Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Update Plus Tidbits



I have been home for a week now, and I have been asleep or walking the entire time. Lots of really interesting things have happened. For instance, I almost never use insulin now during the day, under the doctor's order from the hospital, I'm eating less, and as of today I'm down 22 pounds since this episode started.

The pills on the table in the first picture were the medications that have been prescribed for me over the years by various doctors that became lifetime drugs. It used to take me 30 miutes to medicate and take my insulin in the morning. Fifteen pills. Now, three. That's because of the lady below, Dr. Alicia Mistry, Head of Hospitalists at Shady Grove Hospital, and a medical wizard.

I'm feeling better, and trying to build some endurance. On the other hand, this post has taken me almost three days off and on to write. I'm way behind on my e mail, and I get tired fast. No tai chi for two months, the pain is inside now, not outside. I feel like I was hit on the right side by a professional boxer with a wicked left hand.



And this rock star is the surgeon who operated on me. We adopted him. Dr. Joshua Felsher, wunderkinder. His wife just gave birth four weeks ago. He estimated that the anesthesiologist would have me for an hour to an hour and a half to do the epidural before the surgery, and that he would take about three hours to laborascopically fix a hernia I didn't know I had, remove my appendix (which is attached to the colon on the right side, so now I can't get appendicitis, awwww) and remove my ascending colon.

I was wheeled into the operating room at noon, and as I was explaining to the nurses in the OR about the party in the parking lot when this was over, and how to make the Jello shooters, adding the last cup of vodka was the last thing I got out before it was lights out. The next thing I knew I was being wheeled back into my room in the ICU at about 3:00 PM, and Judy was telling me the operation was a smashing success. The surgeon had been out at 2:00 PM telling her that things had gone so much better than had been expected. Apparently the tai chi has done a lot more good for me than I thought.

Well, I'm a bit tired now, so I think I'll head off to bed. See you all soon! I'll write again as soon as i can! And thanks for hanging in there with me!

11 comments:

Itsnopicknick said...

That's some stash of drugs you've got there. Wow, good thing you don't have a pill swallowing problem like a friend of mine...she just can't get them down!

Yes, sleep is a good idea. Go and recoop, dream happy healthy dreams!

Wicked H said...

Lots of rest, that is the key. I am so happy that things are going well. I think you can add yourself to the Rockstar list.

You take your time writing, you know we will be around to read. Don't worry about us.

You are on the only thing on the agenda my friend. Of course, when I say you I also mean Judy and Holmes!

Anonymous said...

I am very happy to hear (and See) how few meds you need to take, your weight loss, and the lack of need for insulin. WOW!!!! And your surgeon, yet another guy who looks kind of like my brother.

Odat said...

Good to see you again! Glad to hear you're progressing towards a better way!
Peace

Glamourpuss said...

That's an awful lot of pills.

Thank heavens someone had the sense to rationalise the whole situation.

Very glad you are in safe hands.

Puss

mist1 said...

I'm out of the pink pills that make me feel so content with life that I only need to buy one pair of shoes a week. Do you have any pink pills that you could spare? I'm running out of shoe closet space.

MJ said...

What a weight loss plan !! It is SO good to have fantastic doctors that truly care and get you on the mend…

Alison said...

Hey! Thanks for the update.

M@ said...

CEO--Glad to see you're doing better!

I was just zooming in on that first photo and I can't see all of the prescription labels from here.

You don't have any Percocet for sale, do you? (I'm just sayin'.)

Cindy said...

That's not just a lot of pills, that's a lot of pens. Do much writing, do ya?

Crankster said...

So how about giving us that Jello shooter recipe!