Hi again,
Well the big difference this time was that I noticed I was in less pain than the first time around even though it was still pretty bad. Something that was interesting was that I had quite an appetite despite still dealing with throwing up. Everything I ate tasted so so good! I have a theory that it was because of being subjected to the hospital food again. lol Whoever makes the food knows how to make it look appetizing but it never tasted quite as good as it looked. I remember I had some Kraft Dinner shortly after coming home and it tasted so good that I made myself an entire pot and ate it within the next couple days. Also I had a thing for grilled cheese sandwiches as well which I ate a lot of in the first week at home.
Something quite positive for me was finding out that I qualified for financial assistance from the provincial government and I could actually go to the dentist and eye doctor which I was not able to afford before this. I desperately needed to visit the dentist but I didn't have the money. The only hard part was asking for it because I felt so bad asking for this money and actually got pretty depressed about it. I felt I had gotten to a really low point that I needed to ask for this kind of help. What I learned though is that it is not something to be ashamed of. It has helped me so much and lifted one more thing off my shoulders that I felt was weighing me down. I didn't have to worry about how to pay for the stuff I needed any more. I still couldn't afford any wants-just needs but that totally didn't matter. I could take care of getting my cavities fixed without worrying about the money part of it and that was amazing to me.
Another difference between this surgery and the first surgery was that there was less swelling on my back and I could sleep through the night without waking up every few hrs in so much pain that I needed to take more pain killers. That was quite nice. I still had a lot of trouble getting around and needed my family's help. Something very much the same was that I had to get my muscles to stretch so I could reach the ground again but it was easier this time around. I think it took about a month to manage to be able to get down on the floor on my knees. Though pushing myself up was a little more difficult. I still had a few times I got down on the floor and couldn't get back up! That is what is so great about my family being around-when I got myself in these predicaments, I had someone to help me out. lol I can't say enough how grateful I am to my family for being there for me to help me through all of this. It is definitely not something I could have gotten through without their help. I completely didn't think about all the little things I would need help with before all of this-for example opening and closing a window was a definite challenge. I remember one night I had my window open and it got cold in my room but I had to leave it open because I simply couldn't get it closed and I didn't want to wake anybody up. I quickly learned to have it closed before people went to bed! lol Of course I have to admit I tried to close it myself but I just didn't have enough strength and ended up hurting myself. I really realized how many little every day things require our muscles and how I really did take that for granted before.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
My second Surgery: August 14, 2008 and hospital stay
Hi again,
Ah, another surgery-what fun. lol Actually the preparation for this surgery was easier and less stressful than the first. This time we were able to come up the day before and stay with my sister and her husband at their place which was nice. On the way to Edmonton, we stopped at Wendys and I got my favorite snack-a junior hamburger deluxe combo! Yes I eat that as an occasional snack and no I am not overweight amazingly! All in moderation I say. Also my sister and her husband were amazing and bought an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen for dessert that night and I saw it as a celebration that this surgery would finally give me a chance to live a life with out so much pain. The first surgery was supposed to be that and was in some ways but there was a small hurdle to cross (the rod coming loose) before getting to live a life without all that pain I was dealing with.
The morning of the surgery was a long one because apparently there were complications with the surgery before me so mine was late. That was ok though because my dad found some Reader's Digest magazines and read me jokes and then my mom and I talked as well. We got a little bored and I entertained my parents by making origami with paper towel which actually worked better than I thought it would! Though I wouldn't suggest it if you have paper on hand! lol
When things finally got underway I was wheeled into the operating room and actually got to see what it looked like and I remember thinking I wonder if I saw it the first time too and forgot it due to the anesthetic so I thought really hard to remember what it looked like so I would remember when I woke up! Amazingly I remembered it still when I woke up but I remember realizing the room I was in looked alot different and darker. I guess something happened during the surgery that I lost blood and needed to get 4 units of blood and be closely monitored for the first day I think. I want to say that I am thankful to people who donate blood because it was there when I needed it and I am very thankful for that. I can't say that it was a life and death situation for me because I don't think it was but I did need the blood and it was there because of the many wonderful people who take the time to donate it. Also I remember something wasn't quite right with my right arm. When I tried to grab a cup of water I realized that first it was difficult to grab it because my arm didn't seem to want to do what I told it to do. Then when I finally got it and tried to lift the cup, I dropped it all over me because my arm just sort of flopped down. I learned later that apparently a nerve probably got stretched or something while I was on the operating table because of the way I had to lay on the table. Anyways I started to find it amusing because I would attempt to lift my arm and it would just flop down and also trying to touch my nose was next to impossible! It only lasted the first day I think and then started to get better but was a source of amusement to me while it lasted. It kept me occupied. lol The week in hospital this time around was actually less painful than the first time but I threw up just as much. With each nurse I had, I had to explain how much I threw up and I remember feeling bad for the nurses because of all the times they had to deal with cleaning it up. The food was hospital food and not that great but on the last day I was in the hospital I got a ham sandwich for lunch which tasted sooo good compared to other food I'd had. So in terms of hospital food, I left the hospital on a good note/meal. lol I was so ready to go home though and happy I didn't have to stay any longer! I did notice a big difference though-when I was ready to leave the hospital I was already able to sit up a little longer than I had been able to before this surgery which was very encouraging.
