Greetings from Seattle, where, yesterday late afternoon, I flew like a bird (with the aid of Southwest Airlines) with Pete, Mason, and Liam for the first time post-transplant!
Thankfully, all my docs (cardiac transplant team and surgeons from Abdom. surgery 2 weeks ago) happily signed off on our scheduled trip to Seattle, what we call the "come full circle" trip -- As you may recall, we were supposed to come here last Memorial Day weekend 2008 but had to cancel because of my cardiac cath/diagnosis and evaluation for transplant! We are even planning on going to a Red Sox game tomorrow night! John Lester is pitching and my sister and husband think it will be a great duel between the Mariners and Sox. Oh Joy (ha, ha!). But, it WILL be joy to be in a beautiful spot in the presence of my hubby who so loves the Sox and baseball. It will be Liam's first game, Mason's 3rd I think. And Kate and Caroline love bball too! Besides yummy beer, Safeco Field even offers fried clams, sushi, garlic fries, and of course, hot dogs!
In any event, I just wanted to share the great news that I am well enough to be here, so thankful for both my excellent, healthy heart, my recovering GI system, my fantastic doctors, and my family! We went to the Seattle Aquarium this morning to witness lots of neat fish, star fish, seals, otters, coral, etc., and then we had a real heart healthy but yummy lunch at Seattle's renowned Bob's Red Mill where one dines on awesome shakes (coffee for the parents, strawberry for the boys), "boogers, and flies" (burgers and fries, as Mason has dubbed them after one of the Froggy books). Back at the Aunties' abode, Liam and I both had naps (I slept for 2 hours with the aid of Percocet - pain meds are key!), while Pete and Mason rode bikes outside. So glad to be here!!
Thanks for all your love and support, and have a great weekend all,
Em
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
WIND "breaker"
Good evening and happy Cinco de Mayo:
You might be wondering about the title of this blog entry, but leave it to my Dad to crack me up when my abdomen been sliced open and my bowel pulleds out and "played with" -- suffice it to say, it hurts like hell! In any event, I just finished my evening meds with a shot of pain med and benedyrl (to help me sleep), so this will be short.
I am doing much better now that I have "broken wind" and had a few "movements"! I am eating again after another day of no-food, yesterday, since my belly was in lots of pain and a bit distended. so far, so good with the food. I really was incredibly relieved (no pun intended) to have finally passed gas and pooped. As I said to my sister Kate on the phone last night, "pray for poop like you have never prayed before!" It worked!
Pete kindly brought me yummy chicken noodle soup tonight. Shea brought the boys to visit in the am, and I took lots of walks and even had my first post-op shower! Mason's teacher Miss Elaine came over tonight to play with the boys and help give them supper and get ready for bed. Apparently, Mason was in complete heaven - he loves Elaine so very very much!
Yes, it sucks being here, but I am trying to rest as much as possible and heal as best as possible in this environment. I slept well last night, especially after the 1:30am wind-beaking! So, nothing more to report. Thanks to all for your "virtual" support and love and for your calls, visits, and emails.
Sleep well, and lots of love, Emily
p.s. Here are before-and after-pics of our adorable boys having received their annual buzz cut this past Saturday, curtesy of Melissa!
You might be wondering about the title of this blog entry, but leave it to my Dad to crack me up when my abdomen been sliced open and my bowel pulleds out and "played with" -- suffice it to say, it hurts like hell! In any event, I just finished my evening meds with a shot of pain med and benedyrl (to help me sleep), so this will be short.
I am doing much better now that I have "broken wind" and had a few "movements"! I am eating again after another day of no-food, yesterday, since my belly was in lots of pain and a bit distended. so far, so good with the food. I really was incredibly relieved (no pun intended) to have finally passed gas and pooped. As I said to my sister Kate on the phone last night, "pray for poop like you have never prayed before!" It worked!
Pete kindly brought me yummy chicken noodle soup tonight. Shea brought the boys to visit in the am, and I took lots of walks and even had my first post-op shower! Mason's teacher Miss Elaine came over tonight to play with the boys and help give them supper and get ready for bed. Apparently, Mason was in complete heaven - he loves Elaine so very very much!
Yes, it sucks being here, but I am trying to rest as much as possible and heal as best as possible in this environment. I slept well last night, especially after the 1:30am wind-beaking! So, nothing more to report. Thanks to all for your "virtual" support and love and for your calls, visits, and emails.
Sleep well, and lots of love, Emily
p.s. Here are before-and after-pics of our adorable boys having received their annual buzz cut this past Saturday, curtesy of Melissa!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
So lucky and thankful once again!
Greetings to all you friends and family!
First, my deepest love and thanks to my dear husband Pete for once again sticking by my side, for taking such good care of me, for letting me squeeze his hand so very tightly as I was in agonizing pain in the wee hours of Wed. night/am. As you know from Pete's posting Thursday night, I am back in the U Hospital after having had emergency surgery to unkink/unwind my colon/large intestine, which also involved removing/cutting out 17 inches of dead (necrotic) intestinal tissue! FYI, the large intestine is about 5 feet long, so I have plenty left!! According to my excellent surgeons, (Drs. John Langell and David Larsen), I was extremely lucky -- they were able to handle my twisted bowels just in the nick of time, i.e., before my colon/intestine ruptured, which would have made me septic, and having a compromised immune system . . . well, that would have been really really bad!!
