Surgery #18 is in the Books

I think it's #18. May be more, may not be. I'm too tired to count. And I'm still under the haze of some powerful pain killers. (Um... see below.***)

Anyway, last week I finally had that hernia repair I have been putting off since 2022. Back in November of last year I had a major issue with it and surgery was no longer an option - it had become a must have. 

It was huge (5" x 2") and accompanied by at least three or four more. Or so the surgeon thought. When he actually got in there, there were simply too many hernias to count. 

I wrote a bunch of blog posts ahead of time and scheduled them to post daily while I was unable to write. And then Craig and I got up early in the middle of a snowstorm, popped the dogs into the back seat ("Wanna go see Nashie and Mama??" is still exciting to them even in the early morning hours) and headed to Lisa's where they would stay until we could bring them back home.

Due to her Seeing Eye training to be with just one person, it is always a little hard for Pepper when I leave her at Lisa's. She may be retired, but I am her partner, the person she looks out for. I don't leave her often, plus she is over there many times when I stay with her so it is a very familiar place, but Lisa said she was really missing me. 

Tammo was a little bewildered at first, too, although he and Nash played hard together all day long and wore each other completely out. (Sorry about your house, Lisa!!)

I always laugh and feel very horsey when I get leg wraps for surgery and this time was no different.

Ready to go and just wanting it to be over.

I had an outstanding team of nurses and doctors (I'm getting to be an expert on recognizing quality surgical care) and the surgeon surprised me by asking if I'd like to pray with him (yes!!) and then taking my hand, gathering the surgical team around us, and praying for all to go well for me! Wow!

Then, when one of the surgical nurses made an innocent but pretty thoughtless comment about the state of my health, the anesthesiologist said loudly to her, "She is fine. That is nothing to worry about." And then he came over, put his arm around my shoulders and said quietly, "You have nothing to worry about. You will be fine. There is nothing to worry about."

Goodness! As you might imagine, after all that, I felt much more confident that things would go well and had NO doubts that I would be in the hands of people who cared about me.

The surgery took three hours and then, after an hour and a half in recovery trying to wake up (I have no memories of recovery), I was reunited with Craig.

He reported to me later (and gleefully shared with our family on our group chat) that my first words were, "Where are the ponies?"

And then a few minutes later, "Have the doctors met the dogs yet?"

My family is enjoying teasing me about those comments and honestly, it makes me smile, too. 

I'm home now and Pepper is so happy about that and is staying by my side. She'd love to get in my lap (whenever I read, she climbs in and snoozes there) but I need to do some healing before that happens. But, she can still cuddle up to me in bed while I rest and recover. I missed her a lot, too.

Not gonna lie, I am having a lot of pain this go-round. The surgeon actually called me on Saturday to see how I was doing and ended up prescribing a different pain killer that is helping. (Another sign of quality care - calling me on the weekend when he was off and not the on call doctor!)

Craig is a great care giver, Lisa and Curt are staying in touch and are available to help, too, and friends have brought food and other offers of help. My out of towner kids are texting and phoning, and I feel secure and happy in the middle of all this support.

It is rough at the moment, but the surgery is over and I no longer have to dread it. I know from past experience that I will heal and improve, and I sure hope that this time that darn incisional hernia stays closed. 

I do not want surgery #19 to be needed.

*** Know how they tell you not to make any major decisions or purchases the first couple of days post op due to the effects of the heavy duty meds you're been given? Well, when you find four Freeman Leidy Circus Ponies the first day post op, two of which are not in your collection, and the owner is asking only $80 for all four, you buy them! SCORE!! 

 Blog post coming on that when they get here but here is a quick pic from the seller's notice. 

I already have the head up pony in pink and blue and the wagon in purple and green, but I don't have either of the head down ponies in those colors or the wagon in pink. And for only $80?! Yes!!