Recovery update

Well it has been 3 weeks and 2 days since my surgery and recovery is going well overall, but it sure is hard to rest when I am feeling good. Why is that?

The first week home of course was tough and I spent a lot of time resting, plus my low back hurt so bad it was painful to get around. I ended up getting a massage that Sat and felt great after that! I could walk normal again and get in and out of bed with no problems. My husband was home with the kids so that made it much easier to rest

The second week I got out a bit more. My mom stayed with me and would drive us on little errands. It was good to get out of the house. I also had a follow up visit with my neurosurgeon at the end of the week and he was happy to see I was recovering so well , even telling me I could go back to normal activity and drive! whohoo.

Well the third week (this week) My first week on my own I caught a cold Monday and took a 2 hour nap that day. My dad came and got the kids Tue afternoon so I got some rest. Then Tuesday night my cold turned into a nasty stomach bug! I was worried when Wed am I though I felt fluid coming out of my right ear so I had Tony call the otologist and the neurosurgeon as a precaution and I ended up going in to see the neurotologist who as a precaution checked me out. The surgery area seemed fine and any leakage in my ear would of come from the surgery side so that put my fear to rest. He said I probably just got some bug and it will pass. Thankfully my dad has been with the kids these past two days so I can actually rest!

I must remember that my immune and energy levels are not what they used to be and I need to rest more!! Why is that such a hard thing to do?? Its not that I don't like to rest I do, but I feel this need to be doing something.

I am working on relaxing :

Corn Maze

Yesterday we took a trip into the "country" and went to Conner's A-maize-ing Acres! A hour trip ended up taking 2 hours after we got lost! Thank you so much to the police officer that stopped to help us and even printed out directions from where we were to the place! Ryan was way impressed that the officer had a printer in his car!

Once we got there though we had alot of fun! It was a beautiful day.

We tried the corn maze - it was the first time any of us have done one and I have to say that none of us really enjoyed it except for Adeline! Oh well - we tried it at least




But they loved loved loved the big hay rolls to jump on!

Ryan thought the pedal car race was awesome - Makes me wish we still had our pedal car that over the years just eventually fell apart : (

A barn house with barn animals. Ok I have to admit that since my kids see farm animals ften - this was not too exciting for them. The neighbors have chickens,goats and a pony so they see then everyday and right now we are helping to take care of their baby goats so......
But I love the animals always!!! And I can't wait till we build our chicken coop this spring and when Adeline is old enough a pony! : )


The tractor is always fun




Then of course the Pumpkin patch. I think this one is too big for Adeline
Ryan found one - but his lame parents did not have any cash on them to actually buy the big pumpkins! Who knew they didnot take a debit card. Ryan ended up buying a small pumpkin for himself and for Adeline - what an awesome big bro who also happens to be turning 9 tomorrow!! A bday post later
But this one is perfect!
Ahhhhh
These were cool - they reminded me of mushrooms
We ended the day with some homemade old fashioned ice cream. If you look closely back there they have 3 ice cream churns hooked up to a belt - cool and yummy!

Sea Turtle Release

This past Sunday Tony and Sage went Stand-up Paddle Boarding and the guide told them about these rehibilated turtles that were being released on Monday. So of course we had to go!! My mom is here this week helping me out so she drove us out there (just in case anyone was worried that I am driving when I shouldn't be -lol)

These turtles were at the http://www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org/. These 3 were ready to be released!

This first youth is a green sea turtle - so cute!



Many fans to wish him luck
Another green sea turtle a little bit older than the first and just as cute!
Here comes the big guy - a loggerhead turtle weighing over 200 lbs! He had been bitten by a shark several times, but now he is doing well.
waiting and watching!
amazing to see a loggerhead so close in its natural habitat






Once the excitment was over - my free spirited little girl threw off her clothes and ran around the beach - I think she just might be a surfer girl : )

Grandmom and the boys taking a walk while I sat to rest. It was a good chance for the boys to study for their 4h marine biology group too !
my baby girl and me. Not to take away from this post of the turtles - but 2 weeks post surgery and I am walking on the beach!!! hurray

Surgery is over and home from the hospital!

Well last week at 5 am on Oct 4th my hubby drove me to the hospital for my surgery to remove the Acoustic Neuroma. We arrived by my 5:30 check in time and they immediately sent me up to the day stay area to prep for surgery. They I had to put on the oh so lovely gowns and they put an IV in each wrist. (Let me give you a little tip about iv's if you every have to have one. Well apparently if there is too much going through the line, well it makes your (hummumm)privates burn. I did not know this and the nurse most of notice how uncomfortable I was and finally told me that might happen! - whew I was thinking through that "great now I have to go to the gyn after all this is over!)

