One week to go!

This time next week my surgery should be over! Wow!!! I'm in disbelief, but I'm also in a lot of pain still from throwing out my upper back and shoulder. I've cancelled all my plans the last two days to try to get better so we can go away on our wedding anniversary trip tomorrow. When we get back, my mother arrives and it is surgery time. Unbelievable.

I would write more, but I hurt. I'll blog again before I go into the hospital.

So much pain! :(

Yesterday we went over to Lake Michigan and after the simple act of running down a sand dune, I completely threw out my neck and upper back. So instead of having a fun Memorial Day, I am laying on the couch alternating ice and heat. Unbelievable!! I have one week until my surgery and was supposed to be enjoying it, but instead, my husband is getting a preview of what this summer will be like. Of course, I am freaking out about getting better so I can have the surgery because my right side is completely swollen. I can barely move. I hardly slept last night.

Of course, I'm trying to use the grabber to do things like getting dressed, but I keep dropping the grabber! :) I was laughing so hard though last night when my husband was trying to put a hairband in my hair so I could try to shower. After about 10 tries, he still didn't get it. Wow - this is going to be a funny summer. :)

Well, I'm totally bummed and completely in pain. I'm not allowed to take advil either because of the surgery.

I don't understand my body.

2 weeks to go, pre-op

The hospital pre-op was not as bad as I thought today. I'm a little sore after the bending x-rays, but other than that, I missed out on the neuro baseline test. :) I didn't get to go see the nurses though and learn how to log roll. I'm a little nervous about that. The good news is that I get my own hospital room (yay for no roommates) and the hospital allows cell phones and has free wireless internet, so my husband can keep everyone up-to-date.

My veins decided to protest the nurses taking anymore blood after it had already given multiple pints of blood. My other arm finally decided to give up its blood though. :)

The bad/good news: My dad is currently in the ICU after having a 99% blockage in one of his heart arteries. He is incredibly stubborn and had chest pain for 3 weeks before he told anyone about it. Luckily, he did go in and now is alive because of it. He was also stubborn enough not to give out any emergency contact numbers while he was in the hospital because he didn't think anything would go wrong. Grrr. The only reason he is alive is because he keeps himself in such good health. Wow -what a week. For the next two weeks, I hope for peace, quiet, and health.

Honestly now

Is a little health too much to ask? I don't need a fancy car or anything material, but some peace and quiet and health would be nice. On Monday, not only am I going to the hospital for lots of pre-op procedures, but now my dad is having an angioplasty/stent put in because of a heart blockage. You have to understand - my dad is one of the most active, healthy individuals ever who exercises constantly, watches what he eats, and gets plenty of rest. My doctoral advisor is also going to be in the hospital on Monday for gallstone surgery.

Apparently the place to be this Monday is the hospital. Hope no one else joins us there!

No more blood donations

I'm done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've given my three pints and I'm done!!!!!!!! Can you tell that I'm excited I don't have to go back to the Red Cross?

Tomorrow starts doctor's pre-op appointments and next Monday is my day in the hospital. Yuck.

Last night I was at a potluck and of course people had to comment on my hair since I chopped almost a foot off. One of my colleagues goes, "Wow, with all that hair gone your back must not hurt now." Yeah, if it was only that easy. Cut your hair=cure scoliosis. Some people don't have a clue, but I laughed and then turned around and rolled my eyes.

Before and After

Well, I don't have my before and after pictures of my back up yet, but I did chop 11 inches off my hair today! This is the most dramatic thing I have ever done to my hair (I know, real adventurous, huh?) This will be MUCH easier to deal with during surgery! Tomorrow is my last blood donation. Woo hoo

Prayers tomorrow for Kari who is going through scoliosis surgery!

2nd Blood Donation

Ok, this time I was a rock star! I refused to feel ill and actually the ten minutes flew by as I chatted with my husband and the nurse. This experience was so much better than last week. One more to go! I can do it!!!! :)

One month to go and trying not to count

Today is May 5th (Cinco de Mayo to some), one month until scoliosis surgery to me. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Yesterday I just felt like I was on the edge. Quite frankly, most of this didn't have to do with surgery, but other matters ranging from the absurd to the annoying to the serious, which I won't get into now.

Ok, deep breaths. I had a dream last night that I was post-op and I was walking around my house trying to do too much and my husband was telling me to rest. That's a good sign, right? I'll take that as a preminision (sp?) that everything is going to be ok and I will be my fiesty, stubborn ol' self once again. :)

Next blood donation is Monday. I hope I won't get sick this time.

Wedding and blood donations!

I'm back from the absolutely beautiful wedding of my sister-in-law. It was such a fun weekend and I love hanging out with my husband's side of the family. The DJ played our first dance song from two years ago and my husband and I had to go out on the dance floor. So sweet. They also did a tribute "The Hokie Pokie" to all the Virginia Tech Hokies in the wedding and in general.

The only drama of the weekend was the Best Man who was an absolute womanizing ass. He brought his girlfriend, but hit on all of us and even physically grabbed us. One of the many times he hit on me (while my husband and sister-in-law were there) was when he picked me up and grabbed me and then asked, "Are you scared of me?" I said, "No, I'm not scared of any man," to which he replied, "You will be scared of me." I just rolled my eyes as he put me down and said, "I don't think so." Oh, the list goes on, but I won't relay it all here.

Nobody in my family said anything insensitive about my surgery. I was quite pleased. My husband's grandma grew up by Carmelite nuns, and she has been in contact with them and they will spend June 5th praying for me in my surgery and apparently I am going to receive some holy water. She actually had them do this for my thyroid surgery too and it went very well, so whatever works - I'll take all the prayers I can get! :)

Yesterday I had my first blood donation. I thought I was doing so well until about half way through when I got really nauseous and hot. The nurses laid me down and put cold compresses on me. I actually recovered fairly quickly, but then it took a long time to actually get up and go get some snacks because I kept getting dizzy and nauseous. I'm not looking forward to the next two Mondays when I have to do this again. My husband says that this reaction is actually quite normal.

Wow - almost a month. I'm starting to get some of my anxiety symptoms back. I'm so busy though with the end of the semester I'm just feeling overwhelmed. I can't believe this is all happening. Really. :(