Recovering from a Rough Night

First Post of the Day

I caught these pictures of Pepper yesterday. While she was no longer as sick as she had been Friday night, she hadn't slept well that night at all and was very tired.

All of us were.

Craig had spent much of Friday night on the living room floor next to Pep, gently stroking her and taking her in and out as she needed. I relieved him around 3:30 and stayed with her until she began perking up and clearly was feeling better.

We all crashed mid afternoon and took an extended nap together. (As big as these dogs are, it's a good thing we have a king sized bed!)

After snuggling up to me for a while, she rolled over and cuddled up to Craig, right paw stretched out and laid across his shoulder. It seemed like she was thanking him for being there with her when she felt so badly.

Her nap continued even after Craig and I had gotten up. She moved over and snuggled up to Tammo.

He had been very aware of Pepper's distress the night before and not gotten much sleep, either.

Earlier Saturday morning, feeling a whole lot better but still exhausted, she'd gotten into her bed by my desk while I wrote yesterday's blog post. Tammo had laid down next to her and kept her company. Sweet boi.

We kept a close eye on Pepper throughout the day. As the day rolled on, I felt uneasy, wondering if we'd have another sudden go of illness. But she slept with no issues throughout the night and woke up this morning ready for breakfast and the back yard. (The order she wishes I would do those things, but I don't. Hah!)

Being sick can give you a new appreciation for those you love. Fearing that I might lose her, watching Craig (whose joints are painful) get down onto the floor with her because she needed him, Tammo's watchfulness as she slept... All those gave me a new appreciation for them. 

I am so grateful that they are in my life. 

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Baby Steps

First Post of the Day

I'm six days post-op today and I am healing. There is no incisional pain at all but there is still a sharp pain where the mesh is now implanted. I'm no longer on prescription pain meds, but I still need OTC ones.

There is a lot of swelling in my abdomen, so much so that I am wearing clothing that hangs from the shoulders like the muumuu I am wearing in this photo with the dogs.

Tuesday is not our normal day to have Nash and Molly, but we are in an arctic chill and Molly's arthritis has flared up - she's doing a lot of limping. We were concerned about the doggy door at their house - it goes out onto a patio and then there are several steps down into the yard. What if Molly couldn't get back up those steps and into the house? Or slipped on the ice and snow and couldn't get up?

Far safer to bring the two doggos here than risk Molly being caught outdoors when the temps are single digits. Besides, they are good company and a good post-op distraction.

Another nice distraction yesterday were these flowers sent by my siblings. Not only are they pretty, but they are very fresh and their scent is divine! (And so spring-like! Spring can't come soon enough for me.)

There was one last distraction yesterday - Curt called and asked to drop by with Lukie and Ian. They had basketball practice at a gym near our home and came over when they'd finished.

The dogs were over the moon to have Curt, Ian, and Lukie join us, and they all played hard together. I did get them to stop for a minute and come snap a photo with me. (Tammo was still trying to play, LOL.)

Some of my post-op team.

Recovery  is going slower than usual, but it is happening. I can get upstairs again, I did a couple of loads of laundry, and last night I slept in bed rather than the recliner. 

Baby steps towards normalcy, but I'll take it!

Over and Done

Second post of the day.

I'm home from my surgery and recovering. To say that I am thankful would be an understatement. I did not look forward to having a second surgery in less than a year.

I did all the surgical prep as asked, including getting a COVID-19 test. I am negative, no surprise since I have been sheltering at home (er, and the barn) since March 17.

The hernia was massive - the size of a softball according to my surgeon. (No wonder it was uncomfortable to snap my jeans!) And when he tried to push it back in, he couldn't, and discovered a second hernia was blocking the repair. That needed to be fixed, too, so I ended up getting a two for one deal.

 I got the horsey leg wraps again - they really are a way of preventing blood clots by squeezing your legs to encourage the blood to circulate...

 ... but in so many ways I feel like I am getting leg wraps when they put those on me.

