Category: My Life

I went to Boston for the cervical spine surgery on February 16th. All seemed to be well and I went home on the 20th. Although I felt tired, and had some pain, I was not having the terrible pre-surgery pain. I was excited to have the surgery over and done with and be back home.

Life was good, and although the incision area was sore and swollen, I chose to believe that this was normal and I was recovering.

Then, on the morning of February 24 I felt quite ill. When I woke up, I remember feeling slightly dizzy, but by 11 o”clock I really felt ill. I decided to lie down for a nap, but Hubby noticed my incision was draining a terrible smelling, white, yellow, green color discharge. I called the doctor, emailed pictures, and was told to come right down to Boston.

Hubby drove me down to the city, and at 9:30 PM the doctors operated on me to clean and remove all infection. It was bad, very bad. It was also a long surgery and I did not get to a room until 2:30 in the morning!

The Infectious Disease department became involved and antibiotics were found to treat me. Trying to find an antibiotic or two or three proved to be a challenge. In the end, I did find two that are strong and are working.

I was inpatient for six days, before I was released to come home. Now I am on two different antibiotics that must be given through an IV for 4- 6 weeks and then orally for 2 months.

I have learned to do the infusions and that is not too bad, but they tell me it will be a while until I get better. A long slow road to recovery.

In the end, I am just very lucky they caught the infection so early!

Dear Friends, I am back in the hospital.  I have an infection and needed emergency surgery and now IV antibiotics.

I may not be writing as much, but I will do what  I can.

Have you ever not been able to shower? I don’t mean voluntarily, like when you go camping, but like, can’t shower because it is forbidden?

Ugh! Yes, from the day after surgery (last Thursday) until Tuesday I was forbidden to shower. On Tuesday I took a short shower, and that felt so nice. However, I was not steady on my feet and so I kept it quick, and was in and out pretty darn fast!

Today I feel pretty good on my feet and it is time for me to shower again. Then I need to ice down the incision. That thing makes me look like the Hump Back of Notre Dame’s ugly sister! You should see the surgical sight and all the swelling! Thus, the ice will be applied off and on today.

I know that once the swelling goes down, I will look more normal, but for right now, I am not looking like myself at all. Oh and here is a funny thing. My whole neck is swollen, thus making me look like a lady wrestler!

Anyway, back to the shower. I plan a long, warm, soapy, shower, where I actually shampoo and condition my hair. Life will be so good after my shower. And after lunch, it’s time for my second favorite thing…a nap!

Good morning, everyone! I woke this morning feeling pretty darn good. My spine is fantastic, and the surgical pain is bearable. It was a tough first week, but I made it and it feels so good to be home and able to sit with my laptop!

I discovered that as one ages they do not always do well with certain types of medications. I used to get knocked out and use pain medications with little problem. Now I practically go into a coma. Now this 58 year old lady prefers Tylenol!

You know, I am really hoping I am finished with all surgery. I just find the entire experience kind of scary. I had three IV’s, and felt as weak as a kitten.

I’ve been home since Monday and that is simply the best! I came right in and went to bed, and Greta and Arnie came right in, and Greta did not leave my side for four hours. Then she had her dinner and came right back.

My bone simulator arrived yesterday. I need to use it for 4 hours a day to help promote the growth of the spinal fusion. It’s a weird thing and feels a little strange when wearing it.

Well, that’s all for now. Life is good and I am so happy to be home!

We drove down from New Hampshire last night due to a forecast for snowy weather. Hubby had a hotel selected to stay at while I am inpatient,  and he was able to add one more night.

I felt a little foolish when we arrived and the roads were clear and there was no snow.

However,  I woke up just before 3 AM and not only was it snowing but the roads are a mess!

So, all in all, good planning.

My surgery is early this morning. I still need to scrub down with the surgical soap and get my last shower in for the next few days, and then we will be off to the hospital where I will finally get some sleep!  😄

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Well it happened. After telling myself I wasn’t nervous at all about the surgery on Thursday, I finally woke up at 4 AM with nerves.

This is pretty funny too, because the final hurdles of my planning, all were taken care of yesterday. The two doggy sitters came by and got the run down on all the beasts. With the help of a Boston friend of ours, Hubby found a hotel to stay at, after our friends became very ill with the flu, and we have our friend, who plows driveways, all set to do our drive while we are gone. Which is a very good thing, because suddenly we are getting a lot of snow nearly every day!

So here I was this morning, waking up at 4 AM, and I just could not shut off my brain! What is wrong with me!

I kept saying to myself, by this time next week, it will all be over and I may actually be coming home next Sunday. I even repeated the words…”It will be over!”

This morning, before the next storm arrives I need to go out and get the last items on my list. Dog Food, Dog Treats and a few personal items for my bag.

Then they forecast it will snow another 12 inches today! The yard is beautiful, and full of snow,  and I am so over it!

Worst of all, I am sitting here watching the weather on the TV and they are forecasting a snow/ice storm for Thursday! Come on Mother Nature, enough, already!

Well yesterday was a real crazy trip down to Boston and back. I had pre-operative testing and a class about the spine surgery, and it was important that I make the trip. So, when we got up and it was snowing, we decided to leave early. Fortunately, the schools were out, so our High School neighbor came over and stayed with the dogs during the day. Which is great, because they really aren’t used to being alone.

