Scattered Thoughts . . .

After showering this morning, I came back to the bedroom to find Sheila propped up in bed and reading.  Considering the circumstances, it seems she is feeling quite well but not well enough to be frustrated by the inactivity. I'm not sure boredom has stepped in yet either because she is probably still catching up on much needed rest and sleep.  What I have noticed and understand all too well is her careful search and selection of different positions in order to find some comfort and less pain. Right now she is taking her first shower since before the surgery so I expect her pain to increase after this little bit of activity and pressure. Any movement, so far, has been quite painful and she is still moving quite slowly. As I mentioned in previous blog entries, the area where the surgeon removed a few lymph nodes hurts the most and this still holds true this morning.  All in all, however, I think she is doing quite well considering the past week and a half... and, it was n

Before a patient can be discharged from Post-Op Recovery, the patient must be able to effectively void their bladder on their own. Of course, they should also be able to get themselves to the bathroom without falling over to the floor and their vitals should be in a safe, healthy range. If everything checks out okay, then the patient can be discharged and sent home to continue recovery. One of the problems Sheila has had consistently in her previous two surgeries was bladder paralysis due to general anesthesia. Her team of doctors worked together to come up with a solution so Sheila would not again experience this excruciating problem again this time around. Both Sheila and I are very happy to report that her team of doctors succeeded in solving this problem this time around! When Sheila was able to effectively void her bladder on her own by mid-afternoon, we began our journey of checking out of Recovery and the hospital. Here, Whitney is wheeling Sheila out of Post-Op Recovery...

The surgery for Sheila's recurrence of breast cancer was yesterday so the day was spent at the hospital. For me, it was a day of just waiting and waiting... for Sheila, her day was a bit more hectic, invasive and painful. This time around, Sheila's opposite breast has a tumor shaped sort of like a bell or a Hershey's Kiss and measures 10mm x 15mm (approximately a little less than 1/2" x 5/8"). The imaging was showing no signs of the cancer being beyond the perimeter of the tumor so that was quite good news. Regardless, some lymph nodes needed to be removed and biopsied as well just to be sure the cancer has not spread into the lymphatic system. The team of doctors seems to be quite positive though.  So, before sunrise yesterday morning, we headed to the hospital to start the pre-op stuff for surgery. Here, Sheila is getting dressed (well...  undressed, really) for surgery... Discussing some of the proposed day's events with one of the nurses as she pr

Yesterday morning, we arose at o'dark thirty... unfortunately, not all that bright eyed and bushy tailed... so we could head north to check into the hospital for Sheila's third surgery related to recurring breast cancer.  I don't think either one of us slept all that well. I admit that I was a bit anxious and I know Sheila was a bit anxious too. Plus, I was concerned about oversleeping since we needed to get up so early. We arose on time, however, and were headed to the hospital within 45 minutes. We arrived at the hospital before sunrise and long before anyone else so we were treated to an empty parking garage and a front row parking spot... We headed directly to the Registration Desks to check in for today's surgery. While checking in, we had a nice conversation with the registration administrator about yoga, strength training, the kids, the grandkids, cruises and visiting Disney... After registration, we made the short walk to the end of the towering lo

Sheila has had a problem tooth for about ten months and we've been bouncing from dentist to specialist, back to dentist, then to another specialist during this time.  First, she hoped for a quick filling or repair... no such luck. She was scheduled to see a specialist for a root canal... went for a consult... more waiting for the actual procedure... Then when the root canal was to be done they told her they could not do a root canal because the roots of the tooth were intertwined with the nerves in the jaw. They then scheduled an extraction with a different specialist.  A consult appointment was scheduled for an extraction and that appointment was yesterday. In the meantime, Sheila's breast cancer had returned and we started all of those appointments a week or so ago.  The oncology surgeon had told Sheila that the tooth extraction was now on the back burner since the cancer surgery is more important. That being said, we didn't want to waste any time so w