After Surgery

So many of you have inquired as to how I am doing after my surgery and I apologize for not responding to everyone.  Recovery has not been a bed of roses; every other day is a bad one, and I wasn't eager to type it all out.  So I won't.  I will say there has been a lot of pain (which is almost gone now), unpleasant side effects and tears.  But it should be all uphill from now on.  I did my hair and put on makeup today for the 1st time since March 30th; that did wonders for my mood!  ;o)

Everyone at the hospital was kind, detailed and solicitous.  Some were even funny.  I had no idea the hospital was a teaching one.  I panicked when they told me.  I was already in my gown, shower cap and booties but almost bolted at that news.  I watch Grey's Anatomy; I know what happens at teaching hospitals!  I was not going to be some guinea pig with a 007 intern practicing on my head!

They assured me that if any residents were to be in my surgery, I would be told ahead of time.  "But I don't want any intern working on me," I insisted.  They would let me know of any residents were there for more than observation.  "When?  In recovery?"  The doctors would come to me before surgery and let me know what everyone's roll was.

The first "doctor" I met was the anesthesiologist's intern!  Oh, hell to the no!  He's just going to observe.  Mm, hmm, he better, because I will come back and haunt him if he doesn't!  He didn't just observe; he held a mask on my face and told me to take deep breaths.  The mask was supposed to cover my nose and mouth but he managed to put it over my right eye, holding my eyelid captive in mid blink.

They either didn't hear me or ignored me and I couldn't move the mask myself because one of the nurses had just finished wrapping me up in styrofoam and strapping me down to the table.  I looked like a mummy in a psych ward with Sammy Davis, Jr. eyes.

The bones in my ear were supposed to be gone by then but the doctor still didn't know if he'd be able to put the prosthetic bones in that day.  If the mass removal went too long, or if the middle ear was too inflamed, he would have to do it another time.

When surgery was over the doctor went to the hubs in the waiting room and told him that after he removed the mass he was shocked to see all 3 ear bones still intact!  Each showed signs of erosion, but it was minimal, they were all attached to each other and attached on each end!  There was no need for prosthetic ear bones.

He's done thousands of these surgeries but said he'd never seen that before.  I guess none of his former patients has had as many people praying for them as I had.  Thank you all so much for your thoughts, prayers and love!!!  Y'all worked a miracle for me and I am so grateful!

Thank you to those of you who brought us food the 1st week after the surgery.  It was such a burden off me to not have to worry about feeding us!  And there was always enough food not only for dinner, but leftovers for lunch, as well.

I thank my bestie, R and her husband.  Her husband took a day off work to stay home with one sick child and pick up the other after school, so she could sit with my hubs in the waiting room.  That was a wonderful gift to the hubs!  He didn't sit there, alone, and worry or play what ifs in his head and the time did not drag on.  He and my bestie talked about everything, he said, and had a wonderful time.  He is so grateful he had her there and so am I!

I want to thank the hubs for taking care of me, holding me, wiping my tears, administering medicine, taking care of B and the house and holding it together.  It's so hard for men to see a loved one ill.  They're fixers; that's what they do.  It's in they're DNA.  He kept his frustration and anger (born out of fear) over not being about to  fix me or take all the hurt away for me, from me.  Internalizing that isn't good for a body, but he knows once I'm able to climb out of my tree, he gets to go right up his.

I still can't hear in my left ear, but it's still healing.  My hearing won't be checked until 6-7 weeks after surgery, to give everything time to heal and swelling to go down.  You can't see the hole in my head because the doctor drilled where the back of my ear meets my head, and then covered the hole with a fold of skin (double layer for double protection).  My left ear pokes out further than my right now; that may change after time or it may stay the same.  I don't mind.

Thank you all.  I hold you very dear in my heart and am sending your prayers back at you.  MUAH!