I have that song stuck in my head today, but it reflects my mood, so I'll just go with it. Coming from where I was in the summer to where I am today does constitute such happy images as rainbows and lollipops, I think.
It has been a long hard journey for me since June 15th and the first surgery of my medical ordeal. After 2 and a half months of hospitilization, I felt like I was a permanent fixture and have wondered since if I have some tiny, obscure tattoo somewhere on my body that says, "Property of Baylor Medical Center". :)
There was good news and bad. After nine hours of surgery, the doctor reported that the cancer was contained in my pancreas and he was able to remove it (the cancer) entirely, but he was forced to remove part of my stomach as well.
I had to have emergency surgery four days after the original surgery because I had a hole in my stomach and massive infection. So they installed three stents in my intestines to bypass my stomach to allow the hole to heal naturally. I also came out with three drain tubes and a feeding tube, so I looked like a heavily ornamented Christmas tree.
From there, I went to ICU for 26 days to battle the infection, where my right lung collapsed and I developed a blood clot in my leg. I don't remember most of my stay in ICU or what went on around me, but what bits and pieces that I do remember involved my loving husband being there with me and giving me such wonderful support and encouragement. In many ways, the ordeal was much harder on him and he has relayed to me since that the feeling of helplessness was overwhelming, but he never wavered in his love and support. His dad was very sick and passed away while I was in ICU and he had that to deal with also, so I marvel at the strength of the man that I love.
I was finally able to be moved to a regular room where I spent a few more weeks before I was able to come home. I have since been back for three procedures to remove the three stents from my stomach and have tubes removed, but I am happy to say that I am equipment free and improving every day. I came home on a walker and weak as a kitten, but my strength has rapidly increased since then. I had a month of home health physical therapy and am now pretty much back to normal. I have even begun providing consultation services to the agency that I retired from in May along with my usual "house-wifey stuff" as Ice calls it. I'm loving my new freedom and looking forward to the day that we can pull out and head down the highway for new travels and exploration.
I have cheated cancer twice now in my lifetime, so I feel like the most fortunate person in the world at this point. Especially since I didn't have to come home only to endure months of chemo or radiation, or both. Not to mention that my tumors were harvested and are now being grown and developed into a vaccine for me should the cancer ever come back, which isn't likely.
Am I blessed? You bet!!!! And my hope and prayer is that Barry and others can and will be as blessed and fortunate as I have been. I'm a firm believer that when it's my time to go, I will go. It just hasn't been my time so far. I've also learned through my latest journey that even when I felt like I was ready to go and was okay with it, it simply wasn't my decision. And I'm okay with that.
Life is good.
So much for the gorey details of my ordeal. They are now told and can be filed away as "the past". Now, I have lots of living to do and I'm still singing.........
"Rainbows, Lollipops and Pennies......"
Love to all!
Pup
