Wednesday, November 4, 2009

On the mend

Just about my bed time . . . but I have been remiss in not posting an update. I am home and recovering well from the surgery. Went back in yesterday for follow-up appts., echo, chest xray, appt. with Surgeon and Cardiologists/Tr. team. Everything looks good. Only a small amount of fluid on top of heart, which makes sense since the new "window" is on the bottom of the pericardium. Nothing of concern to the docs. The surgeon took out one stitch from where the chest tube/drain had been removed before I went home last week. Everything appears to be healing well. I am taking this week off work too, as I am quite fatigued in the afternoons and very very foggy-brained! Pain and tenderness is mostly gone; have not taken Percocet since Sunday, just tylenol now. Not sure if it is now being 40 or the cumulative effect of 4 surgeries with general anesthesia since June 2008 that is causing the fogginess, but my brain is definitely not up to speed yet!! Alas, I am calling it my "anesthesia brain" -- it is a good excuse for not remembering things or knowing what I did hours earlier!
Thanks to all for their prayers and thoughts, love and support, meals and calls, etc. Thanks to my mom for being here, for my Dad for his support and beautiful flowers, and to my dear Pete for managing the home front. And to my beloved Mason and Liam - they handled the hospitalization (without visitation) quite well and were happy to have me come home. Mason asked me to bring him a hot dog and french fries from the cafeteria, but all I managed was some packets of Ketchup (he is quite thrilled with them, all the same!). Liam was content just to have me home. Oh, and Halloween was great fun (see our Knight and Clone Trooper below)! Hope you all had a spooky one too.

Lots of love, peace, and good night,
Emily