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Dec. 10th, 2011 06:36 pm
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I am back from Virginia Mason and the news is very good.

ExpandMy Weekend So Far )

Back Home

Dec. 10th, 2011 06:36 pm
amberfocus: (Default)
I am back from Virginia Mason and the news is very good.

ExpandMy Weekend So Far )
amberfocus: (Default)
Well, I'm off to Virginia Mason in Seattle in a couple of hours for what I hope is my final follow-up from the July surgery. So far all systems seem to be working fine, with all organ functions completely restored to near optimal levels. I haven't turned yellow in months. Rose is coming with me. We haven't decided if we are going to drive back home this afternoon or grab a hotel and do an overnight. I won't make that decision until after the appointment when I see how I feel. It is a long drive for me just one way and I've never driven both ways on my own before. Hopefully if we do grab a hotel it'll have free wi-fi. Taking my computer, either way. I have just been so inspired to write this week and I don't want to slow that down.
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Well, I'm off to Virginia Mason in Seattle in a couple of hours for what I hope is my final follow-up from the July surgery. So far all systems seem to be working fine, with all organ functions completely restored to near optimal levels. I haven't turned yellow in months. Rose is coming with me. We haven't decided if we are going to drive back home this afternoon or grab a hotel and do an overnight. I won't make that decision until after the appointment when I see how I feel. It is a long drive for me just one way and I've never driven both ways on my own before. Hopefully if we do grab a hotel it'll have free wi-fi. Taking my computer, either way. I have just been so inspired to write this week and I don't want to slow that down.
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Everything went really well, although I am thoroughly exhausted from the drive. Good news is, I will not need a follow up surgery. (Well, maybe in five years or maybe never, but definitely not in November). Everything is healing as it should be and I don't have to go back to see him again until December 9th. I might actually have a chance to start getting into shape without being knocked on my butt every few months. That would be amazing.

I am too tired to deal with coding, so ch. 3 I will post tomorrow night, if anyone is lurking around and waiting. (Plus I had an idea for a new scene on the drive, so I will add that in tomorrow).
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Everything went really well, although I am thoroughly exhausted from the drive. Good news is, I will not need a follow up surgery. (Well, maybe in five years or maybe never, but definitely not in November). Everything is healing as it should be and I don't have to go back to see him again until December 9th. I might actually have a chance to start getting into shape without being knocked on my butt every few months. That would be amazing.

I am too tired to deal with coding, so ch. 3 I will post tomorrow night, if anyone is lurking around and waiting. (Plus I had an idea for a new scene on the drive, so I will add that in tomorrow).
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I have a follow up appointment in Seattle today at Virginia Mason. I may be too wiped out to post chapter 3 of The Direct (and Not so Direct) Approach tonight, but will post it on Wednesday if I am. I slept better last night but am still pretty tired. Weight loss is going good. According to the scale I've lost 6.8 pounds this week (had a bit of a whoosh this morning of 1.8) and 33 pounds since the sugery. It'll probably slow down next week. The first week of a diet always tends to be pretty good for me and then I settle into about 2 pounds or less a week.
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I have a follow up appointment in Seattle today at Virginia Mason. I may be too wiped out to post chapter 3 of The Direct (and Not so Direct) Approach tonight, but will post it on Wednesday if I am. I slept better last night but am still pretty tired. Weight loss is going good. According to the scale I've lost 6.8 pounds this week (had a bit of a whoosh this morning of 1.8) and 33 pounds since the sugery. It'll probably slow down next week. The first week of a diet always tends to be pretty good for me and then I settle into about 2 pounds or less a week.
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Fifteen years ago today I gave birth to my daughter.  It is so hard for me to believe that that much time has passed.  She is such a good kid and such a sweet girl.  I have been very blessed with her, even if she does keep dyeing her hair funny colors.  If the worst she does is dye her hair green or blue or purple than I guess I'm pretty fortunate. :)

I am still pretty wiped out from the trip to Virginia Mason and back yesterday.  I fell asleep around midnight last night, slept until seven, got up until nine (I say got up, really I just went online on my laptop while still in bed eating a piece of toast), went back to sleep because everyone else was still asleep, and got up at eleven.

The follow-up went well.  They took the last tube out.  It hurt, but not as bad as I thought it would.  The worst part was when they cut the sutures which had grown into the skin.  They told me it might bleed and seep for several days, but today when I changed the bandage it was already scabbed over.  I only used half as much gauze as they did to resecure it.  It still might seep, but I think the bleeding is over.  It is so nice to wear my usual jeans again instead of dresses or loose trousers.

