Compliments to...

I have such a wonderful circle of family and friends...they have provided us with lots of delicious meals, desserts, and flowers.

The beautiful purple flowers were from Joe & Debbie, being the thoughtful friends that they are, they also brought Darin and I lunch.  It was a really nice visit, we got to eat lunch, chat and laugh...so sweet of them.

Only because they disappeared so fast, I was unable to take a picture of the chicken enchilada's my neighbors across the street made for us.  I have to say they were the best I have ever had.  I will be asking for the recipe as soon as I'm able to pick up more than a small cup.  Sonni also gave me a funny get-well card.  They say laughter is the best medicine but it hurts to laugh...

The roses with little pink dragonfly's are from Darin's mom and dad...they smell wonderful.   Mom Ray made dinner and dessert for the family one night and I couldn't be more grateful. I just love her chicken pot pie!

I wish he would have smiled but the last picture is of Brendyn at his aunt Beth's house.  Beth offered to make us dinner one night so Brendyn went over there to help her make green curry chicken.  It doesn't look very appetizing in the picture but after it's all cooked and simmered...delicious! 

I would also like to thank Michelle for coming over to visit with me.  I had a great time talking with her, it was inspirational and heartfelt with many laughs in-between.  She also brought me Starbucks with a Rao's muffin...I couldn't turn her away at the door.  

I could go on and on about all the wonderful things family and friends have done for me this past week but eventually everyone will tune out and stop reading...so I'll mail out thank you cards later this week.  

 

Muwhahaha...

After days of sleep, pills and bandages...I feel like at some point I will wake up and my bandages will rip off. Kinda like the Incredible Hulk's shirt does after he is exposed to the gamma bomb. I feel good considering what I've been through in the last four days (feels more like weeks) but I'm improving more and more each day.

I didn't sleep good last night and knowing that my wonderful husband needed his sleep, I tried to stay as still and quiet as possible. No point in waking him up to be miserable with me when there is nothing he can do to make it better. I think (I won't admit) but I may have over done it yesterday and the pain caught up with me at midnight. Tonight shouldn't be as bad considering I slept till almost 2pm today.

I was up and moving just in time for the boys to get home from school today. Today was the first day of third grade for Brendyn, ninth grade for Jeremy and eleventh grade for Jacob. I've heard nothing but good things so far and as expected Brendyn was the only one that did "fun" things all day.  Makes me miss being a kid.

I wonder what super powers I will develop as I sleep tonight...

Quick update

I just wanted to let everyone know that I came home this afternoon and have been napping peacefully.

It's that time...

I'm all ready to go under...

Running out of time

AAAAAUUUUGGGGHHHHhh! So much to do...in so little time. A week ago I thought this day would never get here and now I'm wondering how did I waste a week, I still have so much to do. Haircut, shopping, giving, signing, crying, screaming...it's going to be a crazy day.

Well today wasn't too bad. In hind site I now know it's not a good idea to sign your will the day before a major surgery. But I made it through the day ok. I got my hair french braided and did some last minute shopping.

The hospital called and they want me to be there at 5:30 a.m. (ugh, that's early)

Wow! I wish...

I was this productive all of the time.  I have gotten more done in the last three days than I usually do in one month.  This weekend I have been working on my To Do list, and I'm happy to say I am almost done with everything on the original list.  The revised list on the other hand keeps growing.

During my pre-op appointment on Friday the nurse asked if I had any open cuts or sores on my body and at the time I was able to say no.  But now I have three blisters, one on each hand and one on my heel.  I've come to the conclusion that a large gash would hurt less than blisters.  Here's a thought...cold sores and blisters as counter-terrorism strategy.  I'm just saying...it's an idea.

So Friday I passed all the pre-op questions and tests.  I was able to snap a picture of my EKG when the nurse left the room, I don't know what it means but it looked cool.  I removed some of the information that criminals like to use when stealing someone's identity but truth be told they wouldn't want my credit history.  However, as I was looking at this, I couldn't help but notice that I was listed as a male...I would love to see the look on the persons face that audits medical charts.  Heathyr...Caucasian male...bilateral mastectomy with implant reconstruction on...can you imagine the look on their face?      

Basically all this shows is I have a heart beat and that's all they really need.  It's the VA...I should be happy they even did this.  My last surgery at the VA in 2007...no EKG, no chest x-ray, no blood work...I was lucky I even got anesthesia.

