Still Doing Fine!

Hello, hello dears,

Well, I have been home from the hospital for almost four days (since last Thursday). I was IN the hospital for almost 10 days!!! That's a long time!! As I said in my last post, it feels like it was a dream - but it wasn't. I kind of keep trying to put the pieces back together from the day I went in. It went something like this:

On Monday, April 25, I went in to the doctor for a pre-surgery test, and to find out final details. They told me that I would need to check in at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday for surgery. "Great!" I thought, "Not too early, not too late."

Well, at 3:30 in the afternoon of the 25th, the office called and said there had been a change, and I would need to check in at 5:30 a.m.  "Well," I thought, "that's o.k. This way I won't have to wake up and worry for very long!"

So, we all got up, and walked through the quiet streets of Manhattan at 5:00 in the morning to the hospital. The hospital is about 12 blocks from the hotel, so it took us about 20 minutes to get there. It was nice to just take in all the quiet, fresh early morning air as we walked along 5th Avenue right along Central Park. The flowers were in full bloom everywhere (I think my mom shared some of the beautiful pictures of flowers she took). It really buoyed my spirits to see this feast of color on the walk to the hospital!

Upon our arrival, I had to change into my hospital attire - this robe is the same one that pretty much everyone wears when they are having surgery. I actually have TWO hospital gowns on here - they have no buttons, only a little string at the top to tie them together, so I wore one frontward and one backward. Lovely!

They then put me on a stretcher, I said good-bye to my family, and was then rolled down to the operating waiting area. I asked if I could walk down, but they would not let me ("hospital policy").

I had to wait there probably 30 minutes. Several doctors came by to say good morning, as did my nurse Her name was 'Matherese' which, of course, means 'Mother Theresa,' which I took to be a very good sign! My anestheseologist's name was Dr. Stone. I tried to remain calm, breathing deeply (in through my nose, out through my mouth), until it was time to go in.

Finally, it was time to go. Dr. Stone pushed me right up to the operating theater doors, at which time he asked if I wanted to walk in!!! I couldn't believe it, but of course I said YES. And that is what I did - I jumped right off the stretcher, pushed open the doors, and walked right in for my surgery!

Well, that's all for now. Things are moving along very well - I am walking every day and going up and down stairs and eating and resting (alot!). My energy is coming back a little at a time - I'm not doing Tae Kwon Do yet, but I hope to someday!

This is a picture of me with some friends who live here in New York who came t visit yesterday. I may be tired a lot of the time, but I can still stick out my tongue! :-)

More soon - thanks for your continued good thoughts!

Much love - Ms. Lucas (Sandy :-)