Ah, another surgery-what fun. lol Actually the preparation for this surgery was easier and less stressful than the first. This time we were able to come up the day before and stay with my sister and her husband at their place which was nice. On the way to Edmonton, we stopped at Wendys and I got my favorite snack-a junior hamburger deluxe combo! Yes I eat that as an occasional snack and no I am not overweight amazingly! All in moderation I say. Also my sister and her husband were amazing and bought an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen for dessert that night and I saw it as a celebration that this surgery would finally give me a chance to live a life with out so much pain. The first surgery was supposed to be that and was in some ways but there was a small hurdle to cross (the rod coming loose) before getting to live a life without all that pain I was dealing with.
The morning of the surgery was a long one because apparently there were complications with the surgery before me so mine was late. That was ok though because my dad found some Reader's Digest magazines and read me jokes and then my mom and I talked as well. We got a little bored and I entertained my parents by making origami with paper towel which actually worked better than I thought it would! Though I wouldn't suggest it if you have paper on hand! lol
When things finally got underway I was wheeled into the operating room and actually got to see what it looked like and I remember thinking I wonder if I saw it the first time too and forgot it due to the anesthetic so I thought really hard to remember what it looked like so I would remember when I woke up! Amazingly I remembered it still when I woke up but I remember realizing the room I was in looked alot different and darker. I guess something happened during the surgery that I lost blood and needed to get 4 units of blood and be closely monitored for the first day I think. I want to say that I am thankful to people who donate blood because it was there when I needed it and I am very thankful for that. I can't say that it was a life and death situation for me because I don't think it was but I did need the blood and it was there because of the many wonderful people who take the time to donate it. Also I remember something wasn't quite right with my right arm. When I tried to grab a cup of water I realized that first it was difficult to grab it because my arm didn't seem to want to do what I told it to do. Then when I finally got it and tried to lift the cup, I dropped it all over me because my arm just sort of flopped down. I learned later that apparently a nerve probably got stretched or something while I was on the operating table because of the way I had to lay on the table. Anyways I started to find it amusing because I would attempt to lift my arm and it would just flop down and also trying to touch my nose was next to impossible! It only lasted the first day I think and then started to get better but was a source of amusement to me while it lasted. It kept me occupied. lol The week in hospital this time around was actually less painful than the first time but I threw up just as much. With each nurse I had, I had to explain how much I threw up and I remember feeling bad for the nurses because of all the times they had to deal with cleaning it up. The food was hospital food and not that great but on the last day I was in the hospital I got a ham sandwich for lunch which tasted sooo good compared to other food I'd had. So in terms of hospital food, I left the hospital on a good note/meal. lol I was so ready to go home though and happy I didn't have to stay any longer! I did notice a big difference though-when I was ready to leave the hospital I was already able to sit up a little longer than I had been able to before this surgery which was very encouraging.
Summer 2008
Hello again,
First I would like to say that summer was shorter than I expected because I got a call in June I believe that there was a cancellation and I could have surgery on August 14th. I had mixed emotions about it being in August. I was happy that the surgery was alot sooner than first thought and I would not have to wait in pain but sad because I would miss out on the last part of summer. Of course that was a small price to pay for getting surgery sooner and not having to deal with the loose rod any longer.
The summer was interesting and it is funny thinking back to summer right now during the middle of winter! Oh how I would love to have summer right now! In the spring I decided I would still try to grow some plants in the green house despite the pain and the darn brace and everything else. I am glad I did because it really gave me a reason to get outside and feel useful and feel that I had accomplished something when I was dealing with so many limitations. Also there is something amazing about nurturing seeds into plants and watching them grow into something beautiful. It became the highlight of my day to spend time in the greenhouse and truly brightened my day at a time when I seemed to have some pretty depressing days. The only drawback was the constant reminders that I still had limitations recovering from surgery like if I needed something as simple as a pot moved-I needed to wait until someone could help me. I also could only manage about 10 minutes out in the greenhouse so I would often be seen walking back and forth from the greenhouse to the house to lay down and rest my back. My family found this amusing and I sort of started to as well. But I think my parents also felt bad for me and built me a lounge chair/bed that they put by the greenhouse so I didn't have as far to walk and could lay outside in the warm sunshine when I needed to rest my back. It also gave me the ability to lay outside in the shade with a good book when I couldn't be up. This was a much better option to me than being cooped up inside feeling frustrated that I was missing summer because I was stuck inside. The hardest part I think I dealt with was not being able to help out with stuff I normally did like mowing the lawns and weeding the flower beds and helping in the garden etc. Sometimes I got so frustrated with stuff that I just did it anyways and ended up not doing myself any favors and end up worse off than before. I kept thinking I would eventually learn and know my limitations and listen to them but I guess it isn't easy because I didn't seem to learn.
