Category: My Life

Wednesday found me reveling in my first shower since the surgery! I carefully put press and seal plastic wrap on the incision sites and then in a slow flowing shower, washed my hair and just enjoyed the feeling of running water on my body!

Afterward I put my hair back in pony tails and dressed, ready to start my day. The only thing was, I felt really tired!

My nose is doing better. I think there is less redness and swelling today. I just will be happy when they can finish up my nose and I can start looking a little more normal.

You see, just before the next surgery I’ll be going to my niece’s wedding. Oh how I am dreading being out in public looking like this. My sister and I were joking around, talking about me getting one of those wild hats like the Royals wear at their weddings in England.

The biggest thing in the next few weeks is to keep it clean, germ and infection free, so I can get in there for the next surgery.

Perhaps I should just pretend that all the stares mean that I look marvelous! A true thing of beauty! lol!

1. What are your plans for Easter? Are you cooking a big lunch or dinner? Dyeing eggs? Attending a sun rise service? Eating too much chocolate?

I have no idea. Probably just be Hubby and me. With the cancer surgery, and more surgery ahead, I simply cannot plan from one day to the next. Usually I cook a big meal, and everyone comes here. This year, I’m thinking it will probably be just Hubby and me.

2. What is something you feel too young to do?

Give up on living life. I see my mother and how she has shut herself off from the world, and I hope and pray I never do that. Life is so precious and should be lived to the fullest!

3. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud…it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs…”

Of the characteristics mentioned in the biblical definition of love which do you find most difficult to live out and why?

“Love is not easily angered”. Oh, I have such a temper and I can get so mad at Hubby. Then I feel guilty about that and I try to make amends. Yeah the anger part. I think we are all human and anger is a very human emotion.

4. What’s a springtime flower you associate with your childhood?

Lilacs. I love lilacs, the looks, the scent and the feel in my hands. All so delicate. We had lilacs in my yard when I was growing up and I have had them in my yard ever since.

5. Ever sung karaoke? If so, what’s your go-to song? If not and you’re given the opportunity, would you?

Never sung Karaoke. I’m not sure what I would sing. I can sing, I do sing, just not sure what I’d sing!!!

6. What is something you keep in a basket?

Laundry!

7. When was the last time you felt foolish?

Oh dear, I am always worried I will feel foolish. You want to know when I don’t feel foolish? With Savannah! I get right down on the floor and play with her and I feel wonderful and free!!!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Tuesday I got my stitches out. I still look pretty awful, but at least the feeling of having my skin pulled tight isn’t so bad.

In three weeks I will have my next surgery to finish and remove the flap of skin connecting my forehead to my nose. It’s rather a big deal, but I’ll be one step closer to looking like myself again.

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend! After all, you never know when you will need an alibi!

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It’s easy to tell you what I did this past weekend. Almost nothing. Seeing as my face is literally in stitches, I’ve had to lie back in my recliner and do nothing. So, instead of recounting all that I did not do, I will tell you a few things I have thought aout.

I did not expect to have the extensive surgery that I have had. I thought I would go in, have a few snips to remove the cancer and a couple of stitches to close me up. See how small that was.

What I ended up with was losing half my nose and extensive reconstructive surgery. Call me shocked!

Life can be full of surprises, can’t it? It’s funny though because back in January when I started to think about seeing someone about the  red spot that had returned to my nose, I just had this feeling. This really bad feeling.

I managed to get the appointment with Dr. A. the cancer dermatologist, and she immediately biopsied the nose, and she told me she wanted me to have the Mohs Surgery. I wonder if she knew how extensive the cancer was, or if her experience made her suspicious?

She wanted Dr. S. to operate as soon as he could to do the Mohs Surgery, I was quickly scheduled and at that point Dr. S. explained he wanted a plastic surgery consult.

I’m still shocked that I went in expecting the best (just a few little stitches) and ended up coming out with a full face of railroad tracks!

No, I was not expecting this at all.

But here I am, recovering from the first part of the facial reconstruction. I have a feeling I will be mending for most of the year.

I’ve thought about people who had facial cancer 50 years ago, before plastic surgery was available. In this regard, I am so very lucky.

So, that was my weekend. Recovering, sleeping and watching a little TV, but not much else.

Although, my cousins Janet and Dave came up and brought a Seafood Lasagna! Oh my goodness, it was delicious! Talk about comfort food! Thank you so much, you two! I have really enjoyed it, and seeing you!!!

Saturday was a big day…I finally got to take a bath and Hubby washed my hair! I feel so wonderfully clean and relaxed after a week of having to take simple sponge baths.

I was awake early on Saturday and sat drinking coffee. I Skyped with a few people, Hubby made me breakfast and then about 10 o’clock in the morning, I fell back asleep.

My body has responded to all this surgery by being just plain tired. At first it was hard to nap, but the last two days I find myself slipping off into lala land. And the snoring!

Today my cousin is coming up to spoil me. You know, it has always been hard for me to ask for help or to accept help and comfort from others. This time I let Janet know I needed her. And like a good and loving cousin, she is coming up!

We are so lucky to have each other, and to share a relationship more like sisters than cousins. (This picture was taken a couple of years ago.)

So here I sit, hoping to mend quickly and get baack on my feet soon.

