I've been switched!

Where to begin - it's been a week since i've posted and so much has happened!

The main news I guess is that I've been switched.

After arriving in Auburn Hills late Tuesday night we had a very short sleep before it was time to go and see Dr L. Unfortunately he was caught at the hospital but Julie took me through all the things I needed to know and we headed out to buy the vitamins that I would need post surgery, as well as find some liquid food that would get me through the day. Back to see Dr L at noon where he promptly scared the living daylights out of my husband.

Unlike the last consult, where he covered the risks at a fairly high level, this time he went into graphic detail of the potential risks. Hubby was beside himself - then and there he decided he was staying in Michigan until at least Saturday to make sure everything was ok. I wanted him to go home on Friday to be with the kids. As is happened nature intervened with a threatened snow storm and he ended up leaving late Thursday night, but I jump ahead.

Thursday morning we were at the hospital by 5am. I was not nervous at all. I remember seeing the inside of the operating room and the next thing I knew I was talking to hubby in my room, with him telling me he would go home. What I don't remember is the repeated discussions we had about this with him saying he wanted to stay and me insisting he go home to beat the storm. Poor guy - he must have felt like crap. Especially after he had not been allowed to see me until nearly 5pm. Apparently surgery was done at around noon but they didn't have a room straight away so I was in recovery for a long time. I will have to work harder at being nice to him - he really does care. A lot.

My stay in the hospital was an interesting one. My room mate was a 93 year old woman who had been brought in with a UTI but she ended up with dementia. Let's just say that the first two nights were not peaceful ones. She would shout out asking to be helped or taken home. She would talk of her long dead mother and husband as if they were alive. She really had no idea where she was or why. It was heartbreaking. It also made for quite the distraction - it's hard to focus on feeling like crap when you have this going on less than three feet away. Her companion, a friend of hers, was an amazing woman. She would spend six to seven hours a day at her bedside, talking to her, feeding her and advocating for her. She was really inspiring.

I was released yesterday and am now staying with my friends in Farmington Hills. They've been wonderful. As I write, their little girl is at my feet colouring in her new book. It's so comfortable being with this family. I am incredibly lucky.

I am recovering well. I am experiecing very little pain but am struggling with food a little. I find that I just don't want it. I am spending too much time running to the washroom to even want to consider food before noon. I know this is just a symptom of my bowel being beaten up during surgery but I am looking forward to this stage passing. I am trying to drink lots of water (ie 1 litre a day which is lots when you consider the size of my new stomach!) and forcing myself to have my protein drink. It'll get easier. In the meantime I feel pretty good.

I had to laugh today - my shower turned into a 3 part process that spanned well over an hour. Firstly I washed and then I sat down on the tiolet contemplating getting dressed for at least 20 minutes. And I mean contemplating. At that point the thought of getting dressed was simply overwhelming. I got dressed and then sat down on the sofa to rest for a few minutes before drying my hair. Well, that turned into a 20 minute nap at which time the third part of the process was to attempt to save myself from a really bad hair day, since much had dried already. I can see why I need to take 4 - 6 weeks of work for this one - it's going to take me all day just to go through the basic functions. LOL!

I get my staples out on Friday so hopefully will then be able to update with some more of the technical details of the surgery itself. While in the hospital I didn't think to ask. I didn't care.

So there, in a nut shell, was my last week. I am excited to be on this new part of my lifes journey. I have a lot to learn and I'm ready for it all!