He wants to see me again in a month just to make sure everything has healed properly (yay, pelvic, she said sarcastically).  It hurts less now than it did with the tube in it.  It's more like a constant irritation (sort of like a papercut) and I want to scratch it, because it itches, but what else is new?  At least the fungal infection cleared up so it's not nearly as itchy as it was.

I lost another pound since they weighed me last  week which means I've lost 16 pounds since my surgery on the 15th.  It would be nice if that would continue without too much effort on my part.  I know I am eating a lot less since before the surgery (and rarely eating take out) and I'm no longer retaining so much water.  I've also focused more on eating nutritional foods during the healing process.  More vegetables and fruits, organic eggs, chicken, salmon, and lean beef, and cut down on my starches.  I've had rice once, and am eating much smaller portions of potatoes and corn.  I do have the occasional homemade cookie or muffin, but rarely eat bread (toast this morning not withstanding).  So with all those dietary changes and smaller portions, I guess it is natural to lose weight like this.

I badly need to go to Costco, but I am not up for that yet.  I have run out of or am very low on some staples that I buy there because it is cheaper.  E.V. olive oil, flour, lemons, butter, nuts, Charmin, sea salt, and peanut butter.  I also need to pick up some fresh ginger at the regular store and milk.  I might make it to the regular store today.  I need to pick up a dust pan, too.  Mine cracked when the youngest stepped on it.

I am going to attempt to get the Nine drabbles written today.  We'll see if my brain will cooperate with me.
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Fifteen years ago today I gave birth to my daughter.  It is so hard for me to believe that that much time has passed.  She is such a good kid and such a sweet girl.  I have been very blessed with her, even if she does keep dyeing her hair funny colors.  If the worst she does is dye her hair green or blue or purple than I guess I'm pretty fortunate. :)

I am still pretty wiped out from the trip to Virginia Mason and back yesterday.  I fell asleep around midnight last night, slept until seven, got up until nine (I say got up, really I just went online on my laptop while still in bed eating a piece of toast), went back to sleep because everyone else was still asleep, and got up at eleven.

The follow-up went well.  They took the last tube out.  It hurt, but not as bad as I thought it would.  The worst part was when they cut the sutures which had grown into the skin.  They told me it might bleed and seep for several days, but today when I changed the bandage it was already scabbed over.  I only used half as much gauze as they did to resecure it.  It still might seep, but I think the bleeding is over.  It is so nice to wear my usual jeans again instead of dresses or loose trousers.

He wants to see me again in a month just to make sure everything has healed properly (yay, pelvic, she said sarcastically).  It hurts less now than it did with the tube in it.  It's more like a constant irritation (sort of like a papercut) and I want to scratch it, because it itches, but what else is new?  At least the fungal infection cleared up so it's not nearly as itchy as it was.

I lost another pound since they weighed me last  week which means I've lost 16 pounds since my surgery on the 15th.  It would be nice if that would continue without too much effort on my part.  I know I am eating a lot less since before the surgery (and rarely eating take out) and I'm no longer retaining so much water.  I've also focused more on eating nutritional foods during the healing process.  More vegetables and fruits, organic eggs, chicken, salmon, and lean beef, and cut down on my starches.  I've had rice once, and am eating much smaller portions of potatoes and corn.  I do have the occasional homemade cookie or muffin, but rarely eat bread (toast this morning not withstanding).  So with all those dietary changes and smaller portions, I guess it is natural to lose weight like this.

I badly need to go to Costco, but I am not up for that yet.  I have run out of or am very low on some staples that I buy there because it is cheaper.  E.V. olive oil, flour, lemons, butter, nuts, Charmin, sea salt, and peanut butter.  I also need to pick up some fresh ginger at the regular store and milk.  I might make it to the regular store today.  I need to pick up a dust pan, too.  Mine cracked when the youngest stepped on it.

I am going to attempt to get the Nine drabbles written today.  We'll see if my brain will cooperate with me.
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Can it be Tuesday now, please?  Please, please, please, please, please?

ExpandCut for TMIishness )


Someone make the itching stop.  Or at least direct me to good fic so that I can distract myself.  I will even take Doctor/Rose/Jack if it's not graphic, or I can squint around the graphicness.  Anyone got anything good in the pipeline?  I'm afraid I haven't been paying attention to fic posts for the most part for several days.

