Monday, November 30, 2015

Countdown to surgery

I have just a couple more days until surgery. It's been nice to have this break from cancer stuff...I can almost forget I have it, except for the bald head, weight gain, and getting winded if I walk up the stairs too fast. So surgery is Thursday, and then my "cancer vacation" will be over. I check in at 10:30 for a 12:30 surgery. I'm not sure how long it will take, but probably a couple of hours. I'll be asleep, so that part will be easy for me. Then I spend the night in the hospital and leave in the morning after the doc makes sure I'm not hemorrhaging or anything. I probably won't post on this blog while I'm there, but I'll try to post quick updates on facebook or have Michael do so.

Once I get home, I'll have Michael to take care of me and a big wedge thing to sleep on to make me as comfortable as possible. I should feel pretty bad for a few days, but after a week or so I'll start to feel better. Then a few weeks of recovery before radiation begins. I'll be done with treatments in just a few months. I think I'm more nervous about recovery than the actual surgery.

I had an awesome Thanksgiving. Dinner with part of my family on the actual day, then another one on Saturday with Michael's kids and a couple dear friends. We laughed, ate, talked, all to excess. It felt wonderful to be surrounded by so much love and to laugh until I was sick. I am extraordinarily blessed to have an awesome family--both sides of it--full of caring, intelligent, fun people. I am so thankful for them, for my support network, and that this cancer journey has not been as bad as I feared it would be. I was on my feet for most of Saturday cooking and going through Christmas decorations, and I held up through all of it. I was pretty sore and tired yesterday so I took it easy, but I'm happy with how much I was able to do.

Please keep me in your thoughts on Thursday!

4 comments:

  1. Keeping you in my prayers Jennifer. Praying for a successful surgery and a quick recovery. God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jennifer - I posted a few weeks ago as the husband of someone with a very similar diagnosis as you and about a month behind in the treatment plan. I wanted to send you the very best for your surgery. I will definitely be thinking about and sending only positive thoughts. As we near my wife's final chemo session on 12/07, it's great to read about your post-chemo recovery. We are definitely ready for it to be over. She is flat out sick of feeling so tired and having that feeling grow increasingly intense and prolonged with each cycle. We can fully empathize with your posts around the joy in being able to partially return to "normal" things. Your Thanksgiving sounds perfect and exactly how life should be savored and enjoyed with friends, family, and laughs. It's amazing how therapeutic and cherished normalcy and laughter can be! My wife has a great perspective about her surgery scheduled for 1/05. Although it certainly will not be a cakewalk, at least each day afterward should bring healing and feeling a little bit better - unlike chemo where just when you start feeling better there is another infusion and the return of cumulative fatigue/strain on the body - cycle after cycle over several months. So, again, we send you only positive vibes and belssings for your surgery. Know that your writing and sharing your experience is extremely helpful to many. Best wishes from Minnesota - J & S

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your kind note and update on your wife. Please send her my best wishes for a successful surgery and easy recovery. I'm so glad you find the blog to be of value!

      Delete