WOW
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Heather is out of surgery and not even in the recovery room yet but I just met with a grinning Dr Jaucian as she told me of the complete success in surgery. It gets better. It was done completely through the scope so her recovery time is so much quicker than her expected laparotamy. I'm quivering with joy with the realization that she will likely head home Thursday to begin her recovery. This is huge. :) I can't wait to tell her. It'll be another hour. WOW again.
meanwhile. . .
I'm remembering with fondness last nights discussion with the kiddos. There were lots of worried faces but we talked about how trust in God means we place our lives in his hands when we can't see the outcome. "When I'm standing beneath you and you jump from a ledge do I catch you?" all heads nod and smile. "What if you couldn't see daddy but he said to jump because he could see you?" a few worried looks but then some smiles. Today we placed Mommy in God's hands for a procedure that is otherwise a normal operation but it holds worry with it.
Heather explained how this endometriosis pain led to that very full family seated there last night. They looked on in wonder and many follow up questions as she showed God's hand in crafting this family without a Heather pregnancy. Any pregnancy in the mix would have altered this Bauer existence and I'm tearing up to think one or more of them would have been bumped out of the Bauer Bunch.
Aaron
Heather explained how this endometriosis pain led to that very full family seated there last night. They looked on in wonder and many follow up questions as she showed God's hand in crafting this family without a Heather pregnancy. Any pregnancy in the mix would have altered this Bauer existence and I'm tearing up to think one or more of them would have been bumped out of the Bauer Bunch.
Aaron
Into the OR
I've just said goodbye to Heather and gave the last hugs and kisses for while. Carl was administering drugs, Jan is the nurse and Dr Jaucian is ready to operate with her team. Elizabeth wrote a card to the doctors to encourage them to do their best hoping that they had rested well. The Drs assured us they had rested well and Dr Jaucian is keeping the card in her front chest pocket to remind her of how many people love her. I won't expect updates until about 6pm. Thanks for all your prayers. We'll get Heather situated in her room tonight (i think on Swedish 11SW) before we invite guests to see her.
At the hospital
We're here, checked in, and waiting. I'm a little nervous, but mostly STARVING! That takes precedence right now... :-) My last meal was yesterday's breakfast, and only clear liquids since then. I'm looking forward to anesthesia and surgery right now primarily because it puts me closer to eating again... :-)
Not much else to say, but I'm on my to the next waiting room now... :-)
Not much else to say, but I'm on my to the next waiting room now... :-)
YEAH!!!!
SOOOOO relieved! I just got off the phone with my surgeon and the problem is fixed, they got me a room in the Main OR and I should be able to go close to my originally scheduled time of 2:15!! We had thought if they were able to do it today at all that I would have to be an add on case at the end of the day.
I am immensely thankful- I just could not fathom having surgery canceled and have to continue to wait for a later rescheduled date. After all the prep (NO one should have to do bowel prep twice for the same surgery!) and arrangements, not to mention the pain, we are ready for this to happen TODAY!!!
My mom just arrived to stay with the kids for a couple days so we're going over all that fun stuff- when to pick up the kids from school, where the school is :-), what time bedtime REALLY is.... :-)
We're off to the hospital in another 30 minutes or so.... the next adventure begins...
I am immensely thankful- I just could not fathom having surgery canceled and have to continue to wait for a later rescheduled date. After all the prep (NO one should have to do bowel prep twice for the same surgery!) and arrangements, not to mention the pain, we are ready for this to happen TODAY!!!
My mom just arrived to stay with the kids for a couple days so we're going over all that fun stuff- when to pick up the kids from school, where the school is :-), what time bedtime REALLY is.... :-)
We're off to the hospital in another 30 minutes or so.... the next adventure begins...
Pray for the surgery and scheduling difficulties today. They aren't sure they have a spot in the OR. The doc called and is working on it.
Happy surgery to me...
Thursday, January 7, 2010
I feel so far behind it's hard to just jump in with "now." However, the reluctance to jump in with "now" is a large part of how I got so far behind!
...I'll get a chance to go back and blog about our trip to Ocean Shores, and THEN I'll update about preparing for Thanksgiving in the local ER... Or... first I'll get around to sharing the amazing, wonderful, great news that Mom Jackie is OUT of the hospital now while waiting for her heart transplant... and THEN I can reminisce about Christmas, Max's 7th Birthday and the New Year....