6am I am taken up to the holding area where I meet all the doctors one more time plus the nurse and who ever happens to stop by the party : ) Finally I am given sleepy medicine , Tony kisses me on the head and I am off. That is the last thing I remember

The surgery took 8 hours and they were able to remove 95% of the tumor leaving the rest so as not to damage my facial nerve. That part may need to be radiated later - we will see.
I finally start to wake and open my eyes and It felt as if I was in some dream, I did not recognize anyone and because I was in a curtain room , it just did not feel real even though I could recognize some voices. Then I remember the most horrible sound - the sound of a saw! Oh crap I thought I am in surgery and waking up. I remember trying to make noises to let the anesthesiologist know I was waking up and then I would go back to sleep. I most of cycled through that about 3 times before the saw sound stopped. I remember finally opening my eyes and being in a real room - I think that helped, plus I recognized one of the nurses. Then once my family came in I knew it was over!!!

Ironically the surgical spot did not hurt at all - my surgeons did a fantastic job! Amazing. I was in pain from stiffness really - I could not move my neck it hurt so bad nor could I pick my head up. I ached everywhere. Then around 2am they wanted to give me a CAT scan - the moving from my bed to a gurney to the CAT scan table back to the gurney then to my room made me so nauesuos and made me get sick on they way back to my room. Ugg! then they wanted to do an MRI - I litteraly begged them not to. Fortunately my nurse was understanding and said we could wait one day and I could have an open MRI!! I just got not go through another jostling again in the same night!

Wed afternoon was spent sleeping mostly and trying to figure out the right pain meds I could take without being nauseous. We ended up with something for muscle spasms, valium and a pain medicine that I still do not remember the name for it (we have the generic version here at home).! THank goodness Tony was there because he was able to keep all the medicines straight and work with the nurses on right amounts of doses. Like when they gave me 2mg of valium and I was fine , then for some reason they decided to give me 10mg!! That gave me nightmares! They were going to switch me to something else but Tony reminded then that the lower dose actually worked - duh!!

Thursday I started a little physical therapy - getting up and walking. I was still on a liquid diet and boy oh boy is hospital food yucky! the only thing I ate was the chocolate pudding.
They also started removing some of the tubes that were attached to me which felt better too.

Friday more of the same : ) I did get visits from my family everyday and I loved that Adeline would sit next to me and eat my soup that I refused to touch : ). I did have a hard time focusing my eyes on things for a few days and it hurt to look up so I spent alot of time with a washcloth over my eyes till Tony offered to get my glasses!!! Then things were better. My eyes got stronger and so did I!

Saturday they finally took my IV out and I was allowed to start eating solid foods, plus I was walking further with the physical therapist.
Then Sunday was the magic day they said I could get outa there!!! No big fan fare - just the nurse yelling "number13 is out" as we walked by the nurses station - what no high fives!

Once I got home I spent the first couple days sleeping and now a little less than 2 weeks since surgery I am walking aound ,doing a little yoga nad I even hit up the coffee shop with my mom this morning. However - I am not taking any of this for granted and remembering to rest,rest,rest!!!!!

I went for a follow up with my neurologist and we will do a hearing test in a few weeks to see if I will gain any hearing again - as of right now I can not hear a thing out of my left ear.

I also want to mention how amazing my husband was through all this - he stayed at the hospital all day Tuesday and slept in the ICU recliner that night. Came everyday and stayed all day and slept one other time there! I would of felt so alone and scared if had not been there all the time for me - I love you and thanks for being there!

A huge hug and thank you for my parents who took care of the kids all week. We origionally thought it would only be a couple days and then Tony would take care of them at night, but that did not turn out at all how it happened! Adeline spent a whole week without mommy and daddy and stayed at poppy's house the whole time. The only time she saw us was when they came for a cisit in the hospital , which they did everyday! Without them, Tony and I would of been so stressed out juggling everything! Thank you - you guys are amazing!

Another big thank you to my friend Julie who picked up Ryan Tuesday,Wednesday and Friday and kept him all day!!! That was such a big help to my parents!!! Thank you to the Peters for making sure Heidi and Dodger were not forgotten !!!

I feel so blessed to have so many family and friends support me through this - it has helped so much!