Badges of Honor, Summer 2016

Looks like a day of Multiple posts . . haven't done this in a LONG time.

It also may be TMI for some but I felt I needed to document the fresh, and 5 week old, belly cars I will be wearing with pride.

I went to 2 doctors appointments yesterday-

1st was to Sarah Cleveland, the PA at my primary care doctor's office. She is the one I saw last week who sent me to the ER. When she came in the door she came in like, "So, how's it going? Did we make the right move?"

I started laughing. I was so happy to see her feeling as well as I thought I felt.

2nd was in the late afternoon to Dr Buckley, the surgeon who took out my Gall Bladder.

His nurse came in to take all vitals and snip the stitches out. I got the feeling from her welcome that she had heard about my surgery. Can't tell you what it was, just that feeling, you know :)

A couple of the the sutures were kind of touchy, but since I had no stitches in the robotic incisions I figured that was pretty lucky.

When Dr Buckley came in he introduced me to his assistant this way, "This is the Queen of Abdominal Surgery."

He didn't say such, nor did he ask many questions, but he had the widest smile during the whole visit. So, I took this to mean that he was pretty happy with not only how well the incisions looked but how good, and "perky" I looked.

And yes, perky is what I needed to use as my verb of being. I was all smiles in  his office and just happy to be there.

Today I decided it was time I finally documented the incisions so, in years to come, I will remember what they looked like.

This is the right side of my abdomen,

the side where the pain has been the entire time.

The incision on the left (which is actually my right side)

is the beginning of the "gall bladder" arch.

You can see some red spots around it.

Those are the remainders of the hysterectomy incisions.

(Dr buckley re-used this incision that Dr Bartels made.)

The one on the right is the 2nd of "arch."

The one on the left is the 2nd "gall bladder arch" incision.

 The left incision is in the photo for a point of reference.

The incision at the bottom of the "belly button" is the biggie.

A couple of the sutures in this incision 

were a little painful to remove.

Top incision is from the hysterectomy.
Bottom is Gall Bladder.

 Good Heavens . . . 

I haven't seen those hairs around my belly button for YEARS!

Dr and Nurse both said to use Bio Oil on the scars to make them less noticeable after they heal.

Not me, I don't think.

I shall wear them as Badges of Honor

to the Summer of 2016

Belly Button cars for a point of reference;
Right two scars are from hysterectomy.
That concludes the trip around my abdominal incisions.

Not as neat as Gene's scar.

(His looks like a zipper from his breast bone to where the scar above my belly button is.)

but they are what I've been blessed with this summer.

Gene really has been good   the past week but, I do believe, that ended yesterday. I was blessed with  one week of his not bothering me to eat, letting Indy out without complaining and no pouting because I didn't want to do something or because I asked him to do something.

Still can't believe he i a pouter? Who would have thought a 73 year old man would pout?

Surgery Day 2 Was a Go

Woke up Saturday morning at 4:00 am. Pretty early for me . . . 5:15 was the time I always set my radio alarm for when I worked. Then, I laid i bed for an hour and got up at 6:15 and was normally at work by 7:00 or 7:30 for school which started at 7:55 am.

So, needless to say, this was an early morning. I think we were even up before the birds started chirping.

I had to be at Sister of Charity Hospital by 6:00 (per dr's office) or 6:30 (per hospital call on Friday) for a hysterectomy. We made it by 6:15. We know now why the hospital says 6:30 . . . that is when the nurse on duty came in.

There were only two of us scheduled for 8:00 surgeries so it was a quiet morning for the nurse.

The last time I saw a clock it said 8:15. Next thing I remember I was waking up in my room. I was SO HAPPY to wake up. For some reason this surgery had me worried. I didn't tell anyone else because I didn't want to deal with anyone elses fears.

I sent Gene home, not sure what time that was either. But the next time I woke up I had no  idea if it was still Saturday or I had slept through until Sunday . . . it was 5-something Saturday. I got to order a clear liquid supper . . chicken broth, lemon ice and a 7-Up. Not bad . . . the chicken broth gave me flavor and the Lemon Ice gave me a little texture to move around in my mouth.

Breakfast was Beef Broth, Apple Juice, Cherry Ice and 2 Cokes. AGain, not bad . . some flavor and the Cherry Ice gave me mouth feel I wanted.

Dr came in about 11:00 am . . he apologized for being late, didn't bother me . . they get there when they get there. This was the Intern who was in on the surgery and coming in behind him was a partner of my doctor who had assisted. He said it was a perfect surgery. So I guess my never used Ovaries, Tubes and Uterus must have been where they belonged and the size they  needed to be.

They both released me a soon as I peed 250 whatever they measure. Lord, It felt like it took forever, but by 3:00 I had accomplished it along with a couple of walks around the floor.

