Guess who has an ear infection???

ME...not the kids, ME. Oh my gosh! I don't even know the last time I had an ear infection (if it was ever) because I would have had to have been a wee child. My left ear started ACHING like no other today. I mean...bad enough that I cried. I am a wuss, what can I say? It has been a rough month. And when the ear pain began and persisted, I knew I needed to see a doctor. And so the doctor looked at the left ear and confirmed that I was in pain due to an ear infection. When she looked at my throat she didn't like the look of that either. So she took a swab of my throat for a strep test. Thankfilly it was negative. But she DID write me a prescription for THREE different drugs. An antibiotic, a throat gargle thing, and some prescription-type nose spray. These drugs would have totaled $131.96....BUT...I paid $0. How, you may wonder? Well, thanks to my surgery, we have met our out of pocket deductible of $4000. Lovely. Now if I can just get to feeling better, we can move into our new house and have a wonderful rest of 2009, right?? YAY :)

March madness...

and I'm not talking basketball. We have been busy around here lately. March started off of course with my surgery on the 2nd. I missed that whole week of school. Which messed up my attendance...and I had been aiming for 100%...and I can achieve that if I make up those hours but that is almost 16 hours worth of classes I need to make up and I don't have anyone to leave the girls with. So...I am sort of giving up right now. We will see, I will have the chance to make them up anytime before I graduate, but that is an excessive amount of hours to make up. The week following surgery was finals week. So it was a little difficult for me, being sore and on drugs. But I was able to get A's on all of my finals. Yes, I have managed to maintain my 4.0. YAY!! This week my third quarter started. My classes this quarter are Anatomy III, Pathology I, Cranial/Sacral Therapy, Movement, Sports massage, and then my clinical internship begins in May. Craziness.

Also, we gave our 30 days notice to vacate our apartment by the 31st. And while the new house is nearly ready now, finally. I don't feel prepared to move. AH!!! But we are really, really excited. It's amazing how quickly things have gotten done...once we put the pressure on them to do so. When we first saw the place, it was just a shell. The outside was finished, but inside...it was not near complete. just walls and light fixtures. And it sat that way for weeks. Finally last week the work began. Since then, all the tile has been laid and most of it grouted....we hope the rest of the grouting happens today. Kitchen cupboards, counter tops, and sink went in. The appliances are all sitting in the garage, waiting to be installed, the carpet was totally laid yesterday, door knobs were put on all the bedrooms, bathrooms, closets, etc., clothes rods are up in closets, vanities, sinks, and counter tops are in the bathrooms (with the exception of the pedestal sink in the half bath), and all 3 toilets are in!!! So...I think that's about it...there is just a lot going on over there. Oh, last night someone was putting the air vent covers in...so yes, its exciting to see so much progress so fast. We hopefully close early next week. Yes, so soon!! we will see if it's ll complete and appraised. That's the last step. Our loan is ready to go...so wish us luck with the move, I guess. And come visit us in American Fork, UT :) I will post pictures as soon as I have a minute to breathe.

I am also battling a cold/sore throat/etc. right now...so that has been fun.

Is this normal?

I have had a KILLER headache the past few days. At times it is sooo bad I want to die. I am wondering if it is a possible side effect from being under general anesthesia?? Has anyone ever experienced this? Luckily, I have some percocet that takes the edge off... but it is still there. Or perhaps it isn't in any way related to the anesthesia, but I just have some other wicked project going on in my body... Not sure but I am sure that it is miserable!!

It's almost 1 am...

and as tired as I am...it hurt too bad to lay down and sleep. I think perhaps I over-did it today.
But I figured as long as I am up, I could get on here and write about my surgical experience. Keep in mind this is the only form of keeping a journal in my life so...boring as the whole story may be...here goes...

Sunday night I felt so freaked out...I was a nervous wreck. At least I was able to get a good night's rest though! Monday morning I showered and arrived at the hospital just before 8am. Travis dropped me off on his way to work. I was thankful to be alone...because I was too nervous to worry about having conversations.

I checked in and sat in the waiting room for probably 25 minutes until a nurse came and called me back. She took me to my pre-op room where I changed out of my clothes and into one of those real nice hospital gowns...they are so flattering, really. I waited around and then the nurse came to place my IV. And man did she screw up her first attempt. My forearm has a lovely, large bruise. I have a picture, but I'm not really up to uploading photos tonight. I asked my nurse for a rough estimate on time: how soon surgery would begin, how long I needed to be in the recovery room, etc. and called Travis and asked him to come to the hospital around 11. By then I should be in a post-surgery room.

