Retirement Dinner For Deefle

Yesterday was another great day.  I slept in until Moses started meowing at me through the door, and I got up after spending a little time in bed with him.  I broke the rules and picked up Zacchaeus a bit later as well, but he only weighs 12 pounds in comparison to Moses’ 17 pounds of sheer lard.  It was Deefle’s last day at work, and I decided to look for cake recipes to make him as a surprise, but he came home early, so I gave up the search.  He ended up wanting to go to Yadkin Valley for a happy retirement dinner anyway.  When Mumphy got home, I took a shower and actually turned around this time and let a little bit of water flow on my back.  It’s so much easier to wash my hair that way, but I hadn’t been able to do so until yesterday because Thursday was the two-week mark since the surgery.  I was still exhausted after the shower and had to lie down for a few minutes, but I recovered pretty quickly, despite the fact that I was being weaned off even more medications that day.  Deefle helped me dry my hair, and everyone got ready to go.  I don’t remember the last time I wore makeup, honestly.  It’s just such a hassle, and it’s so liberating to simply not apply it.  Plus, I’m able to get ready for outings so much faster.

After the parental units were all set, we got in the car and headed to the restaurant.  I took my pillow in the car, of course, but I didn’t want to have to use it inside.  However, the hostess sat us at a wooden booth with a straight back, so Deefle had to retrieve the pillow from the car anyway.  I was so uncomfortable despite the extra cushion.  For the first five minutes we were there, I thought I was going to cry due to the sheer frustration that I was having such a hard time enjoying a celebratory meal for my father because of the pain.  Deefle asked me if we needed to leave, and I almost said yes, but I knew I would feel terribly guilty if I ruined the meal for everyone.  I stuck it out, and I’m glad I did, although I had to keep readjusting myself in the booth, and I had to stand up several times during the meal to get a little more comfortable.  It was the worst pain I’ve felt since I was in the hospital, but I dealt with it.  The delicious steak sure did help.  I couldn’t walk away from that meat if I tried.  It was scrumptious and exactly what I needed, considering my appetite has been so off recently.  The family had a nice time overall, and then we came back home, had ice cream, and watched My Best Friend’s Wedding again.  What a great movie.

It’s so hard to believe that two weeks have passed since the operation.  Dr. Hey said that I would be feeling pretty darn good by this point, and he was right.  I can’t even remember how poorly I felt in the hospital anymore.  I know that it was an absolutely awful time, but it seems so long ago and inconsequential now.  I’m recovering, and the surgery is a thing of the past.  One of the best things I noticed the other day is that when putting on one of my favorite dresses that ties in the back, I no longer have to strategically tie the ribbon so as to detract from the hump on the right side because it’s no longer there.  It’s totally gone.  I’m just now starting to appreciate the fact that my back is now completely straight, and I look so much better in my clothes, and out of them, for that matter.  My hourglass figure is present on both sides now, not just on the left.  The height of my shoulders is a lot more symmetrical, and I’ve gained 2 inches of torso, making my hips not look so large anymore.  It’s fabulous.  Even though it’s still present, the pain is decreasing, and it will eventually leave altogether.  Basically, life is scoliotastic right now, minus the scoliosis.

First Real Outing

I went on my first real outing yesterday!  I have to say yesterday because it’s now after midnight, of course.  Matt and I had lunch at Waffle House for about an hour.  I wish it could’ve been longer, but there were no booths left, so we had to sit at the counter on the bar stools with hard backs.  I brought along my pillow in his car for the ride there, but I really didn’t want to take it inside the restaurant with me, so I decided to just grin and bear the lack of back support for as long as I could.  It was really great catching up with Matt before he heads to Vanderbilt, and if my spine hadn’t started aggravating me, we could’ve caught up on a lot more.  However, an hour was as long as I could last.  When I got home, I walked into the garage, slipped on a small puddle of water since it had been raining, and almost killed myself in the process.  Thank goodness I didn’t fall, or else I’m afraid I would’ve undone all the work Dr. Hey did two weeks ago.  As soon as I got inside the house, I collapsed on the couch and slept until about 6:00 PM because the rain was just so wonderful.  Thunderstorms make for amazing sleep.

