I returned back to work last week after being gone for 8 weeks. It was a long week, especially since I was dead tired by 2pm each day. I managed to push through and make it a full week. It was a busy week attempting to get up to speed with all that has changed within Tribune Interactive over the past few weeks. I was pleased to find that my team did a great job keeping things up and running with few incidents. I am not sure they really need me anymore. Well it feels great to be back in the swing of things, now to get my blog part of my normal routine again.
Archive for the ‘Surgery’ Category
Back at Work
Tuesday, May 13th, 2008Almost Myself . . .
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008It has been almost 4 weeks since I was released from the hospital and I am finally starting to feel like myself. I have almost weaned myself completely off the Vicodin and made the switch completely to Ibuprofen. It has been over 24 hours since my last Vicodin and I am really pleased about it. I have been able to get out of the house and become more mobile; which I am so thankful for. My incision is completely healed and surprisingly doesn’t look too bad.
The signs that I am returning to normal is am feeling so cagey and starting to build to-do lists and plan my days. I am also starting to make good use of my days, such as cataloging my CD collection. Now if only the weather would cooperate I would sit out on the deck and get some sun.
Staple Removal
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008| My staples were removed today, yippee! The removal of the staples was fairly simple and only took a few minutes. Overall the removal didn’t hurt and it only stung and pulled on a couple of the staples, but no big deal. Surgeon says I am progressing well and he doesn’t see any issues. All appears to be going well. |  |
Top 10 Things I Miss
Monday, March 24th, 2008I am sitting in the living room and started thinking about all the things I miss, since my surgery and not able to leave the house.
10. Red Robin Burgers
9. Driving
8. Work (Really!)
7. Video Game Night at a Friend’s
6. Movies within a Theater
5. Beer at the end of the day
4. Sleeping in Comfort
3. Starbuck’s Macchiato
2. Playing with my Kids
1. Freedom (Confinement is driving me crazy!)
From My Chair
Monday, March 24th, 2008Well, I have been home for 10 days from the hospital 10 days and I am so ready to get out. I am stuck in the house until tomorrow when I visit my Surgeon and have the staples removed and get a check -up. I hope that some of my pain comes under better management and he gives me the okay to get out of the house from time to time.
What I have learned sitting in my chair in the past week is there are only a couple of channels on all of cable that is worth anything. They are the History Channel, Discovery and the BBC. I am not sure why I pay for the bazillion channels. I am flabbergasted that many of the channels that exist even receive commercial endorsements. My favorites this week are Ax Men, Cities of the Underworld, Nightmare Kitchens, and of course MythBusters.
I have also been able to get in some reading (currently reading some Donald Miller and Palahniuk), serious game playing on my PSP (Rainbow Six Las Vegas and Untold Legends), and serious puzzle time.
Needless to say I am ready for things to get back to normal.
My Incisions
Thursday, March 20th, 2008
Kind of gross, but here are my incisions. The long 7†cut with the 23 staples is where the surgeon gained access to my right lung. The lower two slits are where my chest tubes entered my chest cavity (yuck). The incisions don’t really hurt that much any longer, but I am still in pain in my ribs and sternum from the spreading of my ribs to give the docs access.
Sorry if too graphic or too much skin….
Pathology Report!
Wednesday, March 19th, 2008I just received a call from my Doctor/Surgeon’s office with the pathology report form the mass that was cut out of my lungs. The mass was sent to Pathology on the 10th. Though my doctor stated that he was sure that it was all good and had no signs of cancer, I have been anxiously waiting this report. The nurse let me know that the pathology report came back just as my doctor said it would; as sequestration and inflamed. The pathology report read pulmonary sequestration with aged inflammation. The nurse said that the sequestration has been inflamed for a long time.
She closed our call that this is great news, NO CANCER. Since, there is a lot of cancer in my family it has been needling in the back of my head ever since I was diagnosed. So, that is one more hurdle crossed in my road to recovery.
Thank God for another good report!
10 Days Post Surgery
Wednesday, March 19th, 2008It has now been 10 days since I underwent my lung resection on March 10 at 9am and I still hurt.
First of all it was a success and the surgeon was able to remove the section of the lung that has the sequestration and not the entire lobe, which was great news. The odd thing was the sequestration was intralobal (inside the lung lobe) and extralobal (outside the lung lobe); they are usually found either as one or the other. The surgery went extremely well and he was able to get in an out in less than two hours and I had no complications. I woke a couple hours in ICU after the surgery in pain and unaware of the 7in cut on back, but aware of the pair of hoses coming out my side. When I was aware my doctor let me know all went well and he was pleased with the outcome and the mass had no appearance of cancer.
I was in ICU for a day or two. I did stay in ICU for a couple of days, mainly because they were no available rooms for me on a standard wing. I moved into my room and was told I would most likely be in the hospital until Saturday evening, but end up being released Friday afternoon. On Friday morning my doctor said I was healing really fast and doing extremely well and he did not see any reason why I should stay beyond the removal of my chest tubes. At that time he stated he wanted to remove them at that moment, so please roll-over on my side. Once I did he removed all the bandages that held all the tubes to my body. He then removed the stitches that kept the tubes inside my body. He then told me he wanted me to relax before he removed my so take some deep breathes. On my second breath he ripped the tubes out of my body, ouch! It was the grossest and most painful thing I had ever felt. It took all I had to not hit my doctor. He stated he was completely shocked that I did not say a word or call him a name, because he is usually called something colorful.
I was released a couple of hours after that to return home Friday afternoon. It has been a rollercoaster at home with my body attempting to heal and me struggling with being docile. Some days are okay, but some are full of pain and it is unbearable to be around me. I am just starting to feel well enough to write this and getting better daily, but still am restricted to low activity and sleep.
My next big appointment is next Tuesday with my Surgeon/Doctor. On that visit he will verify my progress and remove the 23 staples from the incision on my back. I will keep you updated on that visit, because I am sure it will not be much fun.
4 Days Out
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
Four days until my surgery and it is crazy around here. I have so much going on at work that I am trying to stabilize or hand off, which is really a hard thing for me. Preparation for leaving work for this long of a period is a little overwhelming and stressful. This is weekend my mom comes into town, Em has the annual Women’s Tea, she plays bass at the church for all three services, and a family party for Connor’s birthday all this just days before I go in to the hospital.
I guess I am feeling relieved because I have good friends and employer that will be there through this, but still concerned for being a burden. It is kind of funny how people react to you when you tell them you going under the knife; most are cool about and crack a joke, but some people go off the deep-end. I hear stories about someone’s third cousin and how bad it was for them, but they are sure my doctor is better, they remind how scary the whole thing can be, etc; it is just weird, because they aren’t really helping at all.
I would be lying if I didn’t say I am so nervous (dare I say scared, nah).