A doctor who was an anesthesiologist came back to talk with me and told me my anesthetist would be Eric...I don't remember everything he told me/asked...but it was part of the whole process. The one thing he talked about that sticks out was his explaining that once I was out, a breathing tube would be placed in my throat. He asked me if I had any questions and I was quite concerned about a breathing tube. Those things freak me out. So I just asked if they would be taking it out before I was back to being conscious. I did NOT want to remember something like that.
Then Dr. H, my OB-GYN came in and told me his plan for surgery and said he would see me in a few minutes. He said he expected things to go smoothly and I should be able to go home in a few hours....unless the IUD was in a bowel or ommentum. Then they would want to watch me overnight. Oh good. Just when I'm at peace, I start to get nervous, thinking maybe I won't see my kids in just a few hours. (Luckily, things went smooth, no problems).

Dr. H left and Eric and my surgical nurse came in. It was about 9:20 ish. I think. Eric asked if I was nervous and I admitted yes, I was sort of. He held up a vial of something he called "liquid courage" and told me I would feel calmer in a minute. I was thankful for that because all of a sudden, I almost got emotional and that would have been messy. Sure enough, I was instantly calmer. Eric and the nurse wheeled me into the O.R. and raised my bed and asked me to scoot over onto the operation bed...I remember scooting myself over and feeling VERY DIZZY...and then I was gone. I don't think I was awake for even 30 seconds in there. I don't remember a thing. Not even Eric asking me to take some deep breaths like he said he would be asking...
Sort of freaks me out how that works, really.

The next thing I know a nurse is waking me up in a recovery room. There was a clock on the wall directly in front of me and it said 10:15. So that was quick. I don't remember being wheeled from there to a post-op room even. Such a blur. All I remember is how dry my throat felt and how tired I was. I started coming around...I remember the nurse bringing me water, I remember looking at the clock on the wall above me, to the left...I checked it every little bit, so I could know when Travis would show up. And right around 11, I heard him in the hall asking for me. I was coming around a little more by then. The nurse brought me a pain pill at 11:07. Travis just sat there...the nurse brought in prescriptions and instructions that Travis had to sign. She brought me my clothes and Travis basically dressed me. I could feel the incision below my belly button without needing to see it. But I ached so all over the place that it didn't matter.

I remember crying as Travis was helping me get dressed...It's just a miserable weird feeling...being so helpless and uncomfortable. But I was able to walk to the bathroom and go. Then I got in a wheelchair, Trav went to get the car, and the nurse wheeled me out to him.

Never even saw Dr. H after surgery. So to be honest, I don't know many details. But they were able to find it and only make two incisions. I will see him a week from today...so yeah...we will see.

I have pains aside from the incision sights. My throat killed from having a breathing tube in. I know they aren't gentle when they insert those things. They figure, this person is out, they have no clue what's going on. So the tissues definitely require a few days to heal. Almost 4 days out and mine is getting there...although it IS still sore. :(
Then there is the pain in the body from gas being trapped. Anesthesia gas stuff that they fill you up with. I don't know the chemistry, or physiology of it all....but I guess sometimes they fill you up with quite a bit, to be able to maneuver around things better? And when I talked to a nurse from the doc's office on Tuesday she said they tip the table so my head is lower than the rest of my body...so this gas stuff gets trapped all through the body. AND MAN!!! DOES IT HURT LIKE HELL. I have had air/gas bubbles in my chest, shoulders, back, and worst of all, up under my rib cage. Seriously. It's like...well, you want to die. And just when I think I am feeling better, it gets bad again. That's why I am up tonight. It hurt so badly when I laid down...I couldn't breathe...I wanted to hold my breath the pain was so much. It's feeling better again...so we will see if it lasts.
I have tried to not take too much pain medicine. I mean, I have taken 1-2 percocet's a day...but that's hardly anything considering I could take one every 4-6 hours.
And Thursday I finally picked up Isabelle for the first time. So seems to be getting better. I am fairly sore in my lower abdomen where they had to search around, etc....

I know I am just rambling...but I am just trying to document what I can, for the memories, I guess....even as unpleasant as they may be.

I think in a few more days I will feel great. But it has been hard not picking up the girls, playing with them like I usually do, etc. Thankfully my dad was here until Tuesday afternoon and then Darcy came until Thursday afternoon, so I had good help.

And the Branch brought us dinner a few nights :) I feel so bad having others cook for me...but there is no way I would have done any cooking. And I know it's important for others to have the chance to do service. So really, it's win-win. So that's sort of my surgery/beginning of recovery experience...

Now if I can just survive finals next week...Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. BLAH.