Or, I can just start here and now, and actually post something. I guess I'm going with Plan B.
I'm having surgery in 6 days. Big surgery. This is starting to sink in a bit more. I have spent the last 7 weeks (since the above mentioned ER visit) longing for this surgery with all of my heart, soul and abdomen (especially this area- it's been sending up it's own not-so-silent-pleas); despairing that it was so long in coming; and literally counting down the days. When feeling better, I've been planning, organizing, cooking and cleaning in hopes of lightening the load on my hubby and family during my recovery when I will officially be Totally Lame And Pathetic. Maybe I need a t-shirt that says this, just so no one feels uncomfortable with what appears to be obvious, but seems unkind to state out loud: "Um, excuse me, but I could hardly help but notice that you seem to be Totally Lame And Pathetic. Can you really not do anything useful?"
The answer could be on the back: No, I Can't. Of course, that wouldn't necessarily help, since most people won't even see my back unless they happen to be laying on the floor under my clear Plexiglas sofa cushions.
I don't really have a Plexiglas couch (fairly obvious, I know), and anyway, who could fit under the couch with all the books and toys that are "stored" there?
Anyway, veering wildly down a rabbit trail... I promise, I'm not even on Percocet right now. :-)
So, my endometriosis is back, and causing quite significant ongoing pain this time. It all came on fairly suddenly, and once it started, it didn't let go. The pain has not seemed to cycle, it's just daily in some form or another and requires narcotics on the worst days. Hard to do life as usual this way!
In 6 days, my surgeon and one of her partners will spend a couple of hours "cleaning up" after my endometriosis uninvited guest- removing several large masses, any adhesions, and any other spots of endometriosis they can find. After that, I have kindly asked that she please remove the organs most heavily involved with this disease, because I'd like to be done with this, thank you very much. This will be my second surgery for this (endometriosis, not organ removal), and I'd really like it to be my last.
This is no guarantee that I will be rid of the endo forever- 15% of woman with endo who have their uterus and both ovaries removed still struggle with endometriosis... can you believe that? Of course, given that I will have turned 36 three days prior to surgery ...."Happy Birthday to you, would you like that removed? We can take it all for you, and we hope that you'll feel brand new..." (Yes, that can be sung) I'm not quite ready yet to be thrust into immediate full menopause, so will be taking replacement hormones, which can in turn feed the endometriosis. Tricky stuff, hmmm?
However, I am putting in my order for the glorious This Solves All My Problems type of experience. :-) After, of course, I recover from my open abdominal surgery: no lifting more than 10 pounds for 6 weeks, no driving for 3-4 weeks, tired, needing extra rest/sleep (ha!), and getting my new hormone regimen figured out.
All of this makes me reflect on the plans we make. I had purposed to enjoy this year in a special way, to not let these unique moments of life slip by, not not miss the little blessings of this years' schedule. It may sound silly, but this was a beautiful year to anticipate: All six kids in school this year, at the same school. One school schedule to work with, and a couple hours in the afternoon "free." I wanted to soak it all in and enjoy it... just make the most of it realizing that this year will never come again.
My afternoons of Bible study with my cup of tea, curled up in my favorite chair with a beautiful garden view, and silent (aahhh, the silence!) little tasks around the house lasted for one month. One month. Month two: Flu. Months three & four: Holidays leading into/alternating with days of Pain. Month 5? I probably won't even remember month five as I'll spend all those afternoons in an exhausted coma after making it through the morning post-op!
Isn't it interesting how our plans change? I am having to focus so much more on how to really "soak up" this time. I don't want to just get through it, because this is still my life, my kids' lives, my husband's life... and we don't get to do these days again. They are precious, even these truly hard and painful days. How will I treasure them in this new time that I wasn't expecting? What does that look like for this time of life? I don't know the answer to that yet. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you treasure each moment that you're given...
