Day 3 in the hospital

Hi,
Well today is Day 3 and I am feeling better and stronger day by day. Today I started my day with Apple Juice. Boy was it good ! I feel great and I am very excited to go home tomorrow ! My lip is getting better and I am starting to look healthy again. Went to my exercise class again and did more excersises. Most of the day today, Mike and I played Mario cart and walked and hung out in the lobby area. I had some cranberry juice too, nice and cold and good.
My nurse today is Susan, she is young hip Asian chick and was very cool. She popped in every hour or so to check on me. I feel great!

Midafternoon-
Mike and I were playing Play Nine, and of course I was winning. By this time in the day, I developed diaraherra. Which help releve my gas as well. So I was going quite often. After the game I told Mike" Turn the air down it is getting Cold" cause of course it was like an icebox in my room. Then I put on a robe, and I thought well I am kind of tired, I am going to take a nap. I told Mike, I feel like I am getting a fever. He said no your probobly just tired. So I laid down with a blanket. Meantime, the nurse came in and I told her how I was feeling and she said, you don't want to get a fever cause if you do, there is only one way to get it down. At first I had no idea what she was talking about. So I went back to sleep and later she woke me up to take my temp:
99.9- Not to bad, let's just watch it. After an hour or so, and another blanket added, cause I just could not get warm, she came in again to take my temp: 100.9. Oh no! She said now she would have to call the Doctor and let him know.
I am thinking Great, I what in the world? why do I have a fever?? I had no pain, I was doing great and then BAM, a fever. Well about 7:30pm she came back with the tylenol, and guess what folks?? I could not take it orally or through the IV, yes, yes I had to take it the other way, like a baby ! Mike was there and I was so cold, at that point I did not care. He was laughing at my face and the nurses comments. So she said: Try to keep it in there as long as you can. So I did, I just went back to sleep.

Nightshift- I woke up about 9 and they took my temp again, 102.4 and climbing! I told Mike, call your Mom, tell her to start praying. Mike prayed for me, then called his Mom. I did not want to worry anyone, but at this point I was scared. All I could sing in my head was, "Your my healer, your my provider, I will not fear, I will not fear." I don't even know what song that was or if I made it up but I was comforted. The nurse said: You need to get out of your sauna, which was my bed, since I was freezing, I had the heater on, blankets, socks and a robe. She said" I can not give you any tylenol until 11:30" I looked at the clock and it said 9:30, "so," She said" I am going to bring you some Ice packs and you need to cool yourself down" She also brought a popcicle which helped a bit. It seemed like the longest night ever ! I was freezing already and she put ice all over me. Meantime, a chest xray was ordered to make sure I did not have phneomonia.
12 o'clock came along, she gave me another doze or tylenol and toradol which helps with inflamartion. Back to bed , with icepacks and a fever. Around 4 in the morning, I started to sweat , bad ! Yeah !!! My fever was finally breaking ! Thank you Lord ! and just like that it was gone !

Day 2 in Hospital

Good Morning !!
Today is Tuesday and I am recovering well. Today I get to have icechips !! Yeah !! I got up this morning and walked around several times. I had visitors today. My parents came to see me and then I had a class at 11:00. Excersise class. Chair exersises to be exact. They showed us different ways to do chair execerises and get our body moving and how not to get blood clots. After the class I went back to my room and then had another visitor, Anastasia my boss. It was very nice of her to drive all the way down to see me. She brought my flowers and a get well card. The day ended with more visitors. Mike and Sil came down and talked and played cards. Day 2 at the hospital done ! Until tomorrow. I love my icechips ! Tomorrow is liquid day !

Operation day !

Well I have to be in San Diego by 8:30, my surgery time is 10:30. Mike wants to leave early so we could beat the traffic. We left at 5:15 and met Tim and Angie off the fwy so they could follow us. As we were leaving Escondido area, we got a call from the hospital. They said they were waiting for us cause I was scheduled for surgery at 7:30. HUH??? All my paper work says 10:30am, thank goodness we left early. We got there at around 7:25 and I had no time at all to think. The nurse automatically took me in and I soon as I knew it I had 5 people around me asking me 100 things and dressing me, putting in Iv's and so on. I had absolutely no time at all to get nervous. God's timing let me tell you. As soon as I was set up, they called Mike in to say goodbye and I was off just like that.