I'm not usually the type of person that likes to prepare for trips.  I usually pack my bag 20 minutes before I walk out the door.  However...I have my bag for the hospital already out and have started putting things in it.  This is so unlike me...Darin even questioned why I was packing so early.  I'm telling you, it's like I'm having a baby all over again but the sad part is, I wasn't even this prepared when I went into labor with Brendyn.

Given my vast experience with hospitals and the lack of sleep patients usually get a night, I knew I would need a few special items...sleep mask, slippers I can throw away when I leave and ear plugs.  I found the perfect sleep mask...     

 

Oh wise one...what will it be

My morning started off by asking friends to...say a little prayer today. If that's not your thing, cross your fingers, do a little dance, maybe just think a happy thought.

I'm learning that arriving early for my appointment does not benefit me in any way. So today I got to the VA just in time to check in at 11:00am...45 minutes later...still waiting. I saw my surgeon looking around the waiting room and I got all excited thinking it was my turn, only to find out that all the doctors are going into a meeting and wouldn't be finish till after 1:00 p.m.

Ya for me I get to have lunch at the VA. One thing I can say for the VA is they make it easy to resist food while on a diet, the food here is a far cry from delicious. I never noticed this before but the last time Darin and I ate lunch here, the cashier didn't give him the correct change. Today another cashier did the same thing to me. I wonder how many times this happens a day...

After three hours of waiting I got to see my surgeon. I have been cleared for surgery. I have to go back this Friday at 9:00 a.m. to meet with the anesthesiologist, have some blood drawn and EKG.

So everyone knows...surgery is Thursday, August 23, 2012 at
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
2002 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston

I don't have a surgery time yet but I'm hoping it will be early. They said my surgery could be anywhere from 3-6 hours long (glad I will be sleeping for this part).

Oh, and something happened with the paperwork but my last name never got changed with the VA so if anyone calls or visits, you have to use the last name Carter.

Now I just need to start on my list...

Nesting...what am I, a bird?

For the women out there who have given birth to a child, you will understand what I'm experiencing.  Most women get a surge of energy right before delivery.  About a week before I gave birth to Brendyn I wanted to vigorously clean the house.  I cleaned spaces no one ever thinks about cleaning, scrubbed the floor as if it needed to be sterilized, moved furniture, painted the room and organized everything perfectly.

Apparently the nesting instinct is common among most animals, where they feel an instinct to prepare the "nest" before birth of their young.  Now that Brendyn is eight years old and I no longer have time to scrub the unseen places I can understand the nesting instinct.  What I don't understand is why I feel this way now...

As my anticipation grows, thoughts about surgery have become more persistent.  How much will it hurt?  How long will surgery last?  How will I cope?  How will I look?  How will I feel?  How will Darin and the boys handle everything?  Do I have a will?  What do I need to take to the hospital?  Will it hurt walking up the stairs?   

I have this problem after every semester, I try to enjoy the break but I get scared that I don't have any work...so I turn my hobbies into a job.  I think this surgery has become my summer job.  Perhaps that is why I'm not as scared, because I'm so focused on doing it right.  I've researched, read journals, asked questions and googled...this behavior probably isn't very healthy...a psychologist would have a field day. 

I started making a list of everything I wanted to get done in the next nine days.  Clean the house vigorously, get school supplies for boys, buy my textbooks for fall semester, start reading the textbooks so I won't get behind while I'm all drugged up on pain pills, show the boys how to water the yard, kill the weeds on the sidewalk, clean out the flowerbed, declutter room by room, clean out fridge/freezer, begin to stock freezer meals, get my teeth cleaned, take Brendyn to dentist, get a pedicure and haircut, lose those five or so extra pounds, start exercising...as I sit here looking at my list I realize Darin can't see this, he will think I've gone insane.  On the flip side this could be an Olympic sport. I know I’d be up against some OCD pregnant woman, but I think I could bring home the gold.
 

What do you mean illegal...

During my vacation I noticed a rainbow while driving around town.  Unable to get a good picture I turned onto a side street to get a better shot.  The road I turned on had a few geese roaming around, so I snapped  a few pictures.

 

 

I then turned the car around to get a better shot of the rainbow.  I only had my iPhone with me at the time and the rainbow was so large I couldn't get it in one picture, so I took two pictures.  Happy with my pictures I got back in the car and was on my way.

Ladies and gentlemen: the remainder of story you are about to read is true. Only the names and location have been changed to protect the innocent.  As I approached the main road an officer walked in front of the car and motioned for me to pull into the parking lot.  He then asked me to step out of my car and show him my drivers license.  He wanted to know why I was taking pictures of the building.  I told him I was taking pictures of the rainbow and motioned for him to turn around so he could see it. 

