The recovery was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.
I was in the hospital for four days, forced not to move for that entire time.
It was painful, itchy, sleepless days/nights. The nurses had to wake me up
every hour to make sure the flaps did not fail. I was in so much pain, I couldn’t
even focus to watch TV or read. I basically sat there in pain. I couldn’t eat
so I kept getting nauseas off the medicine/post anesthesia. When they finally
allowed me to sit up on Friday morning, after dry heaving, the nurses said I
finally had color. Imagine needing to throw up, but you can’t move to get in the
crouch position.
What this horrific stay has taught me is that I will
never allow anyone to keep me alive on life support. Just four days of no
moving caused body sores and pain – I can’t image what weeks would do at time.
In addition to weathering that tough stay in the
hospital, I can add one more thing to me being a bad ass list: one of the flaps
had to be left open to monitor it while I was in the hospital. The last thing
my surgeon did before she sent me home on Friday was suture up the flap
bedside. It was like a mini-surgery – she beta-dined me up, placed the surgical
towel over the area she was treating and everything. It was so weird to feel
getting sewed up. Thank God for yoga breathing!
I’ve been at my parents since last Friday night – a week
now. I’ve been forced to sleep in a recliner. Fortunately, I’ve gone from being
in pain every minute of the day to finding comfort at times. I have to get up
and walk every two hours – I walk only around the downstairs. I can’t shower by
myself, so my mom has to wash my hair for me as they don’t like me lifting my
hands above my head. I’m not allowed to hold anything over 5 lbs. until six
weeks post-op. My stomach has been cut from one side to the other and has
stomach staples all across it. But the best news is they used stomach skin to
replace the badly radiated skin on the left side. Modern medicine is just a
miracle.
By next Friday, all four drains will have been removed
with all the stomach staples and sutures. That will be 19 days post-op and
hopefully by then I will be able to start walking upright. Being hunched over
all the time has caused a lot of back pain.
My new surgeon said my left implant would have punctured
through that thin radiated skin within a year and a half so it was a blessing
we did this surgery. I could not be more happy with my choice and the results –
even if I had to go through hell to get there. It is absolutely amazing to know
that there is an end to this journey in sight. While I will have to have one
more small surgery to do final touches to this work in the fall, it is amazing
to know I am close to being done. No more surgeries throughout my lifetime to worry
about. This tissue is my tissue – no more foreign objects to worry about or
replace throughout my lifetime.
Many of you have told me all along how much you admire
how tough I am. Well, for the first time, I can say, “Hell yeah!” I do feel
tough. This has been the worst thing I’ve ever experienced, but I can tell you
I am happy I made the choice and feel tough as nails.
Thanks for keeping up with me throughout this ride. I am
incredibly blessed to have all of you thinking about me and praying for me
during this journey.
Love,
Marcy
P.S. – and our family dog Brunswick has been quite the
caretaker. He’s always staying close by and when he comes up to the recliner to
say hello, he is ever so gentle. I’ve never met a more intuitive dog!
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