While I was asleep, I heard the doorbell ring, but I was too tired to get up and answer it.  The phone also rang a few times, but I just couldn’t move.  When I finally arose, I checked outside the door, and there was a beautiful floral arrangement from Jan, Jerry, and Melanie!  It’s absolutely gorgeous with all of its bright flowers, and it smells amazing.  Thanks so much to them for making my day even better!  I must’ve taken a million pictures of those flowers last night because they’re just breathtaking, and I wish I had a professional camera to really capture all the details.  There’s one carnation in particular that will make me cry when it dies.  It’s phenomenal.  It’s bright yellow with orange and red fire tones blending around the edges, and it’s so full.  Hard to explain what it looks like, I know, but I tried.  I’m going to keep this arrangement alive as long as I possibly can!

After I had dinner, the rest of the evening was downhill and so relaxing.  My parents and I watched The Office, Andrew called and chatted with me for a while, and I forgot to take my medicine at 9:00.  We’ve been weaning me off the drugs, and I just want to be rid of all of them, but apparently that 9:00 dose is crucial.  I started feeling worse pain than usual about 10:00 and realized I had missed a dose, so I got all caught up at 11:00.  Now I’m off to try to go to bed, but I’ll probably be up until 4:00 AM again.  The old Duke sleeping habits are back, I’m afraid!

Over-Exertion

Not much has happened since my last post, but today was kind of a big deal.  We're slowly weaning me off the pain medication, and I no longer take any drugs at 3:00 AM, which makes sleeping a lot easier.  I can tell that the pain is lessening, and I'm getting stronger every day.  Things seem to be going really well overall.  That's why I agreed when my dad asked me if I wanted to go on a walk around the block today.  After I made it past the driveway, I was already starting to get pretty out of breath, but I really wanted to make it the whole way.  However, about a quarter of the way around, things started to get a little fuzzy, and I told my dad that we needed to stop.  All the sounds of the outdoors got muffled, and my vision just kind of started to leave me.  I told my dad I was about to pass out, and I went limp and collapsed in his arms, but he managed to help me sit down on the curb.  From there, I just fell backwards and lay down for a few minutes in the neighbor's yard until I felt strong enough to turn around.  It was pretty scary, but I was only out for a matter of seconds.  I'm glad I told him we needed to stop when I did because I would've landed on the pavement otherwise.  When we made it back inside our house, I lay down on the sofa and just relaxed until Mother came home.

A little while after my mom got home, I took another shower, and she once again shaved my legs for me, but that shower was almost as exhausting as taking that walk earlier.  I had to lie down immediately afterwards.  I wish I could shower more often, but I just can't yet, and it's so hard to wash my hair when I can only face the shower head-on for no more than ten minutes now.  At least I'm clean.  It makes me feel a lot better just to know that.  After the shower, my bandage was pretty much almost off, so my dad just went ahead and pulled it all the way off.  It's an odd sensation having my clothes touch the scar!  I keep feeling like my back is going to split open now that the bandage is gone, even though I know that the bandage wasn't what was holding it together.  Soon enough, I'll get used to this new sensation.

Well, I'm pretty much exhausted after my over-exertion today, so I have no doubt that I'll be in bed fairly soon.  I think I'm even going to sleep upstairs in my own bed tonight instead of the guest bedroom.  I'm just ready to get all back to normal.  I'm tired of being weak and having to have everyone else do everything for me.  Patience is not my strong suit, but this recovery is sure making me work on it!

Another Good Day

Things are definitely looking up.  By the time I finish this entry, I think it will be past midnight, so I'd better specify days instead of using relative terms like "yesterday."  Saturday was momentous, to say the least.  This is going to sound totally gross, but I hadn't showered since the night before the surgery, which was 11 days prior.  As awful as it sounds, I really couldn't help it.  I'd been too weak and in too much pain.  In my defense, I had gotten a sponge bath during that time.  I was only allowed five minutes to shower, and I couldn't turn my back to the shower head at any time, but I got as clean as I possibly could, considering the restrictions.  After I was finished, I was exhausted and had to lie down before I could even get dressed.  My dear mother helped me put on a loose dress, and I would just like to thank Aunt Susan for those booby petals.  They're excellent.  Then, I sat up on the bed while my mother shaved my legs for me.  Believe me, I wish I could've done it myself, but I can't bend at all.  Thank goodness she was willing to help out.  Seriously, once you've been in the hospital a few days, you lose all modesty, and I didn't have too much to begin with.  After my mom dried my hair for me, we headed over to Gog's to visit Poo and Aunt Carolyn.  It was a lovely visit, of course, and Poo and I were able to commiserate about our injuries and how they hinder us.  By the time we left, I was so tired.  Just the 2-minute ride to and from Gog's house hurt so badly because of all the potholes and bumps.  The next time I go on a car ride anywhere, I'm taking a pillow.

