Waiting To Come Home

We were discharged from the hospital on Friday around noon. We are back at the hotel as our instructions were to stay in town a few days just to be sure things would continue to go ok. MGH was such an amazing hospital. They told us if we get concerned about anything just to go up to the floor I was discharged from and a doctor will check me out and call my surgeon if needed. They have a million residents, PA's, Harvard students at that place. Ellison 19, the floor I was on, actually has a doctor on the floor at all times. When I developed my fever he was in my room within 20 minutes checking on me and I had an antibiotic running withing 30 minutes of being ordered. I will write more about MGH in the future I am sure. There are people I don't want to forget. :)

Things are very slow going for me. I am still having some trouble holding my head up since the chin stitches were cut. My head was in a flexed position for so long that the muscles are having a difficult time relaxing back to normal. I really have to concentrate on it and my neck gets tired very quickly if I have held it up for very long. I am also having some energy/endurance issues. Jason keeps telling me to be patient as I am still on crutches for at least another week from my foot surgery and my body has been through quite a bit in the last several months. Its hard to be patient. I am ready to be back to me :) I did however make it down the block to a little Italian place yesterday. Thank goodness Manicotti is a soft solid! It was delicious! I wasn't able to finish it off...seems my eyes are way bigger than my stomach these days. I wasn't sure I was going to make it back from that little walk..it did me in for the rest of the day. Today, we just went to a place across the street but then I managed to crutch around the block and back to our room. I think I am good for the rest of the day! It was great to get out and have fresh air. Poor Jason has been going to get food and bringing it back to me the rest of the time. He is so good to me! I tease him about being seen with me because I do get many glances... my throat cut and all...and then throw in the crutches. I am sure some good stories about what happened to me could be made up! If anyone wants to submit theirs please do! :)

My incision is looking really good and the swelling is starting to go down. They went ahead and gave me an additional week of antibiotics to be safe. I am suppose to limit my head movement for another 3 weeks. I keep forgetting to mention that we go to see my orthopedic doctor the day after we return home and hopefully that will end my 6 weeks of non-wt bearing. I am ready to be able to walk again!

This is the day before we were discharged. The red spots on my chest are 

from where the chin stitches were going into my chest.

Many have asked what post-op instructions I was given. Here are the ones I can think of:

• No driving for 3 weeks (can't turn my head to see)
• No lifting for 5 weeks
• Limited head movement
• No talking 2-3 more weeks and then work into it slowly (no cheering, screaming, or singing for awhile)
• Soft solid foods, introducing solids slowly

We are suppose to fly home on Tuesday afternoon and will be into Tulsa that evening. The kids will already be in bed. :( I am so tempted to keep them home from school on Wednesday. I miss them so badly. We have been able to Skype with them a few times, it makes me miss them even more. I know they have done really well without us and have been shown so much love. I think I may need to see them more than they need to see me :) Oh, I miss them! I am a little concerned because they have been coughing some and Isaac has had a runny nose. I don't want that to keep me from getting to be around them. Did I say I miss them?

That is all I can think of right now. I am a little anxious about leaving because I know that the doctors here know how to care for me if something were to go wrong. Dr.M must have known that would be a fear because before I left he said "I'm always a phone call away".  I keep thinking of all the verses on anxiety and worry. God really knows us! On the other hand, I can't wait to be home. To see my 3 beautiful kids, my family, my friends...and to be back at church. Thank you all again for your prayers and for following my blog. It is very encouraging to us.