There's No Place Like Home

I do feel a bit like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz - when I was wheeled into the hospital room after my surgery on Monday everyone was peering around me and I was just so glad to have the ordeal over! The week has been a bit of a drug-induced blur so I'll recount what I remember about things.

We arrived at St. Joseph's hospital Monday morning and Ellen had arranged for a prayer session with Deacon Dominic, after which I was taken to pre-op. No Blackbeerry allowed so of course I was twiddling my thumbs and trying to read my book but couldn't concentrate. Ellen and my friend Karen Martin were in the surgery waiting area and kept shuttling in notes from Will, who was texting me all morning with his good thoughts and concerns.

The next thing I knew, I was wheeled into the operating room and the world fast forwarded to 7:00p.m. when I woke up in recovery after my 6 hour surgery. The doctors informed me that all had gone well and I was being taken to my room on the 10th floor. The first 24 hours were a morphine-induced haze, thankfully I have little memory of that time. On Wednesday I had a bit of a rough go as I was withdrawing from the narcotics with a nasty headache, but my friend Leslie stayed by my side until I got through that rough patch. Friends came and go, people called to check in, and my room began to look like a floral shop.

Thursday was a new day - I was determined from the moment I got up that I was going to defy the odds and go home early (they had originally projected a 5 day stay). After meeting with the plastic surgeon Dr. Brown, he agreed that I was in good enough shape to be discharged under the supervision of my friends, so we arrived home around 5:00 p.m.

To my friend Ellen Chandra: I could not have survived this week without you unfailingly by my side, acting as part concierge, part nurse, and of course taking care of my dogs at night. It was SO GREAT to get home yesterday and be surrounded by my things and have Sadie and George licking my hands as a welcome greeting. (Not to mention that I looked unspeakably grimy - this experience has make me more convinced than ever that I NEVER want to camp again in my entire life. I am not the "roughing it" type and never will be!)

After all is said and done, I feel like the luckiest person in the world. Yes, this was a gruesome week and I feel like I have been poked and prodded enough for a lifetime, but I am cancer free and there is no sign of anything in the lymph nodes.

More later - signing off from Kansas.

Nancy aka Dorothy