Scarred Diva

OK - All surgery is complete for 2008!
This neck surgery and recovery definately takes the cake this year. Thank goodness we go on the cruise in a couple of weeks - I totally deserve some pampering!

I know I sent emails saying that it was a success and I was doing well, blah blah, but it was actually the opposite. The surgery WAS a success, but the "doing well" was far from the truth.

I have a pretty large scar on the front of my neck, top to bottom. This was quite a shock as we were told the incision would be in the wrinkle - the fold where your neck meets the body. I've been wearing a scarf as it has been freaking everyone out, including the UPS man last Friday, poor man. I know it will fade and be fine, but it really seems to bother anyone who looks at me.

The muscle relaxer that they gave me induced major migraines, which imitated my symptoms prior to surgery, which lead me to think that something went wrong, and that would require another proceedure, making me quite anxious.

My surgeon might be brilliant, but he has no "warm & fuzzy" side. I need the warm/fuzzy from any doctor, especially one cutting my neck open. There have been some bad phone calls to his office and I have possibly yelled at each member of his staff - I'll have to check my notes. Needless to say, they respect the Jojo now, and I get call backs immediately.

You can imagine that these things don't promote a good recovery environment. I have been so tense that my entire upper back feels like I've been beaten with a baseball bat.

Yesterday everything came to a head, and I finally was able to get my point across to my surgeon, and he immediatley switched my meds, assured me that some of the freaky symptoms are normal, and I actually got a tiny bit of warm/fuzzy from him. I think he realized that he dropped the ball a bit on info regarding my recovery - I totally called him out on it.

Meanwhile, my poor ak has stood by and watched this, supporting me, taking care of me, and trying to get me calm so I can heal. God Bless him, he has had his hands full, and I am a handful when I am healthy and happy! We are so glad we have turned the corner, and I am so happy to say that I am feeling good, and have been able to walk a few times, and I am letting the Chritmas spirit back in :) Thanks honey - I do love you so!

As always, emails, texts and calls from friends make all the difference to both ak and I. My mom has been amazing, and one of the only ones able to "talk me down" when I really get going. She is my girl! Thanks, mama! The best has been getting back in regular contact with our college buddy Dean, living in NYC. He is one of the funniest people we know, and also one of the kindest. The mischief we made in college is legendary, and cannot be repeated without subpoena; however, I might be persuaded to let you in on some of our receipes that we are still all cooking to this day. Thanks, Dean, from your big 'ole donkey Girl Scout!

The hospital experience was one of the worst, and it is depressing that I have so many other experiences to compare it to. This was brutal, though. Here is just 1 example:
The TV was broken in my room. No big deal as I had my book and Iphone, but they would send in Maintenance occasionally to try and fix. Hospital tvs all work through this huge remote that is on your bed. This remote also has the call button for the nurse. Long story short, my remote got disconnected, I had to go to the bathroom, no response to my repeated buzzing (I had no clue it wasn't working), and no response to my scratchy/sore throat calling out from the room. I needed the IV disconnected to get to the bathroom, and was specifally told to call for assistance out of bed as well. Well, it got to the point where I was going to piss the bed. Therefore I had no choice but to get up, stretch the IV as far as it would go, hook my foot on to the trash can, drag it over to finally pee in it. You can be sure that everyone on that floor heard me cussing out the entire nurses station, once I found out I could unplug my IV from the wall - information that would have been useful prior to the incident. The Philly got out of the cage in a BIG way. Just delightful.

ENOUGH!!!

Out of the ashes, the phoenix rises........akjn is moving on happily towards the holiday, cruise, and hanging in Florida for a few weeks! Boxes have been arriving in the mail, and we have been getting great Christmas cards, too! The weather just turned chillier the past day or so, so although it is far from snow it at least feels as Chrstmas outside as it's going to get.

This is our biggest birthday month, too!

Birthday shout outs to: Georgie, Uncle John, Aunt Irene, Nicky & Evan, Andrew, Mark, Chuck, Kelly, Cindy, Tom, Bill and Ericka!

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY, PEEPS!