slow-going

The consensus was that y'all wanted to see the scar.  But I saw a few "no's" so here's what I did for you.  You can click this link or you can click on the link above that says "If you want to see my scar....".  I'll have it up for a few days but then I'll take it down.  So now the squeamish don't have to avoid my blog :0)  And I'm proud to say, that after 48 hours, I was finally allowed to shower!!!  I mean, I have definitely gone 48 hours without showering, but when you have orders NOT to, it makes you really antsy TO take that shower.

I don't know how much I explained about my ordeal in the recovery room.  Basically I knew that with any surgery there would be IV antibiotics.  So I wondered how my body would react to them.  When I was "coming out" of the deep sleep they had put me in, my body started to twitch and then shake and then convulse like I do when I'm having a "partial seizure".  I haven't had one for at least three or four months so I'm pretty positive it had to do with the IV antibiotics.  Anyway, the nurse was going between me and another patient and she said "Are you cold?" and I couldn't answer. I just kept flailing away.  She wrapped me up and put an air hose blowing hot air under all the blankets and then when I kept shaking she pushed Demerol in my IV line.  That made me stop convulsing immediately.

I started coughing too.  The lady recovering next to me was coughing as well.  I heard the nurse say to her, "Cough it out, cough it out......it's because you had a breathing tube."  I had a breathing tube too so I assumed it was that for me as well.  But my coughing spasms just got worse and worse.

They brought me water and it didn't help.  I still wasn't speaking.  I think I was still in a daze.  Finally they just wheeled me to the second recovery room where Matt could be with me.  I was STILL coughing and then once I reached the room, my chest started rattling.  Loud!  I never felt like I couldn't breath, but it was ridiculous to breath and sound like a rattlesnake.  Plus no amount of coughing could get any of the rattly stuff up.  Machines started beeping, doctors and nurses came in in a hurry and listened to my chest.  They tried to act calm.  They asked doctors as they passed by what they thought.

I was given an albuterol treatment and it didn't help.  So they gave me something else through the nebulizer and that seemed to help a lot.  The rattling subsided but now my lungs felt tight and on fire.  They tried to find the anesthesiologist.  While we waited my heart rate skyrocketed because of the steroid treatments.  Matt said according to the monitor I should have been running a marathon :)  The doctors said they didn't even HAVE to listen to my chest when it was rattling because they could just FEEL it when they put a hand on my back.

Finally the anesthesiologist came and asked some questions and listened to my chest and then said that sometimes, rarely, patients can have this kind of reaction to one of the gases they use to put you under.  He said he didn't use THAT gas.  But he supposed it could happen with another.  So basically it was an irritation that triggered an asthma-like attack.  I get bronchitis every time I get a cold.  Inhaler and everything.  They said I may have a touch of asthma if it happens that often and especially with the way I reacted to the gas.  But they told me next time I have surgery tell them that I had Postoperative Bronchial Spasms so they can avoid using the stuff that can cause that.

Anyhow - I was finally able to go home and the doctor releasing me said that the rattling would most likely come back and that if I had an inhaler at home, to just use that.  So this would be sort of a wait and see kind of thing.  I didn't know it would be THIS bad!

I thought I had an inhaler at home but I didn't.  I must have thrown it away when we moved last January.  My chest and lungs felt tight and just walking or talking showed me I wasn't getting enough oxygen.  So I just collapsed on the bed and slept the day off.  My sweet husband had taken the whole day off to watch the girls after the surgery.

When I awoke for dinner I felt better but still had the oxygen problem.  I realized there was NO way I'd be able to care for my girls the next day.

Then the body of Christ came to the rescue!!!!  My sweet Bible study at our church coordinated between themselves to play "tag-team".  They were there yesterday all day, even into the night because Matt helps with Awana and I needed help taking Olivia to bed.  Then today, another sweet family came to play with the girls until their nap times, getting them fed, and doing extras like cleaning.  I got to lay in bed the whole time (sleeping on accident!!!).  And Matt will be home when the girls wake up from their nap and be here for the rest of the weekend.

This has helped my healing process so much. We were praying for help for me and God answered yes in all the situations.  It was so encouraging to see His hand in it all.

I am on a treatment week for Lyme, so I've got that on top of everything else.  But right now, my biggest prayer request is that my lungs get back to normal.  I feel them getting slightly better every day but it is so hard to actually not have the wind to do much of anything.  I can try and push through it all I want, but it's impossible.  I actually feel like I'm going to faint.  So I'm stuck until I heal.

OH, and my doctor did prescribe an inhaler, and a sweet friend brought a nebulizer before the doctor could call my prescription in, so the day after the surgery I had some relief with breathing treatments.

There you have it.  Still waiting for a call about the biopsy.  They said it could be today but more likely next week. I'll let you know!  Enjoy your weekend!