mardi, décembre 26, 2006

Still around... just been busy...

Wow, it's been a busy week. Busy but good.

Service at CV yesterday that really set the mood for how I'm going to be looking at this coming week. I had a great service and am planning on having a great week. Feeling stronger all the time, off the pain medication for almost a week now, except for scattered use before bed when I get sore.

Christmas was overly good to both Amanda and myself. We were showered with gifts to the point that I really almost feel ashamed at how lucky we both are. Our families and extended families are huge blessings in our lives. I won't bore everyone with the dirty details, but suffice it to say that I'll be better dressed for both the house and for work in the coming year, although I do love my jeans with my homesewn patches.

Amanda has work tomorrow which is a real bummer, since I do so enjoy having her around all day long. Perhaps we'll be able to find her some time off in the next few weeks. I go back on the 3rd of January and although I'm looking forward to it, I feel like I wasn't able to do nearly as much as normal during break because of the surgery and the limitations on what I SHOULD and SHOULD NOT be doing.

Well, this post was boring but essential for all those who are dying to know exactly what makes me tick...
Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years to all of you!

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mardi, décembre 12, 2006

Post-op (but not that kind)

It's all over but the swelling.
And I feel not too bad, although I'm still mighty confused from the anesthesia and the drugs. The procedure went well, although I had two hernias instead of just one. As John said when he called earlier this evening, "Congratulations on twins!" and indeed I feel celebratory with the pain medication I'm taking. The pre-op room was fun, but a terribly long wait. I believe I waited for almost three hours in pre-op, from 7am until about 9:45 when they moved me into the OR. I was told I would receive a good sedation and then a local anesthesia for just the area where the doctor was working, but when I came to in the recovery room I noticed that I had a sore throat and an oxygen feed, which leads me to believe that at some point during the procedure they opted for a general anesthesia. HOWEVER, and this is what bothered me the most about today, I have no idea what really happened. I don't know anything about what exactly the procedure entailed, whether they used a mesh patch to fix the hernia or just a suturing of the muscles, I didn't speak to the surgeon after the surgery at all, and when Amanda did, she didn't get all the information she really wanted. Still... my hernia is gone, and I have appreciated the prayers and well wishes I have gotten since I returned home.

I'm off to bed... drugs kicking in... eyelids closing...

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vendredi, décembre 08, 2006

The strange passage of time...

I find it odd that scheduling an appointment to find out if you need surgery is actually much more difficult than scheduling the surgery itself...

Time between initial referral and appointment - Tues. Nov 21-Dec 7
Time between appointment and procedure - Dec. 7-Dec 12.

Sigh... or rather double sigh...

I don't really want to have anything done because I've done WAY too much reading about this hernia thing and, knowing the chances of recurring problems (between 10-15 percent within the next 5 years) especially with the type of surgery that my doctor wants to do, I just don't have that type of money or time to put into this.

BUT

Like the doctor said, "You're not 80 and you'll be living with this for a long time."

Funny but that's what my knee surgeon said as well and I do suppose that all things considered, I've had only a very few problems with my knee since, mostly aches and pains that I'll eventually get anyway.

SO

I'd appreciate your prayers that this will go well (I'm not worried about the surgery, just the recovery and recurrance) and that I'll be safe from robot attacks until I'm able to defend myself adequately since they do tend to hunt down weaker people.

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