Surgerification

Hello all.

I have been surgerized. I am feeling surprisingly well! I remember feeling much, much worse when I got the surgery back in 2007. I have no idea what could be causing the difference, but I'll take it! Hooray for being well-navigated on the road to recovery.

Today was kind of a blur, as one might imagine. I got picked up from my hospital room at about 9:45 a.m. to head the building for surgery. The wheelchair ride was pretty fun. It's interesting to watch people look at you as they try to figure out what's wrong. I got to the surgery clinic, signed some paperwork, and headed into the OR (on foot, which I found amusing). They gave me some sedatives, but I honestly have no idea when they actually even started with the anesthesia.

When I woke up from surgery, I had no idea what time it was, I felt surprisingly good, and I was chatting with a nice nurse named Anna. I didn't stay down in recovery for very long because I was doing so well already. My transporter came to get me again and took me on a stretcher back to my room. I vaguely remember announcing "kill or be killed" throughout the gurney journey (you like that?).

After I got back to my room, I wanted to eat. SHOCK! My mom went and got me some chocolate frozen yogurt, so that was nice; my throat was a little irritated from the tube they had down it during surgery. I closed my eyes and rested some, but I don't think I ever actually fell asleep. I had a baked potato and a little bit of chicken for dinner, followed up with some cherry-flavored Italian ice. Yum! I've been snacking all night - I'm not sure what's causing this crazy appetite. Cabin fever, perhaps?

Word on the street is that I'm headed home on IVs tomorrow. I'm excited about that because I've been wanting to write, but the hospital has been quite distracting. For example, someone is waxing the floors right now and it's 12:23 a.m. Speaking of, I wonder where the nurse is with my midnight IV...

Thank you to everyone for sending me well wishes for my surgery. They seem to have worked because this is unbelievably easy (knock on wood)!

I am still alive

Hi. I am still alive. Despite reaching an uncharted level yesterday, I have lived to tell about it. Yesterday was absolutely fascinating. Although I got stuck by needles 28 times and exercised to the point of not being able to speak, I am glad I participated. I literally rode on an exercise bike in a 90-degree heat chamber for almost three hours.

When I got off of the bike, I literally felt close to death. I felt as though I was going in and out of consciousness, much like the feeling before going under anesthesia. I wasn't sure if people were truly talking to me or if I was hearing voices. I also wasn't sure if I was responding or if I was simply thinking the responses. It was an extremely strange feeling.

Being that I'm a very independent person, I knew that I was at a point of desperation. I had to have someone help undress me and help me use the restroom. The researchers had to collect a urine sample after the exercise section, and a lady literally held the urine sample container under me because I could not do it myself. It was a neat feeling to be at a point of helplessness because I'm not sure that I've been like that before. The closest I've ever been was in the midst of an asthma attack, but at least I knew what was happening in those situations.

I am glad I participated, even though I don't feel as though my head is entirely back. The researchers were concerned that I could have been suffering from hyponatremia, so I was literally eating and drinking salt in order to help correct my electrolyte imbalance, if that's what was happening. Yesterday was crazy! It was a thrill! I don't think I want to do it again, though...