...usually I take pictures, but I can tell you, that is one way I will NOT be treasuring/documenting this time! :-)
...I'll get a chance to go back and blog about our trip to Ocean Shores, and THEN I'll update about preparing for Thanksgiving in the local ER... Or... first I'll get around to sharing the amazing, wonderful, great news that Mom Jackie is OUT of the hospital now while waiting for her heart transplant... and THEN I can reminisce about Christmas, Max's 7th Birthday and the New Year....
Or, I can just start here and now, and actually post something. I guess I'm going with Plan B.
I'm having surgery in 6 days. Big surgery. This is starting to sink in a bit more. I have spent the last 7 weeks (since the above mentioned ER visit) longing for this surgery with all of my heart, soul and abdomen (especially this area- it's been sending up it's own not-so-silent-pleas); despairing that it was so long in coming; and literally counting down the days. When feeling better, I've been planning, organizing, cooking and cleaning in hopes of lightening the load on my hubby and family during my recovery when I will officially be Totally Lame And Pathetic. Maybe I need a t-shirt that says this, just so no one feels uncomfortable with what appears to be obvious, but seems unkind to state out loud: "Um, excuse me, but I could hardly help but notice that you seem to be Totally Lame And Pathetic. Can you really not do anything useful?"
The answer could be on the back: No, I Can't. Of course, that wouldn't necessarily help, since most people won't even see my back unless they happen to be laying on the floor under my clear Plexiglas sofa cushions.
I don't really have a Plexiglas couch (fairly obvious, I know), and anyway, who could fit under the couch with all the books and toys that are "stored" there?
Anyway, veering wildly down a rabbit trail... I promise, I'm not even on Percocet right now. :-)
So, my endometriosis is back, and causing quite significant ongoing pain this time. It all came on fairly suddenly, and once it started, it didn't let go. The pain has not seemed to cycle, it's just daily in some form or another and requires narcotics on the worst days. Hard to do life as usual this way!
In 6 days, my surgeon and one of her partners will spend a couple of hours "cleaning up" after my endometriosis uninvited guest- removing several large masses, any adhesions, and any other spots of endometriosis they can find. After that, I have kindly asked that she please remove the organs most heavily involved with this disease, because I'd like to be done with this, thank you very much. This will be my second surgery for this (endometriosis, not organ removal), and I'd really like it to be my last.
This is no guarantee that I will be rid of the endo forever- 15% of woman with endo who have their uterus and both ovaries removed still struggle with endometriosis... can you believe that? Of course, given that I will have turned 36 three days prior to surgery ...."Happy Birthday to you, would you like that removed? We can take it all for you, and we hope that you'll feel brand new..." (Yes, that can be sung) I'm not quite ready yet to be thrust into immediate full menopause, so will be taking replacement hormones, which can in turn feed the endometriosis. Tricky stuff, hmmm?
However, I am putting in my order for the glorious This Solves All My Problems type of experience. :-) After, of course, I recover from my open abdominal surgery: no lifting more than 10 pounds for 6 weeks, no driving for 3-4 weeks, tired, needing extra rest/sleep (ha!), and getting my new hormone regimen figured out.
All of this makes me reflect on the plans we make. I had purposed to enjoy this year in a special way, to not let these unique moments of life slip by, not not miss the little blessings of this years' schedule. It may sound silly, but this was a beautiful year to anticipate: All six kids in school this year, at the same school. One school schedule to work with, and a couple hours in the afternoon "free." I wanted to soak it all in and enjoy it... just make the most of it realizing that this year will never come again.
My afternoons of Bible study with my cup of tea, curled up in my favorite chair with a beautiful garden view, and silent (aahhh, the silence!) little tasks around the house lasted for one month. One month. Month two: Flu. Months three & four: Holidays leading into/alternating with days of Pain. Month 5? I probably won't even remember month five as I'll spend all those afternoons in an exhausted coma after making it through the morning post-op!
Isn't it interesting how our plans change? I am having to focus so much more on how to really "soak up" this time. I don't want to just get through it, because this is still my life, my kids' lives, my husband's life... and we don't get to do these days again. They are precious, even these truly hard and painful days. How will I treasure them in this new time that I wasn't expecting? What does that look like for this time of life? I don't know the answer to that yet. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you treasure each moment that you're given...
...usually I take pictures, but I can tell you, that is one way I will NOT be treasuring/documenting this time! :-)
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