In week 2 of the new year, I've had another banner experience. Surgery. I had a hysterectomy. Now, as not to scare off any men that may be readers, I will not go into any detail of the great women's moon cycle (as I like to call it) or anything of the like. Simply put, I have no further use for my uterus, and it insisted on causing me pain. All of the womankind around me raised their glasses to the farewell to the uterus and we thanked it for its service in carrying my children, but when a body part turns against you, I bid it farewell.
In health care land, surgery is so very routine. It does seem that it would be helpful to have a graphic on the wall showing the answers to all the questions they may ask. Then maybe they would only ask them once. I answered the same questions no less than 5 times, every time the next contestant would enter. It could even be done in game show format. And the answer IS???? Now I know it's a precaution to have my name and birth date repeated a ridiculous number of times, but I'm really thinking that if there were a medical mistake, it's not that the patient that got their name or birth date wrong it's a health care worker that got it wrong so my repeating it over and over again seems somewhat unnecessary and entirely redundant. It's on my wrist and it's the same name and birth date as when I got here.
And then there was the bonus Marla the klutz injury that had to be explained (many times). A few days before surgery I was going through my usual routine getting ready for work. The problem I have is that in the morning, I am one big hot flash. As soon as I realize I'm awake and have covers on I'm overheated and the covers go flying off. Then I step into the shower, which I can make too hot because I'll even have a hot flash IN the shower. So after my shower I put on a light robe so as not to make me overheat yet again. Obviously getting too hot is going against the whole plan here, I am getting ready and applying make-up and fixing my hair. To get sweaty now would ruin the entire thing! Make-up was fine, now hair--I need to use a blow dryer on my hair, but I'm very hot. If I don't take the robe off while I blow dry, I just may combust. I've never actually tested that theory, but I am an explosion waiting to happen . . . on the inside. The robe is off, I'm drying, this task is completed without incident. Then, I am going to complete my hairstyle for the day with (don don don-this is somewhat scary music) the CURLING IRON. I used it on a few wisps of hair and grabbed a piece of hair of somewhat uneven lengths and put it in the curling iron and turned. Oops, I didn't get the ends in there and it will look all bent at the ends if I don't do it right. I press the handle to release it slightly and I pressed it too hard, all the hair came out of the curling iron and the top heavy curling iron slid down my hair and I lost hold of the handle. The curling iron fell down in front of my unrobed body and just touched one thing on it's way down . . . my stomach. This isn't the little burn I have gotten on my neck or ear from a curling iron over the years. This is an 3-4 inch image of the entire side of the curling iron burned into my skin.
So in prepping for surgery, every nurse and doctor had to see it so when they were all in surgery and uncovered my midsection, nobody would gasp and ask what in the hell I had done to my stomach. I started by telling them about my smooth move and ultimate injury because I didn't want anybody asking me if I felt safe in my home or if someone was abusing me. Yes, the only danger in my home is me apparently.
I had to stay overnight in the hospital and was able to go home the next day. I thought my walk after surgery was a little bit on the early side. I know they want you to stand up and walk after surgery, but when I'm barely out of anesthesia and so dizzy the room is spinning I just would think that would be the indication to wait for a bit. But I didn't fall or anything and met their requirement of at least walking to the door of my room, that box was checked.
The next few days were a blur of narcotic pain meds and trying to get up and around and figure out what I could handle for activity. By Sunday (post-op day 6) I felt good. I wanted to get into exercising and work on that new years resolution--let's get to it!! What I didn't think about was that I was on narcotics as I was thinking these thoughts, so whatever pain I may have had was taken care of by the meds. Monday morning . . . one week after surgery. I wasn't going to take any pain meds today, I was going to conquer the pain because I am ready to be done recuperating!!! This had gone on long enough, I was done with everybody needing to help me. I have a great roommate who has been really waiting on me as much as I needed. I told her my great plans, however I was leaning forward a bit because my abdomen was hurting a little. Mind over matter, I was going to conquer this! She started to talk about only one week, there will be time for all that--first recover; to be followed by another friend that stopped and talked more reality, do I want to have to start over and recover twice. All along these talks, my eyes are tearing uncontrollably, I'm crying, over what I'm not sure. This is what happens after any surgery, I crash, like crashing into a wall and sliding down. When I realized that these people were actually right (probably why I was crying, I hate to be wrong) and that I need to heal like everybody else that has this surgery, I momentarily stopped crying. By this time, my pain had soared and I asked them to pass me the pain meds and I took one. Thank God for pain meds!