I digress…

Yesterday was also the Parade in downtown Boston to celebrate the New England Patriots Super Bowl win!

So you take the horrible ice/snowy weather, combine it with over a million fans jamming the city, a few blocks from the hospital where I will be having my surgery, and you have one giant mess.

Hubby drove, and somehow managed to get me to the hospital a mere 15 minutes late. I ran in, and got to the class, which was a good class for a novice, but after having had two cervical surgeries, I actually knew all the stuff, and could have taught the class. But, at least I got to see what they offered. The “other hospital” offered nothing.

Then I raced over for my pre-operative physical. Thankfully the buildings are connected by long corridors over the street, so we walked and found the Pre-Op area. Then the waiting began. My appointment was for 12:45 and I was not seen until 3:00. I was pretty upset and at one point asked if I’d been forgotten.

Finally I was called in, and Nurse Roberta did my physical. This is the best physical I have had in about 20 years. They did everything from blood, urine, heart, blood pressure 112/68 and heart rate. The results were actually in my email when I got home last night!  I am one healthy chick.

Then we got on the road. At that point the traffic was still bad, and it was raining in Boston. It was bumper to bumper all thew way out of the city, and route 93 North was horrific! When we reached the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire it start to change from rain to snow and then the fun began. Heavy traffic, several accidents around us, and the roads were terrible loaded with hard snow/ice.

We plodded along until Hubby announced that we needed to get some gas. So we stopped at the New Hampshire Rest Area in Hooksett, and each got a bowl of soup and a little gasoline. (We wanted to make it to BJ’s where we can get gasoline for $191.9 a gallon!) Then back on the road we got. It took us nearly 4 hours to get home, and when we walked in the door I was so happy!

So, my testing is done and in one week I will go in and have my surgery. I’m ready and although I’m not sure Hubby is, he at least know, what to expect.

I remember giving birth to my first child. I was very young, and when I saw Mandy emerge into this world, I didn’t think I could ever love anyone or anything the way I loved her! It was the most magical thing in the world.

I watched her grow, and held her, comforted her, and one day, she pulled herself to her feet and walked. Each step she took in her life, has brought me so much joy. She was an amazing baby, and has grown into an amazing woman.

So imagine my wonder, when Amanda called me one day to tell me she was pregnant! I was thrilled! However, never having been a grandmother, I had no idea, how it would feel.

Then on the 31st of May 2012, I held Savannah Rose in my arms for the first time. I looked into her tiny face, and then looked up into Mandy’s face and I realized that my child was feeling the same new mother feeling’s that I had felt when she was born. And I was feeling something I never knew about. The feeling of watching my child have a child, and of life going on. A grand continuation of love and joy!

I watched Savannah grow. Each day, each time she grew, my heart grew and deepened. The first time she called me Oma I welled up with tears, and the first time I drove up, got out of my car and had her run into my arms calling my name, is a memory I will hold close all the days of my life.

Then I was staying with Mandy and she took an at home pregnancy test, and yes she was expecting again! On March 7th 2016, Quinn Wallace was born. I raced with Savannah and her other grandmother, Mary,  to the hospital, and after Savannah met her brother (which I happily got to watch), I held my grandson for the first time. (I even got to change one of his first poopy diapers!)

Knowing that Mandy had had a somewhat rough time, made me hold that little guy even tighter, and feeling the warmth of his body and hearing the little baby sighs, filled me with such love and joy.  I looked at my daughter, and my eyes and my heart were filled with such love for her and such joy.

Over the last year, she has somehow juggled being a Mom, career woman, daughter, and friend. And I am in awe. She is raising two bright, beautiful and healthy children, and she ensures that they know they are loved.

Quinn is much like his Mommy, in that at 7 months, he stood up and started to walk and has never looked back, and like his sister, has a happy and gentle nature.

But here is the thing. I never expected any of this. I didn’t know how wonderful it could be to have grandchildren. I never thought it could come close to having my own children. But, here I am, head over heals in love with both of my grandchildren.

I think it is wrong if you say that certain days, are the best days of your life. You know, you never really know. Life can turn on a dime. And it can also slowly, happily and lovingly change, into the best days of your life, again and again…

I’m trying to get things in order before the surgery. I amaze myself at what I have been able to get done. The biggest thing was to be able to sit and go through clothing and items around the house to donate to our local Charity shop. You should see how much I have to go, but oddly my closet, and house shows no sign of having been gone through! I just have too much crap!

Next week is getting my hair done, then my pre-op, and then the dackels go to the Vet’s for their shots. After that we will do a big shopping for dog food and doggy treats. Little by little we will get things taken care of.

I decided to get out our GPS last night and update it. It took forever, but hopefully all the maps are updated. I need to sit down with Hubby and show him how to recall different addresses and favorites. I am usually the co-pilot and I do the programming, map-reading, and follow along with directions. While I am in the hospital in Boston, it will all be on him.

Hubby is staying just outside of Boston, with our friends, so he can be with me each day, while I am inpatient. I’m glad about this, because last time, I was alone and had no one to advocate for me. Let’s just say, things did not go well.

We have a dog/house sitter coming and so the pooches will all be cared for. I am very happy about that.

Have a great weekend everyone!