First I would like to say that summer was shorter than I expected because I got a call in June I believe that there was a cancellation and I could have surgery on August 14th. I had mixed emotions about it being in August. I was happy that the surgery was alot sooner than first thought and I would not have to wait in pain but sad because I would miss out on the last part of summer. Of course that was a small price to pay for getting surgery sooner and not having to deal with the loose rod any longer.
The summer was interesting and it is funny thinking back to summer right now during the middle of winter! Oh how I would love to have summer right now! In the spring I decided I would still try to grow some plants in the green house despite the pain and the darn brace and everything else. I am glad I did because it really gave me a reason to get outside and feel useful and feel that I had accomplished something when I was dealing with so many limitations. Also there is something amazing about nurturing seeds into plants and watching them grow into something beautiful. It became the highlight of my day to spend time in the greenhouse and truly brightened my day at a time when I seemed to have some pretty depressing days. The only drawback was the constant reminders that I still had limitations recovering from surgery like if I needed something as simple as a pot moved-I needed to wait until someone could help me. I also could only manage about 10 minutes out in the greenhouse so I would often be seen walking back and forth from the greenhouse to the house to lay down and rest my back. My family found this amusing and I sort of started to as well. But I think my parents also felt bad for me and built me a lounge chair/bed that they put by the greenhouse so I didn't have as far to walk and could lay outside in the warm sunshine when I needed to rest my back. It also gave me the ability to lay outside in the shade with a good book when I couldn't be up. This was a much better option to me than being cooped up inside feeling frustrated that I was missing summer because I was stuck inside. The hardest part I think I dealt with was not being able to help out with stuff I normally did like mowing the lawns and weeding the flower beds and helping in the garden etc. Sometimes I got so frustrated with stuff that I just did it anyways and ended up not doing myself any favors and end up worse off than before. I kept thinking I would eventually learn and know my limitations and listen to them but I guess it isn't easy because I didn't seem to learn.
Decision to go through with a second surgery In 2008
Hello again,
In the end it really wasn't a hard decision to make on whether to agree to the second surgery. The rod in my back was loose and shifting when I would walk causing pain and I was not seeing any more improvement in recuperating. I was in pain and it was no longer decreasing. I was sort of stuck at this point where anything I tried just wasn't being very helpful. The only downside was that I was informed that I could be waiting till October or November before I could get in for surgery. All I could do was understand that is how our not so lovely health care system works and there wasn't much I could do to change that. At least this surgery was my second time around and I knew what to expect and the pain that would come afterwards. So I had almost no worries about the surgery. In the back of my mind there was a thought or two that there were some risks with surgery which I think my family was concerned about as well. I prayed and tried to put it in God's hands and that was all I could do. With the first surgery I wished I could be awake and make sure nothing went wrong but realized that was silly because I knew much less than the doctors did! I know my specialist is very good at what he does and had no doubt I was in good hands. I just needed to deal with the waiting and patience has never been a strong suit for me! I thought this whole experience would teach me patience but at this point I still had not mastered it. lol But luckily to my benefit, the surgery date did come sooner than expected.
In the end it really wasn't a hard decision to make on whether to agree to the second surgery. The rod in my back was loose and shifting when I would walk causing pain and I was not seeing any more improvement in recuperating. I was in pain and it was no longer decreasing. I was sort of stuck at this point where anything I tried just wasn't being very helpful. The only downside was that I was informed that I could be waiting till October or November before I could get in for surgery. All I could do was understand that is how our not so lovely health care system works and there wasn't much I could do to change that. At least this surgery was my second time around and I knew what to expect and the pain that would come afterwards. So I had almost no worries about the surgery. In the back of my mind there was a thought or two that there were some risks with surgery which I think my family was concerned about as well. I prayed and tried to put it in God's hands and that was all I could do. With the first surgery I wished I could be awake and make sure nothing went wrong but realized that was silly because I knew much less than the doctors did! I know my specialist is very good at what he does and had no doubt I was in good hands. I just needed to deal with the waiting and patience has never been a strong suit for me! I thought this whole experience would teach me patience but at this point I still had not mastered it. lol But luckily to my benefit, the surgery date did come sooner than expected.
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