I wish I could tell you that this set of surgeries have been easy for me, but they haven’t. The first day found them having to operate 4 times to remove the cancer on my nose before they packed it up with gauze and sent me to the hotel. I hardly slept with the pain, but soon enough it was time to get up and go to the hospital.
It was snowing hard, just like I knew it would. We made it over fine, as the hotel was only a quarter of a mile from the hospital. (It was the Residence Inn and truly catered to me making my stay comfortable and pleasant. And they accept dogs, although we did not bring ours!))
At the hospital, they took me right in as I was the first surgery of the day, and the nurses got me all prepared. The Anesthesiologist came and spoke to me, explaining that they would put me to sleep for this operation, and the two doctors came in and looked at what they had left to work with. Frankly when the Anesthesiologist came back to bring me to the OR, he gave me my first injection and I fell instantly asleep.
The decision was made to take a flap of skin from my forehead and spread it over my nose. Meanwhile they stitched the top of the forehead up. There is still a flap attached to the forehead so the skin can get a blood supply.
All that means is that I must be very quiet for the next week. I go back on Tuesday to get the stitches out and then they will decide when to do the last operation to mend in the flap. That is also another surgery where I will have to go to sleep.
So I am not attaching pictures of my poor face. I know a few of you don’t do well, and these are pretty graphic. But should anyone want to see them I will forward them to you privately.
In the night Apparently my hair got all twisted and this morning I spent 20 minutes combing out the snarls. I now have pony tails like Abby Scuitto on NCIS. This way I can lie flat without my hair getting all twisted.
I am lucky that I have gotten the cancer taken care of. I know this. But  the pain is very great!
Hubby has been wonderful, truly spoiling me and making sure I have good nourishment and plenty of fluids. I’m a lucky woman!
Well, that is all for now. I need to put my head back so the bleeding doesn’t start again.

The plastic surgery on Tuesday was pretty complicated, and right now I feel very much like the Bride of Frankenstein.

The area to cover was about the size of a quarter, so they had to use a grafting process I was not familiar with.

They took tissue from the forehead, and turned it and covered the nose. So, there is a little flap at the bridge of my nose for now. I have about a dozen or so little stitches on my forehead and then, or course the graft.

But, I tell myself that the cancer is gone and I am a lucky girl!

Here is a little funny thing. As I was being wheeled in to surgery, I must have fallen asleep, as I remember nothing of actually going into the surgical suite. I also remember nothing until I came to in recovery.

Recovery will be long, but I’m prepared. I’m putting in a small photo, but if you want to see details click on it and it should take you right to it.

When you wake up today, I will be in the Operating Room getting my new nose! I decided not to bring my laptop with me to the hospital, so I am actually pre-posting this.

I’ll be coming back home later today and I will eventually unveil my new nose. I am hopeful that the cancer will be removed and the nose fixed without complications. However, they tell me that it will be a while before the swelling goes down.

I’ll have my Kindle with me and I will be checking Facebook and my email.

After Day One

It took four operations to do it, but now I am cancer free! Tomorrow is the plastic surgery!!!

My Yahoo Email account was hacked. For anyone who got an email that had a subject line of “Hot News” that was it and I am very sorry. I hardly use that address, so I have gone in and deleted all my contacts. It seems Yahoo has more hackings than other email account. Please forgive me, if you got one of those emails.

Our house sitter stopped by today and everything is set for that. The dogs were so excited to see him, and everything will be fine.

Hubby was joking today that all he hopes is that my nose doesn’t come out looking like “Voldemort’s”! Ha-Ha. Very funny. Not! But he seemed to think so.

I’ve cooked my corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots. A true St. Patrick’s Day celebration!

We’re all packed and ready to roll in the morning! I had the suitcase on our bed, and Arnie climbed inside! Lol. Think we should bring him?

First, I want all spammers to go away! I’ve been inundated with spam and it’s driving me crazy. I like a nice neat inbox and Blog page!

Saturday was what I’d like to call a whirl-wind cleaning day. I’d decided to make up a list of all I needed to do, and then try to get as much done as I could.

So I started at 8:30 AM and did everything from vacuuming my entire house, dusting, washing three bathrooms, and scrubbing all the floors in the house that are not carpeted! I also made three meals, did 5 loads of laundry, and folded it and put it all away!

My recliner is covered and I will get the pillow and sheets prepared for when I come home, but I won’t put those on until I’m actually here and can keep the dogs away.

Sunday is packing day and organizing our bags. Hubby wants to bring his laptop, and since he is coming along, I will bring my laptop as well.

Yes, a whirl-wind! But it’s looking and smelling great in this house!

I got my surgical dates today. They’re getting me right in on March 18th for the Mohs Surgery and the next day I will have the reconstructive surgery. It’s good to get it over with, but then I found out that no one can go with me.

Hubby will drive me over in the morning on Monday and drop me off for the first part of the surgeries. He’ll drive back to spend the day and night with the dogs, and then on Tuesday he will pick me up after the plastic surgery.

The good thing is that on Monday I intend to enjoy a nice Mexican meal at one of our favorite places! (Or maybe order take-out!)

Anyway, now I go into planning mode. I need to pack, (lightly) write two blog posts, as I am not bringing my laptop, (just my Kindle) and make sure Hubby has foods in the house that he can cook for himself and for me.

Strangely, I am actually caught up on laundry, and will only need to dust and vacuum this weekend.

I do need to get out a sheet set up for my chair, as when I get home I will need to be sitting up to sleep for a week or so. This means that Hubby gets the dackels all to himself in bed! lol!

The dackels all go to the Vets on Thursday for their annual check-ups, so unfortunately I will probably miss my visit with Savannah on Friday, as I will need to grocery shop then.

Too busy, I think! Oh well, after the surgery things will quiet down for a little while.