About half way through this encounter I began to wonder why they needed my cell phone number, address I was staying at in "unnamed city", my home address, license plate number, make and model of my car, reason I was visiting the "unnamed city" and when I would be returning home. Given all the information I had just provided I felt it was only fair of me to ask him if he would like a urine or blood sample.  He managed to say no without even smiling. Tough crowd.  After about 20 minutes of questioning, a call to someone special and copies of all my information I was told I could leave.  I offered to delete the pictures but he insisted that it wasn't necessary.  I think at this point it is safe to say I now have an FBI file with all the pertinent details of my afternoon photo session.  As I walked back to my car I turned around and said "just so you know, I won't post the pictures on Facebook"...still no smile. 

The lesson learned during all of this...is that it's illegal to take pictures of a federal building.  After a little photo-shop playing I was able to remove the building in question so that everyone could see just how nice the rainbow was.  I tried to putting the two pictures together to make one rainbow but my photo-shop skills are not as good as some agencies. 

9 Days and counting...

Wow. How does one actually update after being away from the blog more than a week while being on vacation?

I’ve thought all week about what to post but I’m still a little lost. So how about I just start at the beginning?

August 2nd I did make it to my appointment on-time and had a very nice visit with the plastic surgeons.  They just wanted to make sure I was on the same page as them about the reconstruction part of my surgery.  I did take my laptop to show them a few pictures of what I did want and what I didn't want, frankenboobs didn't make the top 10 pictures.  As for some stranger finding my laptop, they won't have to wonder what kind of fetish kink I am into because I deleted the boobie files! After leaving this appointment I was scheduled for my pre-op appointment on August 17th.

Early, early, early Saturday morning (did I mention early) we left for Louisville, Kentucky to see Jacob perform at Nationals. We got to see amazing performances by 24SEVEN LIVE youth group.  We are so proud of Jacob, he placed in the top 15 out of 81!  I must say he was all cool, calm and collected while playing his bass, he looked just like a professional.  On the other hand I was a basket case during and after his performance waiting for the results.  Another highlight of the trip was getting to spend some much needed quality time with family that lives in the Louisville area.

One night while getting ready for bed I noticed a red spot about the size of a dime on my stomach.  By morning it was the size of a quarter and by that afternoon it was about the size of a dollar and was traveling up to my belly button.  Realizing it wasn't getting any better I went over to the VA hospital to get it checked out.  It only took 30 minutes to check in, see a doctor and get medication from the pharmacy.  It took longer to download my medical record than it did to see the doctor.  Needless to say I was in complete awe from my experience, I even asked the nurse if I was really in a VA hospital.  The doctor prescribed an antibiotic, steroid cream and told me to email a picture to my surgeons in Houston.

After putting the boys on an airplane to Houston, Darin and I headed home by way of New Orleans.  We stayed two wonderful relaxing nights in the french quarter.  I hated to leave the big easy but I was also missing my bed.   

I have an appointment tomorrow at 11:00 am with the oncology surgeon so he can decide if it will be ok to have surgery on the 23rd.  I'll let everyone know what he decides.


 

I'm late, I'm late, For a very important date. No time to say "Hello, Goodbye". I'm late, I'm late, I'm late.

I would like to share what happened today, some might find it rather comical.

As some of you know, this week is finals week and I have been going non-stop since Sunday.  I've taken three finals and painfully written a research paper.  I only have one last final to take today and I will be done for the summer.  So, this morning I was sound asleep from mental and physical exhaustion.  The phone rings and it's Darin, our phone conversation went like this.

Darin: Don't you have to be at the VA for your appointment?
Heathyr: Yes, what time is it?
Darin: 9:30 a.m.
Heathyr: "bleep!" I can't make it there in 10 minutes.     (normally the drive takes 40 min and parking 20 min)
Heathyr: I have to go, I love you, bye.

At this point I jump out of bed, threw clothes on, grabbed my book to study (because it will be an extra long wait, since I'm late), brushed my teeth while going down the stairs, grabbed my purse and run out the door toothbrush still in hand.  I start to put the caddy in reverse and then it hits me. Today is Thursday! My appointment isn't till tomorrow.

Soooo...I called Darin back and asked him if he knew what day it was!

At this point I couldn't go back to sleep if I wanted to, so feeling like I needed to wait somewhere, I took the caddy for oil change, tire rotation and balance.  One less thing to do before we leave for Louisville on Saturday.  

As for tomorrows appointment...I hope I'm not late.