Update 7/24/09

Hi friends. I have no idea where the last two weeks went. I'm so sorry I haven't updated since the 8th! At first I didn't post because I couldn't get out of bed after that tooth extraction, and then I didn't post because I didn't feel like I had any new news to share, and then next thing I know, two plus weeks have gone by! So here's the catch up!

The port removal on the 9th was a breeze! The most painful thing was the shot for the local pain killer before the surgeon took it out. This procedure was done at Fresno Kaiser by a general surgeon, and she was really good. She was friendly and talked to me during the entire procedure about various things (vacations, and kids--she also has a high schooler and a college ager so we had that in common). Before I knew it she was done and the port was out! She let me see it before she tossed it--it was pretty interesting looking. I thanked her for distracting me during the procedure with her nice conversation, and that was that--done in about 20 minutes!

Next up for that day--the dreaded tooth extraction (this was an upper molar that had begun to crumble last winter during chemo--but dental work is not recommended during chemo because of risk of infection--so I had been dealing with this tooth pain since last winter and was eager to get the thing pulled out)! The oral surgeon was able to get the tooth out without putting me under general anesthetic (yea!) and he was able to pull it out in one piece, without it crumbling further (he was worried about that before he started the procedure). That also was done quickly--about 45 minutes start to finish! So both medical things went very well that day!

By the time we got home however, the local was wearing off both my mouth and my port incision site and I was in a lot of pain. Went straight to bed with leftover meds from my previous surgery:) and didn't feel like getting out of bed for about 3 days! I couldn't believe that after all I have been through since last fall--2 major surgeries, 3 big hospital stays, and 5 months of chemo--I was crying and whining for 3 days over a silly tooth extraction! Sometimes, I just don't understand my own behavior:).

So here it is, the end of July, and summer is almost over! I was hoping to get some things done around the house before going back to work in 2 1/2 weeks (yes, 2 1/2 weeks!) but it doesn't look like that is going to happen. Turns out the recovery from the colon re-connect surgery has been more difficult than I thought it would be, and getting things back to normal is going to take a lot longer than I was hoping. Dr. Skilling says it will get better, but I just have to be patient--UGH! You know I'm not too good at that patience thing. But since I have no choice--I guess I will learn to be patient--God is still trying to teach me that lesson I guess:).

Thank you, friends, that you are still reading this and checking in with me! I LOVE reading your comments, and I thank you that you are still hanging in there with me. Oh, my hair is almost, but not quite, an inch long now, and I'm pretty excited about that! It's long enough that I can actually use mousse on it now. It's really soft--kind of like baby hair, which makes sense, because I guess it actually is baby hair! It's not curly like so many people had told me it would be, but it does feel thicker than the hair I used to have. It has some gray in it, but, hey, that can be fixed with a quick trip to Adam's salon. I'm just happy it's coming back--no matter what color or texture! I'll have to get Will to take a picture of me and post it on here so you can see it.

We have a busy weekend ahead. Chuck's Aunt Judy from back east is out here visiting with Chuck's mom in Victorville. The two of them are coming up to Hanford to visit us Sunday, and Chuck's sister Terri and her family will also come so we can all get together and visit. Should be a fun time. Then my sister Diane from Las Vegas is coming for a visit from Tuesday through Friday. She hasn't been out for 2 years so it will be good to see her. My mom is SO excited about her coming to visit. It will be so good for both of them to see each other.

Margaret--I got a letter from Johnnie saying she's still interested in coming up with you for a visit, so just give me a call anytime--we'd love to have you!

I hope all of you are enjoying your summer--even with the crazy heat wave. I talked to my mom's cousin Kay a few days ago. She lives in Phoenix, and said it was 115 degrees there the day we spoke on the phone. So, I guess we can be thankful that it has only been 105 here the last few days:). Take care, friends. I'll update again in a few days--no more letting 2 weeks go by between posts!

Love, Stacey