Sunday has been far less eventful, but I've also felt pretty good.  Mother and I watched My Best Friend's Wedding for the first time ever, and it was excellent.  I definitely can relate to one of the relationships involved, and on a separate note, I hope that my "George" had an amazing birthday yesterday.  I sat up yesterday for the longest time I had since before the surgery, but I did end up taking a 3-hour nap later in the evening.  Now it's Monday, Memorial Day, so my parents are off work.  It will be nice to just have a relaxing day with them, and my father and I have been watching Band of Brothers again together.  I got the full miniseries on DVD in high school, and it's just amazing.  The funny thing is that now that I've had recent surgery, I hate watching surgery stuff.  I've never had a problem with blood, and it's just surgery scenes with needles, IVs, and incisions that bother me right now.  My mom said she was the same way after her surgery, but that it will pass.  I sure hope so because I've loved surgery TV shows since I was really young.  I was trying to watch Dr. 90210 the other day and just couldn't because the whole surgical experience is too fresh in my mind.  It's so interesting how that happens.

Anyways, I'm probably heading to sleep pretty soon so I can enjoy Memorial Day fully.  I was right about the other day being the turning point for me.  It's been great, and I'm so thankful for it.  I'm not taking anything for granted right now.  Each day that the pain decreases is a blessing, and I feel myself getting stronger every minute.  Thank you so much for your prayers during all of this.  They've really been working!

Turning Point?

I don't want to speak too soon, but I think I hit a turning point today, a week and a day after the operation.  Yesterday was just awful, but things improved dynamically this morning.  I've had a slight medicine change, and so far it seems to be okay.  I might even go upstairs tomorrow!  Who knows?

I did something this morning that I shouldn't have, even though it's had no lasting effects to my knowledge.  I picked up my 17-pound cat Moses.  I'm not supposed to pick up anything above 15 pounds for the next 3 months, and right now, I'm not supposed to be picking up much at all.  However, he was just sitting there looking so adorable, and he was on the bed, so I didn't have to bend down to pick him up.  I just slung him over my shoulder and took him to the kitchen.  That was all.  If he had been on a lower level, I wouldn't have even considered it since I can't bend in any direction right now.  It was just perfect, and it felt so good to hold him for that brief minute.

The rest of today has just been spent resting, watching TV, and playing a bit on the laptop.  It's hard to do anything with the laptop anymore because it's failing fast.  I never shut it off because if I do, I never know if it's gonna come back on.  If it does come back to life, all my desktop icons have been rearranged.  The thing has a mind of its own.  Oh, and the battery won't recharge anymore, so I have to plug the laptop in at all times. How frustrating!

Well, I think I'm gonna head off now.  I realized that the pictures I posted last time cannot be enlarged, so if you're just dying to see them larger, let me know.  I can send them to you, or you can just add me as a Facebook friend since they're all on there.  My goal tomorrow is to get a shower, put on some clothes other than a nightgown, and go visit Aunt Carolyn and Poo at Gog's house.  I really hope today has been the turning point and that my recovery is all downhill from here!

Pre-Op & Post-Op Pictures

Pre-Op Mumphy & Me

Pre-Op Deefle & Me

Recovery Room

The Second Day

Sleep-Texting

Sitting Up

Walking

My Nurse Kittens

Headed Home

Final Product

X-Rays After Surgery

A Central Staffing Day

I was cared for today by Head Nurse of Central Staffing, Helen Faucette Nance, RN.  Nurse Faucette reported for duty promptly at 7:20 AM, and she left at 4:30 this afternoon.  During that time, she provided me with the most excellent care I have ever received.  I was even given a small Wendy's Frosty after lunch, as well as a neverending supply of kidney tea. My family's delicious chicken pot pie meal tonight was provided by Central Staffing Dietician Carolyn Nance Baugh, and I am receiving daily phone calls and emails from my case manager, Marty Jokovich, RN, to check on my progress and lift my spirits.  I must say that Central Staffing truly treats its patients like royalty, even when there are multiple patients under their care.