In any event, despite the short-lived but extreme pain and agony of a couple of days ago, and despite having to be hospitalized, I am truly fortunate in having had life-saving surgery once again! I now fully understand why the core of the body is called the core - lots of muscles in there that are sore! And, I now have a lovely scar virtually the entire vertical length of my abdomen! The new incision starts a couple of inches below the bottom of my "heart scar," and travels for 7 or 8 inches. At the moment, the incision is actually partially still open - it is sewn shut in the center but remains open a few inches on top and bottom (the facia is sewed shut but the subcutaneous fat and skin layers are open). They did this to help ensure that I would have no infection between the fat and skin, as the abdominal area had a lot of "murky fluid" in it when they opened me up. Over the next few days, the docs will slowly close the wound by attaching steri-strips to seal the incision.
I was not allowed much fluid (other than IV fluids) until today (a bit of water/ice chips yesterday) and was not allowed to eat until today, when I began a liquid diet of applesauce, soup, juice, water. So far, so good! Now I await for some of the illustrious bowel activity (sound familiar Barb and Tom?!).
It is a bit lonely here, but thankfully Pete brought the boys to visit this morning! Of course they had fun playing with the bed's buttons and having a snack of juice and crackers. I feel terribly sad that my dear Pete has to deal with a sick wife once again, but he is strong, we are strong, and we'll make it through! And, once again, the irony of all of this is that my new heart is functioning very well. One of the Transplant Cardiologist's said to me today, "Well, your heart passed a huge stress test with flying colors!" Ain't that the truth.
Alas, I do not know much yet in terms of the recovery process, except that I will not be able to lift for a while, I will have to be off work for some period of time again, and we will need all your friendship, love, and support over the coming weeks! Thanks to all of you who have already called or sent messages - we appreciate it.
Thanks for being there for us/with us in the ongoing drama called life!
Lots of love and peace,
Emily
p.s. If you are so inclined, you can reach me on my cell, or by calling the U Hosp. at 801.585.8652 (direct line to my room 630).
First, my deepest love and thanks to my dear husband Pete for once again sticking by my side, for taking such good care of me, for letting me squeeze his hand so very tightly as I was in agonizing pain in the wee hours of Wed. night/am. As you know from Pete's posting Thursday night, I am back in the U Hospital after having had emergency surgery to unkink/unwind my colon/large intestine, which also involved removing/cutting out 17 inches of dead (necrotic) intestinal tissue! FYI, the large intestine is about 5 feet long, so I have plenty left!! According to my excellent surgeons, (Drs. John Langell and David Larsen), I was extremely lucky -- they were able to handle my twisted bowels just in the nick of time, i.e., before my colon/intestine ruptured, which would have made me septic, and having a compromised immune system . . . well, that would have been really really bad!!
In any event, despite the short-lived but extreme pain and agony of a couple of days ago, and despite having to be hospitalized, I am truly fortunate in having had life-saving surgery once again! I now fully understand why the core of the body is called the core - lots of muscles in there that are sore! And, I now have a lovely scar virtually the entire vertical length of my abdomen! The new incision starts a couple of inches below the bottom of my "heart scar," and travels for 7 or 8 inches. At the moment, the incision is actually partially still open - it is sewn shut in the center but remains open a few inches on top and bottom (the facia is sewed shut but the subcutaneous fat and skin layers are open). They did this to help ensure that I would have no infection between the fat and skin, as the abdominal area had a lot of "murky fluid" in it when they opened me up. Over the next few days, the docs will slowly close the wound by attaching steri-strips to seal the incision.
I was not allowed much fluid (other than IV fluids) until today (a bit of water/ice chips yesterday) and was not allowed to eat until today, when I began a liquid diet of applesauce, soup, juice, water. So far, so good! Now I await for some of the illustrious bowel activity (sound familiar Barb and Tom?!).
It is a bit lonely here, but thankfully Pete brought the boys to visit this morning! Of course they had fun playing with the bed's buttons and having a snack of juice and crackers. I feel terribly sad that my dear Pete has to deal with a sick wife once again, but he is strong, we are strong, and we'll make it through! And, once again, the irony of all of this is that my new heart is functioning very well. One of the Transplant Cardiologist's said to me today, "Well, your heart passed a huge stress test with flying colors!" Ain't that the truth.
Alas, I do not know much yet in terms of the recovery process, except that I will not be able to lift for a while, I will have to be off work for some period of time again, and we will need all your friendship, love, and support over the coming weeks! Thanks to all of you who have already called or sent messages - we appreciate it.
Thanks for being there for us/with us in the ongoing drama called life!
Lots of love and peace,
Emily
p.s. If you are so inclined, you can reach me on my cell, or by calling the U Hosp. at 801.585.8652 (direct line to my room 630).
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