Now I am just on non-narcotic pain control and since Monday, I've gotten stronger and better each day. I went to the doctor and everything is healing nicely, even the curling iron burn.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
New Year
There have been many happenings in my world around the New Year.
Right before the New Year, I was in a car accident. Just me against the elements was the cause. I came around a curve on a road I travel nearly every day and found black ice. I tried to turn into the slide like I was taught, turn against the slide, brake, no brake...but to no avail. I went one direction then the other and then did a 180 and was on the other side of the road facing the wrong way but still moving, nothing seemed to slow the car. Then things went from bad to worse when I hit the shoulder. Suddenly hitting gravel made the momentum push my car over the edge where there was a hill. My car tipped and rolled down the hill all in one continuous movement. I rolled 1 and a quarter turns and ended up laying on the passenger side. I realized I was stationary and tried to grasp what had happened. In somewhat of a daze, I tried to figure out what I needed to do next as I was hanging sideways from the seat belt. I didn't feel hurt so I then thought I needed to find my cell phone to call the police and needed to figure out how to get out of my car. Things were strewn about the car, coffee was everywhere from my first cup of coffee of the day being thrown around the car. Note to self, get a better sealing coffee mug, I could have really used a gulp of coffee about then.
I braced myself and unhooked the seat belt so I wouldn't fall into broken glass. I couldn't find my phone so I started to figure out a way out of the car. Passenger door was against the ground, drivers door was too hard to open straight up. Then a woman appeared and looked in the front windshield, she asked if I was OK. I said I was, but I can't get out. She asked me if I could open the sun roof, I tried but it wouldn't budge. The glass was gone but the inside fabric door was stuck, no doubt the top of the car rolling over the ground compromised the entire roof. She went to the back and was able to pry the hatchback door open. At last, the outside was visible. I crawled through the car and got back out into the open. I'm ashamed to say I don't know that woman's name, but she helped me out stayed with me until someone else came and let me stay warm in her car. I was so shaken up--I know I thanked her profusely but I don't think I ever asked her what her name was.
I found my cell phone in the back of the car and called my house trying to wake them out of sleep to come over to where I was to wait for the police to come. When my good Samaritan called for help, turns out there was another car just around the curve that had gone off the road too. They thought that was us and didn't know I was off the road just around the curve. Finally I got a hold of my daughter and she rushed out in her pajamas to get me. The sheriff deputy got there and came up to talk to me, apologizing for not knowing I was there. Hmmmm, very cute sheriff deputy and also had a sense of humor. I thanked the universe for bestowing such a funny attractive man with pretty green eyes to take my accident report. I'm sure I'm probably getting a collective eye-roll from the readers, but hey it is who I am. (laugh) I was also happy I wore a nice outfit to my interrupted trek to work. Yes, I know, but vanity runs deep people!!!
I was in the truck with my daughter, cute sheriff had driven away, we sat there waiting for the tow truck to come. I am sitting trying to settle down and think and someone walks up to my window and says something, I jump out of my skin--did not see them approach. I was pleased it was cute sheriff back again. He was bringing me the paperwork to file the report. He laughed at me when I jumped and he said "I hate it when that happens! You can imagine how embarrassing that is when it happens to me." and then points to his police insignia on his uniform. Then, as far as I remember, I did the hair flip and laughed...it's like breathing to me, I can't help it. Trauma over, my flirt was back on. Sore neck and back, but I will be OK.
