Home Sweet Home

Hello family and friends - it's me, Theresa, I am back. I will be honest this post will be a bunch of babble this evening because the past week or so has been surreal. I thank Mom for keeping up with my blog - I know she had issues with what or what not to share but I couldn't have asked for a better guest blogger.
Katie (my favorite surgical resident) was on today and I met her with a huge smile (very prepared to beg for discharge - if necessary) and she agreed today sounded like a good plan but Dr. Baker (Dr. Muldoon's partner) would have to make the final call. In anticipation for discharge today I asked Rob to bring my clothing last night and as soon as Katie said she would talk to Dr. Baker I was pleading for the remainder of my IV to come out so I could shower normally. For the past week when I shower I have had to had various areas of my body sheeted in plastic and taped in place - doesn't really provide that clean feeling. I had breakfast and watched some tv before the doctors/residents finally rounded around 10:00 AM - they agreed to discharge me - WOOHOO! Except nothing is speedy and they had to complete their rounds before everything would be entered in the computer - delays, delays, delays - it was over an hour later before Grace came in to pull the IV. I had left Rob a message to swing by after church because I was ready to go.
I was so looking forward to my shower but by the time I got into the shower apparently a lot of others on the floor had also done so because the water wasn't all so hot. I got to put on clothing for the first time in over a week - feels good yet odd. I guess my clothing choices will be changing - I have to have room for the ileostomy - so yoga pants work well. I am quite sure I will be self conscious of my bag for a while - over the last 18 months I was able to lose 60 pounds and really felt good about my body but now I look like I am half pregnant with an alien. I am sure I will find my groove and I am happy we are entering autumn and sweater and layers are in fashion.
Rob and the kids came to get me and everyone looked so happy today. We waited for the transporter to arrive to wheel me out to the car - they said I could walk but I didn't know how far that truly was and I didn't feel like being wonderwoman today.
We got in the car and I turned my iPod to Dynamite - it has become our theme song - for those not familiar the chorus is - I throw my hands up in the air sometimes saying ayo gotta let go, I wanna celebrate and live my life saying ayo baby let's go. It is just a feel good song and I didn't know this until today but often when Rob and the kids would leave the hospital they would hear the song on the way home and dance. It was nice to have the whole family there as a bonding moment. The drive home was weird - I haven't been outside in over 10 days - to feel the sunlight and the fresh air was incredible. When we pulled up to the house there was a huge banner with well wishes staked in the ground - my big girl Ellie arranged this all by herself. I have made it almost a week without tearing up - my Mom's blog entries sometimes made me cry but I haven't in a while now but they returned today.
I made myself a PB&J and stretched out on the couch and was soon fast asleep. I slept for hours with the familiar background noises of my children screaming as a tranquil reminder of what I have been missing out on. Nick came in quite a few times to kiss me - I love it - in the hospital he has been a bit standoffish - I love that he feels comfortable again. Ellie has been wonderful anticipating my needs for water or blankets and Rob - how can I even say all he has done this past week, months. I was just saying the other day when you say your vows and do the sickness and health vow you picture yourself at 80 - 34 definitely was not in my mind.
I woke up and we went over to Mom's for Sunday dinner - I wasn't missing out again. We celebrated my being sprung and Jo's birthday. We had homemade mac and cheese and applesauce - I was really craving the cantaloupe and cucumber salad - this is going to be real hard for me. We had a funfetti cake for dessert and then the kids went out with Dad to make smores. We headed home and I got reacquainted with my laptop and Rob gave the kids baths.
I am very sore today - not sure what is up with that - I haven't had any sort of pain meds (not even advil or tylenol) since Tuesday. The heparin shots hurt today and the top of my legs feel like swiss cheese. My right arm where they tried to insert the PICC line is extremely sore - I have the hot pad on it right now and it does seem to be helping. Finally, my abdomen just hurts - I think it is probably healing and pulling and I just feel slow. I will have a visiting nurse - not sure how long but maybe a couple visits. I have my follow up with Dr. Muldoon in a couple weeks - I left him a message today because no one has told me anything about pathology yet.
One of the things I definitely realized this past week was how homeopathy or alternative medicine isn't main stream at all. I asked more than once if I could start taking my arnica and staphysagria and was told someone would get back to me - still waiting. You should have seen the faces of the people who stopped in while I was getting my acupuncture session the other day - Molly said she was sure most have never seen that before. I can't wait to schedule some appointments with Patricia - she will be back from her vacation on Tuesday. I think I have rattled on enough - I can't focus any longer - getting sleepy.
Visualising my healthy body, my continued speedy recovery and the new normal me - whatever that shall be, Tree