The boys are up on Mt. Lemmon, and I'm supposed to be reading and/or napping. But I drank caffeine this morning (for the first time since the surgery) and my attention span is non-existent. My VCR chose this morning to stop working. I've been playing around on the computer, looking for various blog templates and I've also been attempting to create a new header. Yeah, didn't work. I'm not an artist. I can't use paintshop pro. I tried to make a cake, and it turned out really really crappy. The bread machine is almost done creating a loaf from the ingredients I put in three hours ago...let's hope that turned out okay. I did the dishes this morning, and the clean laundry sitting in my room is calling to me. Geez, can you tell I don't like to take it easy? But my abdomen is telling me I need to relax. I probably really should nap, but I just can't. So you all get an epic blog post instead.
I wanted to write out all the details of my surgery as a story, but once again, that short attention span won't let me. Here are a few of the things that are still ringing inside my head from the experience:
Spencer was a nice nurse who got my IV hooked up in the pre-op room. He joked with me and had a very reassuring presence.
I really liked Dr. Brick, the anesthesiolgist, because her Asian-American/New York accent was so melodic to listen to, and she loved running at Sabino Canyon, just like I do. Plus she went nuts over the fact that I lost weight on the anti-Aktins diet.
I hated waiting for so long, so hungry, for the surgery to start. I highly recommend getting a morning surgery!
As they wheeled me into the operating room, I remember seeing major metal appliances and a gian metal light (not turned on) before I conked out. I'm pretty sure I said something along the lines of "giant metal aliens!" a la Chicken Little.
When I awoke after the surgery, it was bad. I was shivering; I couldn't stop shivering. My body was convulsing. It was scary and didn't feel good at all. I didn't want to wake up. I think I knew where I was, but I was a little confused about why I was so cold. All I could tell the nurses was, "I'm cold. So cold." They wheeled me out of there rather quickly. It seemed like too quickly, but that meant I got to see my mom sooner.
When they brought me back out to the room where I awaited surgery, my mama was there waiting for me. I pointed to me headed a few times, and she got the point - she came over and began rubbing my head. She must have done that for hours. One of my favorite memories from childhood is her rubbing my head while I slept during the night church service.
I had no vomiting at all. I got pretty dizzy when I tried to sit up the first time, and when I tried to stand for the first time. So I just went right back down to horizontal. But still, the nurses all said I bounced back really quickly.
There was an odd blonde nurse who was a riot, and I really enjoyed. She was so strange! But she snuck my mom into the pre-op room, and made me laugh when she was taking me there and back.
I have really loved the napping I've done during recovery. Really truly loved it. I'm not normally a nap kind of person, but it has been fantastic these last few days.
I've heard lots of questions regarding keeping my gallbladder. So many, in fact, I had the following conversation with a nurse the day before my surgery:
Nurse: do you have any more questions for me?
Me: well, I have kind of a strange one...what exactly happens with my gallbladder after they take it out?
Nurse: um, well, they take it, and, um, biopsy it.
Me: oh.
Nurse: I don't know if it's required by law, but I suppose they could take just a portion to biopsy. Why? Did you want to keep it?! [somewhat incredulously]
Me: oh, I just have about 10 friends wondering about keeping it in a jar.
Nurse: um, I suppose if you really wanted to do that, I could look into it. But...
Me: uh, no worries.
Both of us: burst into laughter
I had fun watching Running on the Sun, a documentary on Badwater. Kind of cool, since this year's Badwater is in just a couple short weeks, and someone from our trail running group will be participating. Fun!
I also watched Failure to Launch, which had some funny moments (had to hold my gut to keep it from hurting while I laughed), part of Mary Poppins (with Ash, fun!) and before the surgery, I watched the Family Stone, which was good (even though it had Sarah Jessica Parker in it). Read a few novels so far, and would like to read some more (if my attention span would last a little longer...).
I'll be going in to work for a few hours tomorrow morning, then hopefully for most of the day on Wednesday. I don't know what I'm going to wear - I don't have any nice, loose clothing! It's all comfortable, but cut close to my body. Hmph.
I'm hoping to be off the painkillers by Friday.
The loaf of bread just finished, and it looks like it actually turned out (the first thing today, woo hoo!).
I've had my chocolate milk (yummy), and other than the Taco Bell and a few bites of some donuts, I've eaten very healthy. I've received many comments about making sure I don't over do it, and want to reassure everyone that I won't! I felt ready to take my gallbladder out, because I am ready to handle making sure I stay healthy all by myself, without my gallbladder or something else beyond my control calling the shots. I'm going to eat some fatty foods in this next month, because it's been so long - if I don't allow myself to eat these foods in moderation over the next little while, I'll end up binging on them and gaining all 70 lbs back - which is NOT the point! So, my strategy is to give myself the freedom to eat fatty foods in moderation in this next little while, without guilt. Then, it'll be back to my regular eating habits (which I've pretty much stuck to since the surgery anyway, it just feels better). Training for a 50-miler will definitely help keep the pounds at bay!
My new goal in life: to stay healthy and to develop as an ultrarunner. I don't have to spend my extra energy on a sick gallbladder, on making sure that wherever I go there is food I can eat. I don't have to worry about the aid stations anymore. I can focus now - focus on training, on eating what I want (without uncontrollable repurcussions).
I've already begun to look at training. I'm going to continue to walk each day, as I have been, to get myself back into the swing of things. Once I feel stronger, I'll try a run. Not sure when exactly that will be...
I'm pretty sure I had more to say, but I can't think of it.
Have fun, run strong, run long!