Now, because of my great friends helping me out, I have a new car. It is Red Hot Metallic. It appeals to me in so many ways. It's another Pontiac Vibe, so it's practical and efficient so it speaks to my miser side yet a racy RED color so I get to be a little wild on the outside. This is just one of my new year adventures and it's only about a week into January. More to come . . . stay reading, my friends!!!
Right before the New Year, I was in a car accident. Just me against the elements was the cause. I came around a curve on a road I travel nearly every day and found black ice. I tried to turn into the slide like I was taught, turn against the slide, brake, no brake...but to no avail. I went one direction then the other and then did a 180 and was on the other side of the road facing the wrong way but still moving, nothing seemed to slow the car. Then things went from bad to worse when I hit the shoulder. Suddenly hitting gravel made the momentum push my car over the edge where there was a hill. My car tipped and rolled down the hill all in one continuous movement. I rolled 1 and a quarter turns and ended up laying on the passenger side. I realized I was stationary and tried to grasp what had happened. In somewhat of a daze, I tried to figure out what I needed to do next as I was hanging sideways from the seat belt. I didn't feel hurt so I then thought I needed to find my cell phone to call the police and needed to figure out how to get out of my car. Things were strewn about the car, coffee was everywhere from my first cup of coffee of the day being thrown around the car. Note to self, get a better sealing coffee mug, I could have really used a gulp of coffee about then.
I braced myself and unhooked the seat belt so I wouldn't fall into broken glass. I couldn't find my phone so I started to figure out a way out of the car. Passenger door was against the ground, drivers door was too hard to open straight up. Then a woman appeared and looked in the front windshield, she asked if I was OK. I said I was, but I can't get out. She asked me if I could open the sun roof, I tried but it wouldn't budge. The glass was gone but the inside fabric door was stuck, no doubt the top of the car rolling over the ground compromised the entire roof. She went to the back and was able to pry the hatchback door open. At last, the outside was visible. I crawled through the car and got back out into the open. I'm ashamed to say I don't know that woman's name, but she helped me out stayed with me until someone else came and let me stay warm in her car. I was so shaken up--I know I thanked her profusely but I don't think I ever asked her what her name was.
I found my cell phone in the back of the car and called my house trying to wake them out of sleep to come over to where I was to wait for the police to come. When my good Samaritan called for help, turns out there was another car just around the curve that had gone off the road too. They thought that was us and didn't know I was off the road just around the curve. Finally I got a hold of my daughter and she rushed out in her pajamas to get me. The sheriff deputy got there and came up to talk to me, apologizing for not knowing I was there. Hmmmm, very cute sheriff deputy and also had a sense of humor. I thanked the universe for bestowing such a funny attractive man with pretty green eyes to take my accident report. I'm sure I'm probably getting a collective eye-roll from the readers, but hey it is who I am. (laugh) I was also happy I wore a nice outfit to my interrupted trek to work. Yes, I know, but vanity runs deep people!!!
I was in the truck with my daughter, cute sheriff had driven away, we sat there waiting for the tow truck to come. I am sitting trying to settle down and think and someone walks up to my window and says something, I jump out of my skin--did not see them approach. I was pleased it was cute sheriff back again. He was bringing me the paperwork to file the report. He laughed at me when I jumped and he said "I hate it when that happens! You can imagine how embarrassing that is when it happens to me." and then points to his police insignia on his uniform. Then, as far as I remember, I did the hair flip and laughed...it's like breathing to me, I can't help it. Trauma over, my flirt was back on. Sore neck and back, but I will be OK.
Now, because of my great friends helping me out, I have a new car. It is Red Hot Metallic. It appeals to me in so many ways. It's another Pontiac Vibe, so it's practical and efficient so it speaks to my miser side yet a racy RED color so I get to be a little wild on the outside. This is just one of my new year adventures and it's only about a week into January. More to come . . . stay reading, my friends!!!
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