I spent more time in the bed today due to an extremely unwelcome visit from Aunt Florence, if that means anything to anyone, but I have been up and about the house as well.  Many thanks to BJ's family for their sweet card and delicious cupcakes!  Those certainly brightened my day!  As soon as my primary caregivers, Mary Catherine (my untrained mother) and Nurse Helga (my father), returned to the house this evening, I managed to transfer from my bed into the den, where I have been sitting since.  It's been such a beautiful day, and I wish I could just go out and enjoy it like most people can, but I suppose I'm not fit for such strenuous activity just yet.  I did take a peek at my back today for the first time since the surgery.  I still have a bandage running down the middle, but it's amazing how much has changed.  The hump on the right side is completely gone, and I actually have an hourglass figure on both sides, instead of just on the left side, as it used to be.  The extra height feels great, too.  I have no doubt that I have now passed Cousin Catherine as the tallest girl cousin of the Nance clan.  This dream would have been realized sooner if my back had decided to grow straight in the first place, but it's fantastic that surgery can correct such problems.

I have uploaded some pictures from pre-op and post-op that I will be posting here a little bit later, so just be prepared to see some ugly.  I'm wearing no makeup at all, and I was completely unconscious in a few of them, but I'm being very brave and letting you all see my true colors in the most embarrassing form possible.  Hope you enjoy them when they come! Right now, I'm going to turn on the TV and see if there are any good Lifetime movies on.  We watched Twilight last night, but I can always watch that one again!

Hanging In There

Today has been a bit more challenging, and it's hard to explain why.  I've gotten on a regulated medication schedule now, which is not the best because I have to get up a couple times during the night to sit up and pop some pills.  As a result, I don't sleep as well as I wish I could, but part of that is also pain-related.  I'm on Oxycodone, Oxycontin, and extra strength Advil at different times, but the good news is that the longest interval I have between some kind of medicine dosage is 4 hours, and the shortest time is 2 hours.  Eventually, that will be decreased, of course, but it's wonderful right now.  However, all this medicine is like taking nothing compared to the morphine drip I had.  Man, I miss that so much.

I woke up feeling a little nauseous, but I've since recovered and am starting to regain my appetite for dinner.  For the past 2 nights, I've had the most delicious meal known to mankind.  That, of course, is Goggy's roast beef, green beans, rolls, mashed potatoes, and sweet tea.  She also sent some delicious pineapple nut cake for dessert, and I pray that we have enough leftovers for a full plate of all that tonight.  As Gog would say, "It just tastes so good to me."

I haven't gotten around to writing individual thank-you notes to everyone, but I must report on two more gifts I've received.  This morning, a beautiful blue and white Duke-themed floral arrangement arrived for me from Nana and Boopa, followed by a cute cat card in the mail this afternoon.  As my mom said when she got home from school, "This house smells like a florist's."  It is really a wonderful aroma, and the cats sure do love it! Saturday night, I got a care package from Aunt Susan, which got me so excited immediately.  She makes up the best exam care packages during the school year, and they're always full of the most fun little gadgets and snacks.  This one contained a card game, a glow stick, silly putty that makes inappropriate noises, cotton candy lip gloss, a felt coloring page, a box of soda shop jelly beans, gum, pills that turn into bug shapes when put in water, a DVD of My Best Friend's Wedding, a book of crossword puzzles, silicone booby petals since I can't wear a bra yet, and a funny card.  It was awesome!  Also, I don't think I mentioned this earlier, but Wednesday night before we even left for Raleigh, Granddaddy brought by a large Whitman's Sampler, which has been positively delicious ever since I got home!  Gog's "flowers" to me were a couple loose-fitting nightgowns and an adorable pink bathrobe with green elephants that we bought about a week before the surgery.  Those have most definitely come in handy!

