My New Life

It's been 9 days today that I've been in the hospital, but tomorrow I get to bust out!   A couple days ago I was able to get the drain out.  She said you will feel a big pinch when I'm pulling it out.  And, boy I did!  I thought it was just the tube in there, but nope, at the end of the tube inside was a much wider flat piece with holes in it, that is where the fluid was able to go into the tube to come out.  Definitely not the worst pain I've been in, but not comfortable.  Today Dr. Gray came in between surgery cases to talk to me about how things are going and to take out all my stitches!   She discussed with me why she kept me longer than the planned Tuesday discharge.  Because of having to go back on the steroids.  Even though I'm on the lowest dose they could possibly put me on, apparently being on steroids can hinder the healing process.  I guess this is still a much more extensive surgery than I keep thinking I had....

The last two days had been something of a blur.  I felt like I did nothing but sleep.  Did labs, and cortisol levels were very low.  So, endocrinology got involved and figured it was best I get on a low dose of steroids.  So, today I'm more awake no nausea and got up for a walk!  Thank goodness I got switched to a regular diet so I have a few more options for meals.  But I do understand why they have you start on soft and bite sized.  I think it would be very hard to swallow hard foods.  Yesterday I got some visitors ❤️.  Mom, Dad and Jen came.  And, so did my friend Chelsea and her daughter!  It's a nice break in the day.     I have the absolute best nurses and aids here.   Drs do rounds a couple times a day.  This morning they said hopefully the cortisol levels won't keep me here any longer than the planned discharge Tuesday.  So, fingers crossed it stays that day!  The boys are enjoying som...

Today hasn't been exciting.  I've pretty much just rested all day long.  Tuesday the plan for discharge is to leave the hospital, and Benji will pick me up at the door, then we will head straight to the clinic, a block up the road.  There, Dr. Gray will scope me to make sure all is looking good and she will then take the drain and chin-stitch out.  Thank goodness!!!  We did find out today that they also took out the Hyoid bone, or part of it.  I was having quite a bit of pain in one particular spot, and thought it was an odd spot but, that is why.  Not because it's where my trach was, but because of the Hyoid bone. My blood pressure has been running a little low here and there, so Dr. Gray contacted endocrinology to check in on my adrenal insufficiency.  My labs came back on the low side, so we will see tomorrow what they decide.   Fingers crossed that tomorrow I get on a regular diet.  Hallelujah...

Today has seemed like kind of a lazy day for me.  I feel like it was a day I needed to rest, and that's okay.   I was up in my chair most of the day, but dozed off and on.  I didy walks, and took one pretty hard nap in bed.   I feel like I've been through so many of the dilation/tube exchange surgeries that I should just be able to pop right up after this one as well.  I often need to remind myself that this was a WAY more extreme surgery lol.  And, well I guess Im not as young as I once was.  Today when I did one of my laps, I remembered showing my mom the first time I could walk around the nurses station after I got my trach put in.  I could walk all the way around the desk and I could breathe, it was like it was the best thing in the whole world.  Then, today I thought about that and I was like hey, I'm doing it now with NO trach and I can still breathe!  It was an amazing thing to remember.  I shared a picture with the...

I figured I would update here and post the link on Facebook.  That way if people want to read, they can just click the link...if not, they can just scroll on by.  And if I forget something I can a little more easily look back through this.   Today was another great day!  It's Wednesday, surgery was Monday.  Dr. Gray did stop in to see me in-between surgeries she had going on today.  I asked her how many "C" rings she took out, and she said she honestly couldn't tell me because there was so much stenosis.  So she said she took out about 5cm.  Wow, that's quite a bit when you look at it lol.  She also said how I'm doing really, really well.  She wants to see me in clinic to scope me on Tuesday with possible discharge after that!  I feel so incredibly grateful!!!   I went for a lot of walks today.  Yesterday my step count on my phone was like 835, today was over 3,000!  I'm still having ...