Ta-Da!!!

In case you haven't already heard: I am HOME! I am happy, I am showered, I am in my own space, I am in my own clothes, I am surrounded by my precious family - and I am THRILLED!

It was, to put it mildly, a ridiculous week. There's just no other way to describe it. It felt like a wild roller-coaster ride, filled with many ups and downs, and lots of giant steps forward and daily stumbles backwards. Ultimately, it all landed me right back here in my own home, sitting at my own computer, and loving life.

It started very early (4:30, to be precise) on Monday morning, when Mike and I tiptoed out of the house and left for the hospital. We were there by 5, and I was in a gown with an IV by 6. They told me that surgery would begin promptly at 7, and they didn't lie. The entire procedure was done laparoscopically, and I have five incisions in my belly to prove it. Because of the abundance of scar tissue from previous surgeries (two in 2005, plus a c-section in 1995), the operation lasted longer than expected (Mike says 6 hours). Monday, of course, is fuzzy - but believe me, I do remember the pain. NOT a fun day, for sure!

I'd have to say that Tuesday was, by far, the worst. There's not a lot I remember from that day, either, other than the fact that I was miserable and scared. And Mike, bless his heart, was helpless to do anything to help me. I do believe that he said more Hail Mary's and Our Father's in that 36 hour period than he had ever said in his life, and he was constantly with me, holding my hand. I'm not sure what I ever did in this life to deserve this wonderful husband of mine, but I couldn't be more grateful, or feel more blessed.

The rest of the week continued in normal progression - two steps forward, one step back - with slight complications with nausea, potassium levels, and pain management - but as long as the overall progression was positive, and not negative, that's all that should matter.

The surgery, thank God, was a great success. Dr. Connaughton was able to remove the entire colon, and re-attach the small intestine to the rectum, and I do NOT have a bag (shout hallelujah with me!!). There are NO dietary restrictions, although I have been told that some foods may be more difficult to digest, or might digest too quickly for my own personal satisfaction, and I might want to avoid those things in the future. We still don't know any results from the lab yet - my entire colon was sent, along with numerous lymph nodes, to the pathology department at the hospital (wouldn't you have just loved to have been the lab geek on duty that day? Sheesh...), but we should know something in the next day or two. At this point we are resting comfortably in the promise that God has always been, and will continue to be, in charge of this entire show.

I desperately wanted to be able to update my blog while I was in the hospital and, in theory, I certainly could have. I had a laptop, I had a lovely private room, I had wireless internet service, and I had the desire. The only thing lacking was the energy. I couldn't get my fingers to move the way I wanted them to. They felt like lead, and the connection between the brain and the hands was sound asleep. I was excited to get onto facebook but, by the time I got to my homepage and read the various new notifications, I had to take a nap. I can do life "slow" when I am good and ready and in the mood...but when I am "forced" to do life slow, well, it just doesn't sit that well! I suppose I'm going to be learning a lot in the next couple of weeks, as SLOW is about the only option I've been given.

My wings have been clipped, and I am under house arrest. The only things I'm allowed to do are sleep, sit, eat, travel to the bathroom, and take very short walks. I cannot drive for at least two weeks - possibly four - and that's going to be a tough one for me. I have many 'guardians' watching over me, and they won't let me cheat. I guess love comes in many different forms, and this is just one of them. I do know (honestly, I do) that this is all for my greater good - and that is okay with me.

I would like to thank all of you for your continued prayerful support. I'd like to thank my amazing mother and father-in-law, Jack and Bernie, who drove down from Ohio and spent the week taking care of the kids, my husband, the house, the laundry, and life in general. I'd like to thank my own parents, Ann and Bob, for flying down to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with us, and for taking over where Jack and Bernie left off. I'd like to thank Abbey and Sam for being such brave, courageous and amazing people. I'd like to thank Mike for being my EVERYTHING - my rock, my love, my heart, my soul. And I'd like to thank a good and gracious God, for traveling with me every step of the way.

My love to you all - Let the healing begin!