Tomorrow is Gog's turn to take care of me while Mother works and Father will be out of town all day.  I hope she doesn't force strenuous activity on me too hard!  I'm still very weak!  We'll see how Nurse Helen handles her job.  I'm certainly not questioning Central Staffing!  I'm just curious to see how things will go.  Plus, Cousin Poo (Mary Elizabeth) had her surgery today, so I'll be thinking about her through her recovery, as well as Central Staffing now that their responsibilities have been doubled!

As most of you know, I'm not a modest person, and these pain medications have caused some constipation.  When I told Abby about this, here's the text I received in response:

"That's crappy."

Oh, how it made me giggle.  That Abby is one crazy but fantastic lady.

I'm Alive

I'm home.  I slept in the downstairs guest bedroom last night, and I'm slowly forgetting how awful the hospital bed was.  Basically, it had a mind of its own.  Once you adjusted the bed to where you wanted it, it would mold to your pressure points to add extra support in several areas, one of which was the lumbar area - exactly where I did not need and did not want extra pressure.  It was awful, but this normal bed is fantastic.  The kittens were so upset that they were being shut out of the bedroom for safety purposes that they would sit there and yell at the door.  If one of my parents came to open it, one cat would certainly sneak it and come running in to jump on the bed with me.  Moses, usually, but he's such a graceful jumper despite his 17 pounds that I really don't feel him.  Deefle let him in the room to rest with me this morning, and he just stayed beside me and purred.  It was so precious.

I'm up sitting and walking short distances with no assistance now, but it really hurts.  The good news is that my family and I are almost positive that I've gained at least 2 inches in height.  The physical therapists said the same thing when they fitted me for a walker.  They said I was at least 5'10" on Saturday.  I'm pretty excited about that.

While in the hospital, I received surprise visits from one of my dad's colleagues, who brought a beautiful flower arrangement; my second cousin and her son, whom I had never met before; and Uncle Mike and Aunt Candi, who brought me a funny, cute card.  I also received a huge, gorgeous floral arrangement from another couple my dad works with, so my room looked awesome despite me, the vegetable moaning in the bed.

Right now, I'm sitting in the recliner in the den watching Lifetime movies and trying to find a comfortable position to sit in, although none exists. Sigh.  I miss that morphine drip more than I can begin to explain!  Thanks so much to everyone for their prayers and thoughts during my surgery and recovery!

Luby's Home!

Today was hospital procedure chaos defined, but that part didn't really matter. Read more to see why!

Luby passed all her tests in the hospital's "Homeward Bound" gym by walking up and down five steps, sitting in a simulated car to make sure she could get in and out, then walking about 120 feet back to her room. Oh, and all of that she did unassisted.

At about 4:45 PM, we left the hospital, and I have never been so careful to try to avoid potholes/cracks/dips in the road, and sharp turns. Typically a two-hour journey, the trip from Raleigh to Albemarle took about 15 minutes more than that. By the time we got home, she was so, so glad to walk through the door, see Moses and Zacchaeus (the kittens), and eat some of her grandmother's (Gog's) roast beef, green beans, and mashed potatoes. She thought she was in heaven.

Now, Mumphy and Deefle will be her on-call nurses (along with some other family help) trying our best to get all the recovery rules right and especially get the medication timing right.

So, thanks to all of you for your offers of prayer and support. She is doing wonderfully and, while I may make a guest appearance occasionally, I would imagine she will be updating the blog from here on.

Learner's Permit

Luby just walked!

She had two physical therapists help her sit up, then stand up. When she stood, I had to stand beside her. I really think she has gained more than an inch in height. Using a walker and with the PTs close by, she walked about 20 feet into the hall, then turned around and walked back. She was a bit shaky along the way, but she was determined to make it. When she got back to the bed, she laid down and said she was thirsty and exhausted. Right now, she is asleep, getting the rest she needs for this afternoon's walk.

As a side note, she has no more IVs. Her progress is evident.

Sitting Up

Luby was able to sit at the edge of her bed this morning. It was challenging just to do that, but each step counts. I can't say it enough. Her back is so straight.

The morphine was stopped this afternoon, terminating the dreams and beginning the pain. The good news is that with some other pain medication, they were able to help her manage her way through it. Dr. Hey checked back in later in the day and told her they would be modifing the pain meds some more. He also told her he is considering writing a case study on her since he used his new double-rod correction technique on her. We all know how unique Luby is, and here is another example.