My surgeon said that this surgery would be much more painful than the pancreatectomy/splenectomy I had last August. Honestly, I feel the hospital did a terrific job of keeping my pain under control and it has not been too bad.

Enough so that I was glad that I had brought my laptop and could get online in between naps. (I must've take six to eight naps a day!)

Tim was great about sending texts and photos of Abby. That daily dose of the barn and outside world made a big difference to me. While the hospital staff and care was top notch...

 ... I was in a hospital in downtown Indianapolis, and so the view out my window reflected that. No greenery in sight.

 Late Thursday afternoon I was told I could go home. While I waited for Craig to make the drive from West Lafayette to Indy, I got all my tubes out, got rid of the heart monitor, was tutored in how to empty my drains, and then I packed my things and got dressed.

Those drains! I have never gone home with them in past surgeries, so this is a first. I'd brought a dress so that there would be no waistband to press on my incisions, but the drains and their tubing underneath it made the dress stick out in unusual places. Even when clipped to my undergarments, the tubes looped outward. And if I didn't clip them up, they dangled below the hemline. Oh well! In the grand scheme of things, dangling drains or a bulging dress are no big deal.

Since I'd had such good care, from Dora, my daily cleaning lady, to the techs, to the nurses, food service, and beyond, I left a final note just before Craig arrived to wheel me out. 

Even Ashanti, my favorite nurse from last August, made a special trip up to my floor (twice!) to come see me! She is now assigned to another floor in the hospital but heard I was back. Seeing her again was just the best!

Being reunited with Craig was wonderful; he had had to leave after I was settled in my room and was not allowed to come back until it was time to go home. (COVID-19 exposure.) The long drive home went well and, even though we had been FaceTiming daily, it was good to catch up in person.

Pepper is really glad to have me home again. Teacher Daughter Lisa kept her while Craig traveled to Indianapolis and back, and when we stopped by to pick her up, she was so happy we even let her up on the couch - something  she is not allowed to do - but that also made it easier for me to cuddle her.

It's a good thing I placed a pillow on my belly to protect my incision and drains - she could not seem to get close enough!

She was so happy, she flipped onto her back, pushed off me, (OOF!!) and asked for Craig and me to give her a belly rub. It's hard to see since she is so dark, but her head is hanging over the edge of the couch. Silly girl! (Times like these that make it hard to believe she was a Seeing Eye Dog. No dignity! Hah!)

I'm home now and doing well in my recovery. Loni found out that I have been on an all liquid diet for a week already and will continue to be so until for at least the next four days, so she made me some potato cheese soup that she blended smooth. It was delicious and so filling! I slept eleven hours after drinking it.

Now that the surgery is over and successful, I feel like I can move forward and that summer is here at last.  It's time to work on judging the Happy Trails photo show, get my entries into the Breakables show, and sew some cowboy shirts for Pony Pal Cambria who will be mutton busting in a few weeks and asked if I could make her a real cowgirl shirt.

All is well.

Family & Ponies Lift My Spirits

This morning I made it upstairs and into my horse room!

It's been eleven days since my surgery, but I finally felt I had enough energy to get up the stairs and into my happy spot. It's amazing how a little bit of normalcy can lift your spirits and make you feel better.

Friends have been dropping by to cheer me up - look what my dear friend made me!

And family has come by, too. Pony Pal Mila, complete with a new, large, sequined UNICORN, dropped by for lunch on the patio the other day.

I can only have soft liquids to eat for a while, and Curt had thoughtfully brought me a Frosty from Wendy's. We all ate lunch together on a beautiful day under the patio umbrella. (Sorry for the photo quality. I was not up to moving into the sun at that time to get better shots.)

It feels wonderful to be back amongst the models and to be able to have the energy for a family visit and other things. And now that I can make it upstairs, blog posts should become more regular again. (While I have a laptop downstairs, I prefer to use my desktop as it is easier to write with.) I did write eight entries ahead of my surgery and scheduled them to post daily while I was in the hospital, but that wasn't enough.

It's good to be back.