Adventures in Oz-The saga continues

[Guest guest]

Dear Gang,

For those of you interested, the saga continues. I am staying

at an even 20 pound weight loss so far. . Yes, I must have

gotton the nurses cut. I was thinking about your attorney's cut

today while I was stocking the cooler. I told O and some of the

others I was really just severely stabbed 5 times (shhhhh! don't tell

the words, K?) I thought maybe I really did just get stabbed and my

mind thinks I had surgery. But, that can't be true. (I told

everyone I retained a LOT of water! Now, maybe they will believe me.

Geez, 20 pounds of water, that HAS to be a world record or something)

July 20th--It's 5 am and I have to pee. I try to ignore the

constant pumping up and deflation of the device that is on my legs to

help with circulation. I try to ignore the fact that my bladder is

getting really full, but the stupid leg cuffs won't let me sleep. I

finally hit the nurses call button. Thinking I will reap what I sow

I don't want to bother my nice nurse too much. She cheerfully comes

in and removes my plastic leg boots and I am sweating so bad on my

legs I feel free from it's prison like bindings. I ask if she will

take off my socks too. (Breathe, feet breathe....ahhh) She helps me

stand up and I tell her as many others before her sorry, you have to

close the door and go outside. She makes sure I get into the

bathroom. I worry about my butt showing again and the IV line

getting tangled. I 'gracefully' make it. I am dizzy as heck but I

keep remembering words of Dr. R and fellow MGB'ers....get up and walk

as soon as possible. I make it back to my bed and sit on the side.

I have slight gas pains in my upper abdominal area but nothing

unbearable. I gently reach down and slide off my stockings....ahhhh

more freedom. Joyce meets me outside, as does O, and we start

walking down the hall. (I think a nurse came in before and told me I

have to wear socks so I won't slip. RRRRR I hate being HOT!) I

imagine to patients in the rooms we probably looked like some big

ghosts who got splattered with blue patterned paint. We pushed our

IV poles, one of ours had a squeak, although I can't recall who's

now. and I leave Joyce in her room (She had been walking all

over the hospital hours before us) and we meet Dr. R in the hallway.

He starts shaking his finger at us because he has already left our

discharge information. He tells and I how long our dance

session lasted and asks if we have any questions. (He has to dance

with and a today). He told us that Joyce was the reason

we had to wait so long because of her previous gall bladder removal

that left her with horrible scar tissue. He said that both and

I had beautiful livers. (Awwww, isn't that great?) and I tired

of our expedition went back and started pressing the IV pain pump so

we could sleep. In comes my nurse that reminds me of Sandy Duncan.

I could swear if she were any more chipper she was going to offer me

a Triscuit....LOL She tells me that I can go as soon as I want to

and then takes my IV away from me....(cry...cry) I call Tami to come

get me, and she comes like 4 hours later. (she was tired from

running all over the place the night before. Oh, yeah, the makeup

thing too.) During this time people called to check on me. Dona

Farmer from VA and Flo from MD. I had never heard Flo's voice. She

sounded like she was younger than me, with a soft beautiful voice

that sounded like an angel. I talked to my 'sister' Amy. Ok, Amy, I

WAS jealous that you got to dance before me but it's just a sibling

rivalry thing. (You were always the younger, cuter one!) I am d/c

from the hospital. I sleep forever it seems. Because of Joyce's

complications she cannot come 'home' with us until Friday.

July 21--Tami and I get ready to go to the hospital to pick up

Joyce and she surprises us by knocking on the hotel room door.

L and her hubby dropped her off without our knowing.

We were all ready to go visit all the patients from the day before.

Joyce said everyone had gone 'home'. Tami and I got ready anyway and

went to the hospital. We couldn't find anyone we knew. I called Dr.

R while I was there. The OR nurse said, " Spacey is on the

phone. You know the one you did Wednesday " . I was trying to tell

her, " No, No...I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO DR. R! " But she insisted that

she had to tell him. He must REALLY think I am a pain in the

'abdomen?' I hear the nurse get back on the phone and say " He will

see you in clinic. " Ok, I am embarrassed! I just want to know how

many feet he bypassed....LOL. I find a scale and find I haven't lost

not ONE OUNCE! I was really disappointed. I think, " OK, he DID just

stab me " .....LOL. He emphasized each 'stab'(port) with

DON'T...EVER....CALL....ME....AGAIN! Just kiddin'.

July 22--The gang meets again for a lovely soup and cracker meal

at the Cracker Barrel. One thing nice is that the bill this time

isn't as much as the couple of nights before. Stella, Kim,

L, a, and Becky L are all there. I think Stella was the only one

not eating soup. Kim, Tami, Joyce, & and I go see Me

Myself and Irene afterwards. BIG MISTAKE...LOL. I thought we all

were going to either pop a staple or die laughing in this movie.

's advice was right on the money...see a sad, boring movie after

surgery....LOL.

July 23--It is raining and we all sleep most of the day. We

have to leave early in the morning for Joyce's flight and for Tami

and I to get back to Florida. We eat at a Chinese restaurant. The

egg-drop soup tastes like heaven.

July 24-- Trip home...very uneventful yet very rainy until we

get out of NC.

Are you bored yet?

Love,