Thanks to all the thoughts and prayers, she is doing wonderfully.

A New Day

Luby hasn't been bashful to use the "magic button" to deliver the morphine for pain. In fact, she entered the "morphine dreams" phase on Thursday evening. She told me that there were headless babies (later it was midgets) dancing around a campfire. Another time there was a UFO, and a spotlight was on it. The best dream has some background though. Just before she went into surgery, they tucked that head full of hair into a cap. The nurses were amazed at how much hair she has. I replied that she stole it from me. The nurses examined my decreasing hair count. It was a brief and lame attempt to release the pressure, and everyone laughed, although not to a great extent. This morning Luby relayed another dream. The same events occurred in pre-op, but Luby acknowledged she had stolen my hair. When she returned it, I became Jesus, and our Persian cats, Moses and Zacchaeus, worshipped me. Must be some powerful stuff she's taking.

So, with just a few bouts of nausea and pain, Luby is doing wonderfully. Dr. Hey came in this morning and even before he reached her bedside, he said, "You look great!" He rolled her on her side, and her back was just as straight as could be and the hump that had formed over the years as her spine twisted and turned had vanished. It was an amazingly different sight than what existed a day ago. Dr. Hey is a wonderful and talented surgeon.

Luby's Surgery - By The Numbers

53-degree turn in spine
18 titanium screws and posts
11 vertebrae
3 osteotomies
2 stabilizers
2 cobalt-chrome rods, and
3 hours 20 minutes later,
0-degree turn in spine

http://drlloydhey.blogspot.com/2009/05/word-for-day-beautiful.html

Word for the day: "Beautiful". Luby is the 19-year-old patient. Yep, those are her x-rays with the posting.

Luby's first sleepily spoken words to her Mumphy and Deefle, "Hey, I grew an inch."

Getting Started

This is Mary Hannah's (Luby's) father - her Deefle. Last night, Luby told me to take pictures today, even if she looks horrible. That from the girl who can spend hours in front of a mirror before leaving a room. I really doubt you will ever see those pictures. She also gave me specific instructions for posting on her blog while she can't. I doubt I will follow her rules. They are too general. One says, "Use good judgment." If I did that, Luby would not have been born. Luby also reminded me that some of my co-workers will see what I write. I told her they are readily aware of my use of good judgment.

Anyway, this morning, we woke up at 5:30, and we were at the hospital by 6:15. They prepped Luby for the operating room and gave her a happy shot. She liked it. She liked it a lot. Luby's mother - her Mumphy - and I were able to spend some time with her before they took her to the operating room at 8:30. Just before they left, they gave her another happy shot. She liked it a lot. She liked it a whole lot. They say it will take about an hour and a half to get her ready for the surgery and they will let us know as they get started. More later...

Catching Up

Okay, so I didn't exactly get to posting yesterday, but it was a busy day!  I guess I've got a lot to catch up on.  Moses is resting beside me, so now's the perfect time for a long post.

Yesterday, I woke up to Zacchaeus yelling in my face.  I didn't even hear him jump on the bed, but there he was, and he was loud.  I decided to read Cold Mountain for a little bit, but I got a call from Aunt Susan to join her at Gog's for lunch.  My sunburn felt much better, so I headed over to Gog's, and we had a delicious barbecue meal from Whispering Pines.  A good time was had by all, as my father would say.  I got home later in the afternoon and watched some Whose Line is it Anyway before I once again went upstairs to read.  Before I opened the book this time, I got a text from Abby inviting me to have dinner at El Ranchito with her family.  I went back downstairs and met them there.  That meal was also quite tasty, and then we headed to Abby's house afterwards for Rock Band and Mario Kart on the Wii.  We also watched some of Grease 2, which I had never seen before.  There's a reason I'd never seen it before.  That movie is the cheesiest and worst thing ever!  It was great to watch it and laugh at it though.  As is usually the case, I ended up staying at Abby's house really late.  I got home about 5:00 this morning, actually, and I tried to gently wash my face, but it ended up in disaster.  I had sheets of sunburnt skin falling off my face, and I ended up bleeding in some places.  Needless to say, I look like a monster today!  I ended up coating my entire face with Neosporin and got in bed.

