Well that didn’t go as planned ... (new theme of my life)

Gallbladder surgery was scheduled for Thursday. First case of the day. Scheduled to last about an hour.



In good spirits!!


Ports are great for avoiding IV sticks!!

I go in I actually got to see the surgery room before they gave a shot and whammo I am OUT. Zzzzzzzz

I wake up in pain and being told they had complications and I’ll be transferred to the hospital overnight. Hum. Ok. Still drugged. It’s kind of funny that you have to be transferred by ambulance even though it’s only like 100 yards between the surgery center and the hospital. I got a ride from two nice paramedics. Transferred to my bed and everything. Ok thanks boys!

Then I find out the rest of the story. So my one hour surgery ended up being three hours. My gallbladder was gangrenous and friable (falling apart at the touch) AND adhered to my liver.

Yeah sometimes I wonder how I am alive too. Geeze. Talk about complications after complications. So. They didn’t revert to an open incision as the surgical center is not ready set up for that (small favors for faster recovery) but they did cut a little longer internally on my bellybutton incision to get the dang thing OUT.

But out it is! Good riddance. I was told there was a stone in there that was as old as I was (hum, wouldn’t shock me) I didn’t get to see any of them but she did take three pictures. I just need to get a copy of my records to see them.

So that day with no one to bother me,talk to me or encourage me to get up I slept ALL day! On and off of course. There is NO sleep for you in hospitals!

I also had the fun experience of a sleeping bladder again. Frustrating. They, however let nature take its course and every two hours after vitals check I headed to the potty to see if my body would catch on. It finally started to work at 2am then really wake up at 6am. Thank goodness!!

But I created a monster in that last night while at home my body thought “we gotta pee every two hours” through the night. Sigh. Small price to pay and good practice getting in and out of bed. It’s easier the more I move I find.



I did wake up enough to have “dinner” on Thursday at the hospital - the mystery meat was OK and the mashed potatoes were REALLY good. The spice cake to me was super dry but the girls came to visit me and said it was OK and not dry so it was still that drying med they give you for surgery that was messing with me.


5am wake up call it was clear. I liked over at 7 and saw this! Wow that was quick. AND at one point a flock of geese flew right over the hospital and went honking their way into the fog. Really pretty cool. I wasn’t quick on the draw for a camera then either!

So overnight I was given three bags of IV antibiotics. And three bags of fluids on a slow drip. So. It wasn’t good in my poor belly at all.

I had a drain that wasn’t putting out much and they pulled it the next day (Friday) so I didn’t have to go home with it - yay!!.

That wasn’t fun. They have a “new” type that isn’t supposed to allow for clots. Let me tell you that extra 1/8th inch bigger and flattened surface catches on your opening and poops through and HURTS like a booger!!! Yeah I yipped when she pulled that part out. Holy mother!!! But we giggled about it after. It was only about 12” inside me and 3 or four inches was that end piece. Should have taken a picture but was too shocked from that newfangled piece that even Mayo didn’t use!

Then it was a matter of hurry up and wait for them to get paperwork together. I made it out of the hospital at 10:45. Even after the doc told me at 7:30am they were going to get me discharged. Ok let’s GO already!!

So day one at home I continued the soft diet. Mom and dad along with David and Laura came to visit too. I hadn’t seen Laura since she was diagnosed. She not using the wheel chair but a walker with wheels and a seat. So she’s mobile for the most part. She is still concerned for a break and her docs are sure it’s just a matter of time until she breaks the leg/hip. Ouch is all I have to say.

They came over again today as we have a good bathroom for showers for them as ours has a bench and the wand to get clean. And they both fit in there so Dave can really help her out. That’s a plus! We had a nice visit while they were here but apparently it wore me out cause I passed out in the recliner for a few hours after they left ;) zzzzz sleepy head!!

Today (Saturday) has been good minimal pain. Mostly from the bellybutton cut but I took some Tylenol and knocked it right down. Should be good to head to Fl tomorrow. It will be weird to be out and go so far from home. I haven’t been away from the house since I last went to Mayo. There’s a scary thought.

So there you have it. I make things complicated even for simple surgeries BIT it’s good that it’s done and out and no more worries or attacks!!

Coming out of my fog!!

Well, yesterday I got motivated to pay bills...

This has taken me almost a month to get off my tush to do. It was getting a little scary on two bills – they were super late, but honestly, that’s life. I had to call and tell them.. yeah, I’m sorry, I’m just coming off Chemo and I really screwed up! Sorry!!

Just time to go into surgery - ha! But before that a little fun!!

Today I have a girls lunch with Barbara, Peggy and Sherry. It was fun, it's our Christmas one, so presents are in order! I have my three identical gift bags set out for them with different personalized stuff for them along with my bag of key chains for folks at work.

I gave a mix of things from a cute store here in Warner Robins. So I shopped local and got cute gifts. I got each girl a cute makeup bag with sayings that were just cute and positive for women. Each got a cute flat dish with fun sayings for jewelry or whatever. And a “just elfing around” socks. A cup cosey stating girls rule the world. AND a I ❤️ NYC magnet as well as a Christmas ornament from there.

