Day 3

Wednesday found me awake with the sun. The day found me snoozing in the big recliner downstairs. My tummy wasn't the happiest for not having eaten more than a little pudding and apple sauce in two days. My lungs weren't so happy either, but I kept working on my deep breathing. That caused lots of coughing. Not the most pleasant thing, but necessary.

Despite sleeping most of the day I was so ready when it was bedtime. I was awaken in the middle of the night with leg cramps. I had Jeff get me

another Tums for the calcium and soon I was fast asleep again.

Day 2

After a pretty sleepless I started stirring around 6:30am. I was tired of watching the clock spin round. Jeff was sleeping so soundly and I hated having to wake him. But it was a good thing because it wasn't long before a 3rd year medical student, who said he was part of my surgical team, showed up to "check on me." It was your standard "med student" assessment. If he was part of my surgical team I was clueless.

There was yet another blood draw, and vitals but the best part was the IV was disconnected. The line wasn't removed, but I finally wasn't having to be constantly thinking about the position of my hand. Yea no more beeping pump!

It wasn't long before Dr. Kriesel showed up. We discussed how well the surgery went, future plans, appointments, meds, and the realization that radioactive iodine will happen much sooner than we...I expected. He took my drain tube out. That hurt like a bugger! But the best part, even though my calcium levels have steadily dropped they were still at good levels and I could go home!!! Yea!!!

It took about an hour for my nurse to get all my discharge papers in order. Once all my orders were reviewed, my IV cath removed, Jeff loaded the Jeep and my chariot arrived to take me downstairs. We were finally one our way home.

It was so nice to be home. Wasn't long before my mom showed up with lots of soft yummies for me and baked chicken, turkey and other nummies for Jeff. My brother showed up for a while. It sure was nice to be home.

Before long, it was just me, my wonderful husband, and the dogs. It was so nice to sleep in my old crappy bed. Home sweet home!

Der Tag - Surgery Day

We woke at 4:20am. Actually got out of the house sooner than expected. With almost no traffic on IH-35 we actually got from Liberty Hill to Brackenridge in 45 minutes. We didn't have to even be there until 6:30am. So technically we had 45 minutes to wait. And thus, the hurry up and wait began.

Once the money was exchanged and the last of the paperwork given to the nurses I was given a room, went through the pre-op rigmarole, got my sexy green, 4 sizes too big hospital gown, grippy socks and oh so sexy blue net cap. After

what seemed to be forever Jeff and I finally get moved to what they call "holding." There we met member after member of the anesthesiology team. They had some issues with other patients so it took some time, but they finally put in an IV line. Lactated ringers always taste nasty first off. If you've had them, you know what I mean. Once again, we wait. We were waiting for Dr. Kriesel. Like Dr. Solomon, he comes and checks on you. It's probably to get a sense of where you are before hand, but gives him the opportunity to put you at ease a bit before hand. We went over what was going to go down. I asked if he could do a bit of lipo around the neck since he was going to be in there, he chuckled and said no. Made the anesthesiology crew laugh. Next thing I knew I was getting whisked away. I didn't get to get a kiss from Jeff first but I got an I love you and that would have to do.

We rolled down hall ways, through doors. I remember sliding over onto the operating room table. It was soft and cushy and cool. Unlike that gurney bed I'd been on for what seemed like forever. I think I even commented on how comfy it was. I remember looking at the two big, silver, saucer lights over head. A lady said she was going to put my seat belt on and that was it until recovery.

I woke up in recovery hot. My nurse checked my pain levels, gave me Demerol. At least I'm pretty sure she said it was Demerol. Since I was so hot she took my compression boots off and one of my socks as I asked. I remember the eye goop stuff being extra gloppy on one eye, she gently wiped my eyes. I had a bed next to the window. I drifted in and out, I remember saying thank you a lot, any time my nurse would interact with me. She was very attentive. I listened to the conversations of the things that took place during my surgery. I could feel the sun on my face so I knew I was okay. I got more Demerol. Did I need it? I really don't know. Was the "pain" I was feeling really from the surgery itself or the intubation and O2? I could here my nurse giving a report on me again, and someone else saying, well she is a redhead so that makes sense. LOL

Talk soon shifted to that I'd been in recovery over 3 hrs and there was some one else who'd been there for four and a half hours. They brought in another lady who was very talkative. She kept saying it was so hot in there, and I kept agreeing. Remember the nurse had taken the one sock off, I was working on trying to slide the other one off with my toe. At some point I heard Starflight start up. I watched out my window to in hopes of getting to see it. Yes it's true, I may not be working in the EMS office anymore, but I still love helicopters. It wasn't much longer they said they had me a room finally. The hospital was apparently pretty packed and rooms were a high commodity.

So a chick wheels me up to my room. She and my room nurse get me settled. I kind of relax knowing I'd made it through the surgery, I still have a voice, soft as it may be, but where was my Jeff? It wasn't long before Jeff, Justin, Mom and Dad show up.

