To Hell And Back. But Back, Thanks To A Few Heroes

OCEAN GIRL AND RAIN DOG DAY BEFORE SURGERY. I DECIDED TO DYE MY HAIR REBEL RED/PURPLE, BUT DONT GET USED TO IT, I MISS BEING A BLONDE ;-)




MY HUSBAND BRIAN, MY SUPERMAN, MY HERO. HE SAT NEXT TO MY BED, IF I SO MUCH AS TWITCHED HE WAS UP AND LEANING OVER ME TO SEE WHAT I NEEDED. ONE NIGHT MY VITALS WENT CRAZY DUE TO ALL THE DAMN MEDS. MY HEART RATE SPIKED, BLOOD PRESSURE GOING CRAZY, MY BODY WAS GETTING OVER LOADED WITH FLUIDS AND ELECTROLYTES UNBALANCED (A COMMON REACTION POST BRAIN SURGERY). THANKFULLY EVERYTHING WAS OK, BUT I WAS SO SCARED! BRIAN, MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND, WAS RIGHT THERE WITH HIS BIG STRONG ARMS WRAPPED AROUND ME, KISSING MY FOREHEAD, AND TELLING ME I WAS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT. MY HERO (SIGH).



ME IN ICU





BRIAN AND I IN THE CAR MAKING A RUN FOR IT. THEY FINALLY DISCHARGED ME AFTER TEN DAYS, 6 OF WHICH WERE IN ICU. I DIDN'T EVEN WAIT TO GET DRESSED.





MY NEPHEW AND HERO WARREN, ALWAYS TRYING TO MAKE ME SMILE. MY NEPHEW CAMERON, AND NIECE ERIKA LILY CAME BY TOO TO CHEER ME UP.






DR HAMILTON AND MY HERO MOM.
WITHOUT MY MOM DEMANDING MY PATHOLOGY REPORT I WOULD PROBABLE STILL BE IN THAT GAWD AWFUL PLACE. DR HAMILTON, WHO PICKED UP THE BALL MY DR DROPPED, FOUND OUT WHY I WASN'T GETTING BETTER. My TUMOR WAS RARE SO IT MADE THE ROUNDS AT THE MEDICAL CENTER, IT EVEN WAS THE STAR OF THE "WHAT THE HECK IS THIS" PATHOLOGY CONFERENCE. SO WHEN THE DECISION WAS FINALLY MADE TO NAME MY DIAGNOSIS, TO DECIDE WHAT THE GROWTH WAS, THE JOB OF TELLING ME AND MY ENDOCRINOLOGIST DR HAMILTON WAS LOST IN TRANSLATION FOR A COUPLE DAYS, UNTIL MY MOM (HERO)STARTED CRACKING HEADS.








MY BROTHER-IN-LAW AND HERO NOEL. HE WAS THERE DURING SOME ROUGH TIMES, READY WITH A COOL WASH CLOTH AND ALL THE FIJI WATER I COULD DRINK. CAME EVERY MORNING TO GIVE BRIAN A BREAK AND BRING A CUP OF MY FAVORITE TEA. PLUS HE WOULD GET BRIAN OUT OF THE HOSPITAL FOR AN HOUR OR TWO EVERY NIGHT FOR A NICE MEAL. IT WAS SUCH A COMFORT THAT SOMEONE WAS LOOKING AFTER BRIAN TOO.






MY SISTER AND HERO ALECIA, SHE WAS ALWAYS READY TO FLUFF MY PILLOW, KEPT THE COLD WATER COMING. MY SWEET GENTLE SIS NEARLY CAME TO BLOWS WHEN A NURSE WHO WAS OVER 45 MINUTES LATE FOR MY PAIN MEDS CHOSE TO TAKE A PHONE CALL RATHER THAN ADDRESS MY UNCONTROLLED PAIN,NEEDLESS TO SAY, I GOT MY PAIN MEDS (MY HERO).





THANKS TO MY BROTHER BILL AND WONDERFUL SISTER-IN-LAW BRENDA FOR VISITING ME, THOUGH THIS IS ALL I REMEMBER (SEE PICTURE ABOVE)






MY MOM AND HERO, WHO DID THE DIGGING TO FIND MY PATHOLOGY FROM SURGERY. WHEN THE FINAL REPORT WAS TRACKED DOWN IT SHOWED THAT I NEEDED FURTHER TREATMENT TO REDUCE SWELLING. WITHIN HOURS OF THE FIRST DOSE OF THE NEW MEDS MY EXTREME HEAD PAIN WAS DOWN TO A SMOOTH AND EASY THUD.






BRIAN'S SISTER REBECCA CAME ALL THE WAY FROM AUSTIN TO HELP OUT THE FIRST COUPLE DAYS, I KNOW SHE WAS A GREAT COMFORT TO BRIAN AND TO ME AS WELL. AND THANKS TO BRIAN'S PARENTS FOR THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND COMFORTING PHONE CALLS.




MY ICU NURSE AL, WHO CAME BY TO WISH ME WELL ON DISCHARGE DAY. DAMN GOOD NURSE.




THANKS TO FRED AND LINDA FOR THEIR WONDERFUL DAILY EMAILS OF ENCOURAGEMENT, THE DOZEN OR SO CHURCHES PRAYING FOR US, AND ALL THE PRAYER WORRIORS.

AND THANKS TO ALL OUR FRIENDS CALLING AND WRITING WELL WISHES, YOU ALL ARE SUCH A COMFORT. BRAIN AND I SHOOK OUR HEADS IN AMAZEMENT MORE THAN ONCE OF JUST HOW BLESSED WE ARE WITH SUCH AN ABUNDANCE OF WONDERFUL LOVING FRIENDS, THANKS.

ps
sorry for the typos, I had brain surgery after all :-)
PPS
Sorry for the ALL CAPS, I didnt even notice it until Brian pointed it out(very Freudian).