Owwwwaaaaaa!!!

I've been told to log truthfully, so some of you may want to stop reading this and to check in later today once we've spoken with both the surgeon and the oncologist...


...must say, I don't believe I've ever been so uncomfortable for so long *sighs*

Practically unable to move, if Nancy and Kevin hadn't been here this weekend, I'd have checked back into the hospital.

Friday afternoon and night I was in one of three states: moaning, vomiting or sleeping. Kevin and Nancy got only snatches of sleep Friday night as I vomited pretty much every two hours, and they remained steadfastly by my side. *counts blessings* Apparently dilaudid is not the pain killer for me...

The waterbed provided a bit more motion than I could tolerate, so Kevin and I moved onto the futon where I was able to lie flat for about an hour. From there I moved back into the recliner where I was able to get some sleep.

Saturday I stopped taking the dilaudid and started taking the Tylenol3 that was prescribed for pain for the surgery two weeks ago. Later that morning, my normal, aged, chicken neck and shoulders turned into the neck and shoulders of The Pillsbury Doughboy. ...I can hear and feel crackling under my skin -- one eeeeeeeeerie sensation, not to mention how attractive it is.

Since I was in such sterling shape, we were unable to take Nancy to the airport Saturday afternoon; Dede was there to bail us out. Nancy called early Sunday morning to let us know she arrived safely *yeah* Thanks, again, for all you both do for us.

By Saturday evening I could stand by myself, but it was still difficult to find a comfortable position in which to rest, and it was still painful to move. I have no appetite, it's difficult to swallow and the pain is constant, but I was able to sit out on our Veranda until the mosquitoes began putting holes in my veins larger than the IV holes *shudders* Saturday evening I was able to sleep another hour or two. Saint Kevin of da Woods continues to hold his own and mine as well...

Sunday Kevin called the hospital to ask about this horrendous swelling and to refill the original pain killers only to learn later that day that the on-call doctor _didn't_ call in the prescription...he'll be dealing with that today, as if he doesn't already have enough on his plate. So we called our GP, Dr. H, and she recommended switching to hydrocodone which was helpful except that it suppresses coughing and we've been told with these surgeries that coughing and deep breathing are two important things to be doing. So far my coughing has been productive, which means it ain't pretty. *winces*

While I don't have a fever, I flip from hot flashes to chills faster than a menopausal woman on steroids. While I am constantly thirsty, nothing quenches it. While I know I should eat, I have no appetite. While I know I should be walking and exercising, the thought of it exhausts me. While I want to be hugged, it hurts to be touched almost everywhere. The incisions stretching over this edema is a constant burning sensation. The swelling in my neck makes me sound like one of The Chipmonks (the one that sang out of tune).

Last evening we watched a movie, and I did manage to stay awake for all of it. We were both exhausted by 10pm when Kevin finally went to sleep, but I, having dozed most of the weekend, was exhausted and wide awake, so I read for a couple hours. I moved from the futon to the chair only once and I woke up in the futon *yeah*

There is some improvement this morning. I feel tired, but not exhausted. The swelling is not creating as much discomfort. I can lean back, albeit gingerly, on the three incisions on my left side.

We're getting ready to call the surgeon's nurse, and were told that we'd hear from the oncologist today. We'll let you know what we learn.

In the meantime, make nice!