So how's I do? Well they said every thing went well. They didn't have to take any lymph

h nodes. So that means it was all (ideally) still contained to the thyroid. Yea! My incision is not in the "normal" spot. It's in the crease of my neck. Which is cool because I won't have the standard thyroid scar, and with my fat neck...the way it is now at least...you'd never see it.

So I spent the rest of the day resting, having vitals taken, getting blood draws and trying to not be too much of a pain in the ass of my loving family.

The evening and night was spent pretty much the same way. But it was just Jeff and I to ourselves. The nurse said she ordered a liquid dinner but a "soft" showed up. Turkey, a huge pile of green beans, mashed potatoes, apple sauce and vanilla pudding. My throat was cut open earlier in the day, and during that I had a tube with a balloon on it shoved down it. I was hungry but that was not what I was interested in. So I thought the pudding wouldn't be bad...boy was I wrong. Bluk is all I'm gonna say. I spent the rest of the night working on that little half cup dish of apple sauce. I finally finished it about 6:00am.

Let the countdown begin

Sunday, the day before surgery I laid in bed and watched the sun rise. Reflecting on how today was going to be (in a way) the last day of life as I've known it. It brought back memories of a morning very much like it four plus years ago when I laid in the very same place watching a very similar sun rise reflecting on how my life was forever changed the morning after Rich had passed away.

It was not long before the trees outside the bedroom were filled with cardinals. I'm a libra, my bird is the cardinal. Cardinals represent change, a change in life or some kind of turning point, and they are birds of strength. I was happy to have cardinals surrounding me, but wondered what else would the day bring? Would I have ladybugs too? Would I feel Rich in the house? What?

Once the sun got to a blinding point above the trees I decided to get up and make breakfast. It didn't take long to find my next good luck sign. There was a ladybug in the kitchen. I went about my morning baking biscuits and making the rest of breakfast. Went about the rest of the day getting things in order, laundry, the chickens, this, that, and all the what-nots. I went into what Jeff calls my "conference mode."

At some point in the afternoon Jeff makes me take a break for a while. And there was sign number three. A very large, very bright yellow, tiger swallow tail butterfly. The ones Rich loved. Once the butterfly fluttered off it was time to get back to work.

Jeff's brother Justin came down and at some point in time I managed to get dinner fixed, and my bag packed. I really enjoyed chatting for a while with Debby and Doug when I went over to take her doggie sitting info. I was a little disappointed didn't get to bake a cake for Jeff, but when I finally got around to that point it was just too late. And even though it felt like it was much later, some how I managed to crawl into bed around 10:30 pm or so. Which was good because I had to be at the hospital by 6:30am, which meant we needed to leave the house no later than 5:30am so we'd need to get up around 4am...ugh.

The Latest Ultrasound

Tuesday night was SO needed after yet another stress full day.

The day started off kilter from the time the sun rose it seemed. Add to it an abdominal ultrasound. I've have liver functions come back a bit high the past few blood tests. So I go to the ultrasound. I'm actually feeling pretty well. The ultrasound well really quick, and not a lot of "click click click" from the tech. Unlike my thyroid ultrasounds. Afterwards head to the office and continue with a normal day. With in a few hours a call comes from my doctors office. The tech had said it would be at least 24 hours. A call so soon....OMG this can't be good. The results were in....OMGOMGOMG (just so you know, quick results have never been good for me) but...every thing was perfectly fine. A few fatty deposits on the liver (hello fat girl) but that was nothing unusual and nothing that can be done for them other than diet and exercise (ah the story of my life). When the nurse told me that I pretty much lost it. Sitting there in my cube bawling my eyes out. Happy, relieved, thankful. I was ready to accept the worst and relieved it was only good news. After a quick call to Jeff to let him know the results. It was back to helping pharmacies resolve their issues and anticipating seeing my man on stage.

A Night on Red River

My last night on Red River for a while.

Tuesday night (the 23rd) was my last night out for a while. It was about as perfect as it could be.

We spent the night on Red River. We started at Bull McCabes. There is nothing better than enjoying at proper pint of Guinness at an Irish pub pulled by a true Irishmen. You can't not love Gerry and Johnny.

We then moved one door down to Hoboken Pizza. Be proud like the pigeon! Love that pie!!!

After some pie we were on the move again...but again, only one door down to Headhunters. Our Red River home away from home. We paid our respects to the Tikis. We hung out with some friends, it was a great time.

The best part of the evening was when my sexy bass playing husband took the stage. Nothing makes me prouder than when my man is on stage doing his thing. It is something I have greatly missed over the past year while The Humiliators were rebuilding. After a great set, we headed home to some very hungry puppies...and bed.

The Pre-Op

The pre-op appt has been done. All the paper work and all is in, the lab results are in, we know where we have to go and when to be there. We have to be at Brackenridge at 6:30 AM on Monday, surgery should start around 8:30 if the doc is ready.