I did get a new library book, Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen.  It is the second to last book in the Rizzoli and Isles series.  I believe I am 22 in line for the audio book of the last one and 125 for the actual book.  We'll see which one comes first.
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Can it be Tuesday now, please?  Please, please, please, please, please?

ExpandCut for TMIishness )


Someone make the itching stop.  Or at least direct me to good fic so that I can distract myself.  I will even take Doctor/Rose/Jack if it's not graphic, or I can squint around the graphicness.  Anyone got anything good in the pipeline?  I'm afraid I haven't been paying attention to fic posts for the most part for several days.

I did get a new library book, Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen.  It is the second to last book in the Rizzoli and Isles series.  I believe I am 22 in line for the audio book of the last one and 125 for the actual book.  We'll see which one comes first.
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Well, I got a little writing done today.  About 500 words or so.  I really thought I'd be able to do a chapter a week, but it looks more like every two weeks at the moment.  I guess it's still hard to focus.  Some days are good and some days are less good.  That sounds familiar.  Was that a line from Buffy?  Anyway, I digress.  I've been sneezing a lot today so now my abdomen feels all bruised.  I am going to get a massage on Friday because my body is so stiff and sore from having to spend so much time in bed.  My therapist specialized in pregnancy massage, which is perfect because I cannot lay on my stomach yet.  So she can do massage with side lying, and I can lie on my back now, too for short periods of time.  I am really looking forward to it, except for the fact that I will have to climb a flight of stairs and that will take me some time right now.  I've gone to the chiropractor a couple of times since the surgery, but he's had to just adjust my neck and use the activator on my back because I can't handle any cross body adjustments yet.  Though that is what I sorely need.  Hopefully the massage will work out the worst of it.

I miss being able to take baths.  Once the last tube is out and the hole heals up I think I will take a bath a night for a week.  I like my showers, but there is nothing like a good, long soak for sore muscles.

Oh, and as far as things are going, things are functioning in such a way as I think I may not end up needing that surgery in November.  Things are so much better.  I may still need it at some point, but if I could put it off for a while we could pay off this surgery and then pay off the rest of our (my) old medical debt from years past by March or April.  I feel like I've practically been mortgaged to the hospital since 2003.  It will be so good to see the back of that.
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Well, I got a little writing done today.  About 500 words or so.  I really thought I'd be able to do a chapter a week, but it looks more like every two weeks at the moment.  I guess it's still hard to focus.  Some days are good and some days are less good.  That sounds familiar.  Was that a line from Buffy?  Anyway, I digress.  I've been sneezing a lot today so now my abdomen feels all bruised.  I am going to get a massage on Friday because my body is so stiff and sore from having to spend so much time in bed.  My therapist specialized in pregnancy massage, which is perfect because I cannot lay on my stomach yet.  So she can do massage with side lying, and I can lie on my back now, too for short periods of time.  I am really looking forward to it, except for the fact that I will have to climb a flight of stairs and that will take me some time right now.  I've gone to the chiropractor a couple of times since the surgery, but he's had to just adjust my neck and use the activator on my back because I can't handle any cross body adjustments yet.  Though that is what I sorely need.  Hopefully the massage will work out the worst of it.

I miss being able to take baths.  Once the last tube is out and the hole heals up I think I will take a bath a night for a week.  I like my showers, but there is nothing like a good, long soak for sore muscles.

Oh, and as far as things are going, things are functioning in such a way as I think I may not end up needing that surgery in November.  Things are so much better.  I may still need it at some point, but if I could put it off for a while we could pay off this surgery and then pay off the rest of our (my) old medical debt from years past by March or April.  I feel like I've practically been mortgaged to the hospital since 2003.  It will be so good to see the back of that.
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My mother tired to kill us no less than three times on the drive home from Seattle.  That Everett corridor is NASTY during rush hour.  One time we seriously only stopped within six feet of the car ahead of us and I'm pretty sure she wore off an entire year's worth of tire tread.  The drive down was uneventful.  I still have not been given the okay to drive.  Apparently almost fainting twice during one of the radiology procedures was a big no no.  Actually, they made me use a wheelchair when I was in the hospital.  We got there a bit early so went to eat in the cafeteria (I managed 1/3 of a turkey and havarti with mustard on whole wheat sandwich and a drink) and as we were coming out, I guess I lost all the color in my face and was hugging the wall, because a nurse saw me and told me not to move and she was getting me a wheelchair right then.  *sighs*  I guess I'm not up for a marathon yet, but I had no idea I was that bad.  It is a long way between the cafeteria and registration, but still.