We didn't get out until almost 5:00pm. I am always amazed at how you can be dismissed early and the paper work, which is all on computers, takes so long to do. If I  had been by myself, it wouldn't have really bothered me, but the husband is getting less and less patience as he gets older. I must learn to just close my eyes, put  my head back and ignore it. I'm trying, but it sure gets old fast.

Anyway, I gt  home about 18 hours after I went in so I guess, all in all, it was a productive week end.

Surgery Day 1 . . . Kind Of . . . What a Day

Did I tell you about my polyps? (Now isn't that an interesting way to start a blog post?)

When Gene was in the hospital I started spotting. It had happened once before, since we have been in NY, so I wasn't real worried. I figured that the stress of a husband going through major Cancer surgery could cause about anything to happen in a wife's body.

Once he was home I told him about it and called my OB-GYN. Got an appointment and he said, "Why did it take you 6 weeks to get in here?"

I explained and he understood.

We ended up deciding on a D&C, which resulted in the finding of 2 polyps. When he called me about the pathology he said both were cancer free but one had "unusual" cell growth that is normally a precursor to Cancer. My options would be to have a D&C every year to see if I develop Cancer or to have a complete hysterectomy. I could decide and let him know when I went in for my follow up appointment.

I knew immediately I would go with the hysterectomy. Here are the reasons:

1. Not sure how soon I will be able to find an OB-GYN after we move.
2. Not real thrilled about worrying every spring about "Will this be the year for the Cancer to appear?"
3. I've never used the organs anyway so why do I need them this late in life?

When Gene and I went into the follow up (I wanted him there to hear what was said) Dr Bartel went through everything he had told me on the phone. When he asked me if I had decided I told him my decision and why. His response, "Sounds like you have done some thinking about this?" My answer was, "Sure have."

So the date was set for June 16. That's why we went home in early June . . . wanted to be able to lift and carry so the trip had to be done pre-surgery.

Arrival time at the hospital was 11:00 am for a 1:00 surgery. About 12:45 Dr bartels came in and aid the surgery in the robotics room was going over so he decided to come in and go over everything with me then so he didn't have to do it later . . . save some time.

He went over everything again. This time the "possible problems" hit home more than they did in his office.

He asked if I had any questions. I did. Just that morning I had wondered h ow they got the ovaries and uterus out through the three holes they make for the robotic surgery. Then, I said, "I know you must sew up the end of the vagina that connected with the uterus, but do you." 

He laughed and said they were good questions. If everything goes well, all of the organ are pulled out through the vagina and yes, it is sewn closed at the uteru end. If the organs are to big for the uterus, then they will need to be surgically removed through a vertical or horizontal opening on the lower belly.

I sent Gene down to eat some lunch since it would be at least an hour, if not more, before I would go into the "holding (or whatever they call it when they get you prepped) room."

The nurse comes in at 1:30 and says Dr Bartels is on the phone at the nurses station for me. "The surgery is still in progress and we aren't sure when it will be over. We could do your surgery after. if appropriate, but it would be so late before we get done that it wouldn't be wise. So, how about a reschedule?"

Glad he called. My mind was thinking that the whole surgical team had been in the hospital since early in the morning and this downtime for them has to be rough. Then to be in the best shape for a late surgery might not be in my favor, I said sure. The earliest reschedule was Saturday, June 25, 1st in line for "take off." I took it.

The nurse went to get Gene, she told him what was up. As soon as he came in I grabbed the Coke he had and took a long drink. (I hadn't been able to drink since midnight and I was thirsty.)

The nurse was so sweet. She said, "You handled that so well."

My response, thinking about everything Gene had been through, "Well, there are worse things that could happen so you jut do it."

I went in, put my clothes back on and when I left the room I loudly said, "Gene, let's bust out of this place."

The nursing staff laughed. Not many times a patient gets to walk out on their own from their department.

When we got in the car I said, "Oh great! I get to drink the "magic pooping liquid (magnesium citrate)" again . . . Oh Great ! ! !"

Not the best thing to have to do, but it's a must.

Then Gene remembered that we had non-refundable ticket for that evening to see The Blue Brothers at our local theatre. Now THAT'S a bummer. But I sure didn't want to  put the surgery off and prolong our moving home so we will have to decide about the tickets.

I told Gene he can see if Chris, a single guy across the street, would like to go with him. Evan if I do get to come home I'll probably be sleeping off and on. But we will see.

Last evening I found a You Tube video of a life Robotic Hysterectomy done in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I watched it and it was very interesting. While inside the doctor doing the procedure pointed out the bowels and bladder. Now I know why two of the problems with the surgery are punctured bowels and bladders . . . MAN, I knew everything in there was close. They had filled the abdominal cavity with gas to give the surgeon room to work and it was still pretty tight.

Aren't you glad you read my thrilling post? Just trying to keep a record of my life and you  get to follow it with me.