I really should have taken pictures of their goodies.



My gift bags were all pretty much the same.


This is from Peggy. CUTE cross body adjustable day purse, cute note pad that has “there is still so much to see” and a luggage tag. Do they know me? :)


From Sherry there was a necklace in the glass. It has three snap in beads to interchange with the necklace you see below. Beach you stuff - glass says “beach time” and the notebook is cute beach theme and some YUMMY smelling tea! I’m excited to try that tea!!


The necklace is super cute!! Love the length.


From Barbara. A very cute and classy Moose I think he may need to become an ornament on my tree as it’s naked still. And the super cute bouncy moose as well. More rustic and adorable.

This afternoon I planned to go in and drop off keychains and update my computer with no one in the office. They won’t be out until 5pm. Drat. Maybe tomorrow?
Yeah

Another tradition I started when I went somewhere and brought back key chains - I think it's a fun tradition. I have ten - enough to give to everyone in my room and a few to spare to those who really like getting goodies when someone goes on a trip - Pam comes to mind first. I'm sure there are a few more on that list that would appreciate a key chain from NYC. I have ten chains to give out
1. K
2. D
3. M
4. L
5. D
6. B
7. P
8. T (pseudo boss)
9. ?
10. ?
Nope, not enough for three girls… but two spares… hum…maybe one for the contract boss? Who knows!
One for me for sure!!

Yeah, it’s sad that it’s taken almost a month for me to get those to work – but really… this last chemo and the NYC trip really kicked my butt. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the NYC trip really, just the chemo and cumulative effects of what it does to you overall. I was just beat down, then add a few gallbladder attacks in there and I was done, done, done!

It’s been rough pulling back from this one… I didn’t bounce, I had to crawl back from this one… it’s been three weeks today from my last chemo infusion (well, the big infusion, but pump a few more days), I wasn’t recouping well between the last two anyway so now I get to see when I would have REALLY come out of the fog on those too… looks like two and a half to three weeks and I would have been recouping a bit… EVER so grateful I didn’t do the full 6 months as was prescribed in the past… not sure I would have done OK with that…I would have done it, but I’m sure I would have been a zombie at the end.

I’m starting to get over the cold issues with my mouth – which is GRAND – I had a shake with French fries the other day… not sure I blogged that or not, but it was tasty. The last time I tried ice cream a week ago it burned my tongue and wasn’t very tasty as my taste buds were still off as well… and it was vanilla – who can TASTE vanilla?? LOL I still need things with some flavor in them or it just isn’t worth it… got some goldfish crackers the other day… they were so bland they didn’t have a taste to me at all… so not worth it.

I’m getting horrible about eating now of all times… nothing sounds good… what I want I can’t have… so I just don’t eat. NOT the best idea there is.. my fitness app is getting mad at me as I log calories daily and I’m logging 800 and 900 and it’s yipping saying “you’re not eating enough… .it’s not healthy” blah, blah, blah. Don’t care, don’t wanna eat and when I do I don’t want to eat what I should… I know, I know – BAD Donna.

In a week I’ll be on mush anyway. At least for a week I’ll be on soft foods and bland diet again. Oh, well, that’s life. Sad when someone who LOVES food is just like “meh, can’t have it anyway, so why care? I need to switch to some different fruits too – bananas are all I have had in a while – with the exception of applesauce. I don’t know that there are any in season that would be good. Oh, I had raspberries there for a while – they were tasty. I need to go INTO a grocery store – another thing that I haven’t done in a while… just too tired.

Yeah, I’m felling better I f I’m thinking *I* want to go into a grocery store!! LOL. I’ll wait until after this surgery then I’ll go… or maybe today on the way home as I want to try the HINT water that is flavored but not carbonated. I have had issues with strong flavors and carbonation – mostly because it makes Audrey gassy on the carbonation part – nothing else. The strong flavors… well, that just messes with one’s taste buds!

Somethings that are easing are:
Bloody boogers. They are almost non-existent now. Thank goodness. I was so tired of bloody snot!! (TMI I know)
Overall chills feeling of being cold may be able to switch out of winter jammies
Tiredness. Yeah naps are good. No they’re GREAT!! Getting better slowly.

Things that are NOT easing
Cold sensitivity in hands
Neuropathy if the feet - just feeling off
Diarrhea - yeah
Hair loss. Good lord. I think I’m losing more lately.






That’s a LOT of hair!!!
I now no longer want to know WHERE it’s coming from. Ha! I know. I’m a chicken!!

I know it will grow back...

I know it will grow back, but REALLY. Ya can’t be nice and not come out in clumpy areas??


THIS I can see daily. I’m aware I’m thinning desperately in the bangs area and right at my ears. Those have been getting thinner and thinner...

But this??


This is why my kids are telling me NOT to cut my hair. It’s super patchy at the back. Yuck.

So. For now the pony tail and the buns will hide the patches until they start to sprout some new hairs.

Also explains how I can have gerbil sized hair balls come out two or three times a week and hamster size in between. Now I know where it’s coming from!!

And it’s time to wear wide headbands or something!! Nawh, kidding only tall people can see it for now.