ExpandA Little TMI )
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My mother tired to kill us no less than three times on the drive home from Seattle.  That Everett corridor is NASTY during rush hour.  One time we seriously only stopped within six feet of the car ahead of us and I'm pretty sure she wore off an entire year's worth of tire tread.  The drive down was uneventful.  I still have not been given the okay to drive.  Apparently almost fainting twice during one of the radiology procedures was a big no no.  Actually, they made me use a wheelchair when I was in the hospital.  We got there a bit early so went to eat in the cafeteria (I managed 1/3 of a turkey and havarti with mustard on whole wheat sandwich and a drink) and as we were coming out, I guess I lost all the color in my face and was hugging the wall, because a nurse saw me and told me not to move and she was getting me a wheelchair right then.  *sighs*  I guess I'm not up for a marathon yet, but I had no idea I was that bad.  It is a long way between the cafeteria and registration, but still.

ExpandA Little TMI )
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Changing bandages should not still be knocking me for a loop.  It's a simple enough process, remove the old bandage and tape, try not to scratch all my skin off, cleanse the area, dry it, try not to scratch all my skin off, put on the antibiotic cream, put on the new bandages, tape the drainage tube back in place, curse the blasted, itchy tape, try not to scratch all my skin off, go and collapse for three hours to recover.  Is it Tuesday yet?

I did get some writing done today, earlier when I was feeling better.  Not as much as I had hoped for.  Hopefully I will sleep enough tonight to have good writer's brain tomorrow.  I really want to finish this chapter.  And I have nothing to watch and I finished my book Immunity, which took me two weeks to read, mostly because I had to keep looking stuff up (like monoclonal antibodies and stuff that a degree in genetics might have helped with.  It should not be that hard to read a medical thriller.  And the stack of library books sitting on my dresser look completely uninteresting when three weeks ago they looked really good, (oh, three weeks, better renew online).

For the most part it was a low pain day until about an hour ago when I moved wrong so I am sitting with an icepack over the incision site now and debating if it is worth the chance of throwing up to take a pain pill.  Probably not.  I even made a meal that didn't come out of a can.  Admittedly I made two that did come out of cans.  Trader Joe cans, but still cans.  Yesterday was far better.  I guess it's two steps forward one step back.  I know I shouldn't be impatient.  It's only been 2 weeks and 1 day since the surgery, but I am.  I hate not being able to do stuff for myself.  The kids are being great little troopers.  My eleven-year-old boy now knows how to do laundry from start to finish.  If I don't feel better tomorrow I guess my daughter will be making lunch and dinner.  My son can do breakfast (pancakes and eggs) as long as someone watches.  Plus there's cereal.

Some of that sleeping medicine they gave me in the hospital would be nice right about now.
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Changing bandages should not still be knocking me for a loop.  It's a simple enough process, remove the old bandage and tape, try not to scratch all my skin off, cleanse the area, dry it, try not to scratch all my skin off, put on the antibiotic cream, put on the new bandages, tape the drainage tube back in place, curse the blasted, itchy tape, try not to scratch all my skin off, go and collapse for three hours to recover.  Is it Tuesday yet?

I did get some writing done today, earlier when I was feeling better.  Not as much as I had hoped for.  Hopefully I will sleep enough tonight to have good writer's brain tomorrow.  I really want to finish this chapter.  And I have nothing to watch and I finished my book Immunity, which took me two weeks to read, mostly because I had to keep looking stuff up (like monoclonal antibodies and stuff that a degree in genetics might have helped with.  It should not be that hard to read a medical thriller.  And the stack of library books sitting on my dresser look completely uninteresting when three weeks ago they looked really good, (oh, three weeks, better renew online).

For the most part it was a low pain day until about an hour ago when I moved wrong so I am sitting with an icepack over the incision site now and debating if it is worth the chance of throwing up to take a pain pill.  Probably not.  I even made a meal that didn't come out of a can.  Admittedly I made two that did come out of cans.  Trader Joe cans, but still cans.  Yesterday was far better.  I guess it's two steps forward one step back.  I know I shouldn't be impatient.  It's only been 2 weeks and 1 day since the surgery, but I am.  I hate not being able to do stuff for myself.  The kids are being great little troopers.  My eleven-year-old boy now knows how to do laundry from start to finish.  If I don't feel better tomorrow I guess my daughter will be making lunch and dinner.  My son can do breakfast (pancakes and eggs) as long as someone watches.  Plus there's cereal.

Some of that sleeping medicine they gave me in the hospital would be nice right about now.

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