Today, I woke up about noon but just stayed in the bed until 1:00 because I had both cats curled up around me.  It was so precious.  I don't care what anyone says.  Cats just know when something is about to happen and a human needs comforting!  They knew, and they acted accordingly. Father came in from work early, and when he unlocked the door, the cats freaked out.  Moses jumped off the bed doing his typical weird growling thing when he feels like the fortress has been invaded by outsiders, and Zac just kind of looked retarded for a few minutes.  That's his usual expression anyway.  I came on downstairs and checked my face.  Definite monster status.  I may never go in the sun for more than five minutes for the rest of my life.  It's just not worth it, and I'm allergic to suntan lotion on my face, so there's not much I can do.  Oh well.  Sometime after Mother gets off work, we'll be leaving to check into our hotel in Raleigh, and I'll be updating the blog this evening.  Hope everyone is having a great day!

I'm going to end with an awesome text that I got from Abby yesterday morning.  The nerves are starting to kick in, and it's exactly what I needed to remember.

"I am sure you are asleep, but good morning!  Only 2 days and you get a new spine!"

I Smell Medicinal

I just showered for the first time with my antibacterial surgical scrub. That's why I smell medicinal.  It's a good idea to use it and all, but I just didn't expect to smell like the hospital a few days before I even get there. Oh well.  Only a couple more days using the scrub!

As for my sunburn, it reminds me of a certain episode of I Love Lucy, where Lucy tries to get a tan before modeling in an upscale fashion show. Of course, she gets terribly burned and has to waddle down the runway with her arms jutting out at her sides.  That's how I felt today, actually.  I didn't make it to Mazatlan for lunch with my friends, unfortunately, because I woke up and was hurting.  The pain could've been alleviated with some pain medication, but I'm not allowed to take any.  Alas!  Sorry, Matt and Kristen.  I really did want a chicken taco salad, but I ended up sleeping until 4:00 in the afternoon instead.

I made a devastating realization today.  My surgery is on a Thursday. That probably doesn't mean anything to anyone except for fans of The Office, but I will probably miss the new episode!  I never do that!  I guess I could watch it since it comes on at 9:00, but I bet that I'm gonna be really tired and out of it.  No Office for me.  I'll be watching it online as soon as I feel up to it though.

Well, I'm off to apply some more aloe to my nose and watch the latest episode of The Office again.  I'll be checking in sometime tomorrow!

Four More Days

This entry probably won't have much to do with my back, and it's gonna be pretty short.  I've had some pain in my right lumbar region today, but that's the least of my worries right now.  This sunburn is awful!  I have painful water blisters all over my nose and some on my forehead, and my arms and legs are beet red.  It's just bad all around.  I'm going to eat with some friends at Mazatlan despite the fact that I look like a burn victim.  At least those antibiotics in the hospital will help with the healing!

So here's what I have to do over the next few days.  I have to start using my antibacterial soap in the shower starting today, keep taking my calcium horse pills, and not take any pain medications until the surgery. We're heading to a hotel in Raleigh Wednesday night because I have to be at the hospital at 6:15 on Thursday morning.  Also, I can't eat anything after midnight on Wednesday, which will not be fun.  I'm gonna be so hungry Thursday morning!  I'm sure the Jello after surgery will fill me up though.

I wanted to make a correction on the last post without actually changing it. Instead of replacing my vertebrae with rods and screws, Dr. Hey will just be drilling into my vertebrae and putting in rods and screws to straighten them.  He'll be using cadaver bone, too.  Before the surgery and before I am anesthetized, I'll be given a shot of Lorazepam to calm me down.  I'm gonna need a big dose of that, I'm sure!  Then I get the hand IV and a lot of other stuff to keep me asleep, they insert a breathing tube, and they put pins in my hands to make sure they're working all right.  I know it's a lot more complicated than this, but that's the way I understand it!

Anyways, I'm about to shut down the laptop and head to bed so I can read some more of Cold Mountain, which is an excellent book, I must say.  The movie is great as well, so I recommend both.  Off to lotion up my burns and brush my teeth.  Four more days until a straight spine!