taken me for walks to make sure I was getting my exercise, taken me for drives when I just needed to get out of the house, picked up whatever I needed to keep me happy, and entertained, from wherever he felt he needed to. He bundled me up when I was freezing, even letting me steal his socks, which you must know are THE BEST kind when your feet just will not warm up, sat up with me when I couldn’t sleep, tolerated any of my whining & moaning, and even made sure I was taking my medication or using my breathing exerciser thingy!!! (I really do know that thing has a name, but for the life of me I can’t remember it at the moment!)

Love,

I really appreciate all you have done for me – I seriously wouldn’t not have been able to do all of this without your love and encouragement as you stood by my side and continually held my hand, both physically and emotionally!! I love you, and because God has placed you in my life, all those many years ago, I know that I am SERIOUSLY BLESSED!!! 😉

Love, love, love, your grateful wife!!! 😉

Anyway, I am sorry for the extremely long post today, but it has been a while and I know that I have had a lot of people rooting for me, and wanted to make sure that you know how things are going here!!! Thank you so much for all of your kind encouraging words, and I hope to have a lot more successes to report in future posts!!!

Here is to a FABULOUS day!

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

BTW – that “breathing exerciser thingy” is called an Incentive Spirometer – I knew I would remember eventually!!