Getting Better Every Day!

It seems like ages since my surgery! And I'm getting impatient with this whole thing. Even though I'm feeling better every day, I'm VERY impatient with the fact that I still can't bend over to pick up things, etc. And wouldn't you know, Buster seems to know this and has decided to work on my last nerve by pooping on the floor!!!! What's this all about!!!?????? He was so easy to train as a puppy and NEVER did his business inside! Bottom line is, I can't bend down there to pick it up. Patsy and I make a great cartoon scenerio as we work together --- her on two canes, me stiff like the tin man --- trying to clean up after this horrible dog! It didn't help that he stole my raw chicken wings off the counter, too! It was NOT one of his better days!

Thursday, my sister and I headed back to the surgeon's office for a check on the stitches and drains. My surgeon was away, so his trusty sidekick did the job! I was so glad to get rid of one of the drains anyways. Wish it was both. Being that I didn't know if this job would hurt or not (internet description said "relatively painless", whatever that means!), I braced myself, tightly closed my eyes, stiffened up, and . . . . out came this 4 foot long garden hose of a drain! No wonder my ribs hurt with all that in there!!!!

I was sure the stitches were looking terrible, pulled apart and nasty red. But whenever I think something is trouble, the Dr. always seem to say it's doing wonderful! Red is good! Gray or Black is trouble. Mine is red, so I was good to go!

We asked about the pathology report and he rummaged through my book thick chart to find it. I was disappointed to find out that 5 out of the 15 lymph nodes did show cancer cells. The rest of what he said I didn't understand and will ask my cancer Dr. on Monday to explain it all to me. I hope this doesn't mean another round of that horrible chemo. But. . . . whatever it takes, I guess.

I'm not doing too well with lifting my arm at the shoulder. It just won't go. I don't know if it's too early to expect much or if the severed nerve is to blame for this. More questions for Monday as I will also be seeing the surgeon again.

I'm just so thankful that this phase of the "cure" is behind me! I've been dreading the surgery since June. And I don't make a good patient at all. Even an itch that I can't reach to scratch makes me crabby. I'm tired of laying around all day, too. I tried doing some stitching yesterday, but found that I had to prop up my arm with pillows, etc., in order to get it going. Once I was good to go, I had to pee. Another major ordeal just to get out of the recliner, to the bathroom, down on the toilet, and the worst. . . . back UP again! It's much easier to just stay in the UP position and get lots of things done while I'm up there. I've been told that when you get crabby, impatient, etc., that you are on the way to being well, so I guess I'm just about there!

In the midst of all this, though, I'm just so thankful for so many things! Especially for my wonderful sister who understands it all. The journey through all this is still so fresh and recent in her own mind and she understands the fears, the questions, the Dr.s who beat around the bush, etc. She went through a whole lot more than I did, believe me! We laughed so hard the other day as I tried to get in the car --- stiff, couldn't bend, couldn't get my leg up into the car, etc. She picked up my leg and threw it in for me! It was soooo good to have lunch out after the Dr. visit. It felt so . . . . normal!

Today was Angel Food pick up day. I had ordered and paid for it weeks ago, so it seemed "free" to me! Everything looked so fresh and good and I just can't wait to dive into it all. First on my list for tonight will be the cheese stuffed manicotti. I'll make a meat sauce to go with it and a small salad.

I left out my whole roasting chicken for tomorrow's dinner. It's a biggie, believe me. So that should do for several meals. I'm thinking of digging out my rotisserie to cook it on. Haven't done that in quite a while and sounds so wonderful!

Thank you, all of you, who have been checking in on me, praying for me, and sending me so many kind notes! YOu don't know how much I appreciate each and every one of you and thank the Lord every day that you have come into my life! Your prayers mean everything thing to me and I feel so strengthened because of you! It's been so great to go to each of your blogs, read about your daily lives ----- and I wonder how in the world you remember me and my problems in the midst of what goes on in YOUR lives. I guess that is what is so wonderful about friends! There's always room in the heart of a friend, isn't there????