Recovery:
From what I remember, I was very groggy but I remember there was a nurse by my side every moment of my recovery. I was in and out of it, but I do remember that. Once I was able to sit up and blow into the lung machine, they took me up to a room on the 7th Floor . Once I was there, everyone came up. My mom and Dad, Michael, Henry and Liv, Becky and Sil and baby Dom, Angie and Tim. It was nice, however I can not remember much. What I remember is that I had a fat lip when I woke up from surgery. I don't know why or how, but I believe I bit myself. I seemed to be functioning well and everyone went home.

Evening Approaches:
As the night came they wanted me to get out of bed and walk at least one time. I tried to get up a few times and felt nausea and decided to wait. Mean time I kept saying I am going to throw up, and there was Michael and the nurse holding me, Man did that hurt! My abdomen was in pain and here I am dry heaving trying to throw up. Finally Mike said I did a "gunshot wound" cough and there it was , unfortunately, I threw up blood, not new blood but old blood. I was crying and telling him and the nurse I was so sorry. They both were awesome and my nurse was the best. She was truly awesome. I could have nothing to eat or drink that whole day so I was soo thirsty. Finally asleep . Thank you Lord for keeping my safe !

Day before Surgery !

Wow! I can not believe it is here already ! I am so amazed. I have been praying peace into me the whole week. I am excited and ready for what is to come. I know with God's help I can do it. I am posting some pictures of me now (pre-op) so we can see my progress. I am so thankful for all my support from my family and friends. I am truly blessed to have them all in my lives. I am a little anxious, but nothing my God can not handle. "I will be still and know you are God"
Peace, in the midst of the storm.

A Mold !!

So today Becky called and said she wanted to do a mold of my body, I said sure ! So I went to Becky's and her and Mike wrapped me in duct tape. After that the girls wanted to write on my stomach and this is how our conversation went.

Symph: Tia can I write on your stomach

Me: Sure

symph:- Tia is the doctor going to push all the air out of your stomach?

Me: yes he is, but very slowly

It was funny. I now have a mold of what I look like to save and hold.

It's A Pre-op Day !!

So have my pre-op today at 12:00 , oh what fun! I am excited and nervous and anxious. So much happening this weekend. My parents coming in, BBQ, father's day and then Surgery ! and how do i feel?? Rushed !! I have so much to do, get my stuff in order and get my house in order, pay my bills, and so on.. Mike said since we be in San diego we should go eat Boxty, it is the best Ireland food I have ever had and its healthy, well some what, it is fish !! So maybe we do that, not sure. I am excited though, this is the begining of a whole new life for me.

The Date is Set !!

Hi, Oh my goodness ! This morning I was so anxious to know when I would have a date, so I called the doctor office they told me that I would know by the end of the day. This was at about 12 in the afternoon. At 1:30 I received a call from Scripps Surgery team, they said that they were going over with me and confirming my preop stuff, I said okay, well I don't have a date yet and she said well call the doctors office and find out, cause I don't handle that. So she continued and was telling me to be in on the friday before surgery since I am scheduled for a Monday and I said okay which date is this for? Friday the 10th? ( cause I was looking at the July Calendar) She said, "no friday the 19th" , I said, " But that is a Sunday." She said "no it is not, it is this Friday. " I said you mean June?? and she said yes. So there you have it, after trying to process all of that information, I am scheduled to have surgery on Monday June 22nd at 10:30 am. After my news I tried to reach anyone who would anwser the phone and I could not reach anyone, so I prayed ! I know that was God:)

I am a little stressed now cause I only have a few days to eat my favorites. I had sushi for dinner and Friday I am having Lucilles which I feel is a bad idea, cause I do not want to stop the surgery for 2 llbs I gained. So I am still on protein shakes and trying to stay away from food.
This is it , what I have been waiting for !!