Surgery Number Two: Complete, Success

Thank you all so much for your prayers and thoughts today... It meant so much to me!

It turned out to be a much bigger deal than I was lead to believe--I had to check into the hospital, put on the gown, get an IV and the whole 9 yards...

I wound up sleeping through it--they gave me the gas this time instead of whatever drugs knocked me out the first time, and when I woke up I had a tube down my nose and an oxygen mask on, which scared the living daylights out of me!

I asked the nurse how long I had been there and she said about 20 minutes. It was 12:50 and my surgery had started at 11:30! So I think it took a while longer than the 5-30 minutes the doctor predicted...

The nursing staff was wonderful, and they did save the screw for me, so I now have a nice little souvenir of what was in my leg for the past 6 weeks. The nurse removed the tube from my nose (man is my throat sore!) and put a regular oxygen hose on me instead of a full mask covering my nose and mouth.

After another 1/2 hour, they put me back in the same day surgery bay and Michael and Judy were allowed back in. I was given ginger ale and saltines, which helped, and eventually the nurse asked me if I wanted to go home, to which I replied "YES!"

I did have to use the bathroom, but said I was nervous to try walking. She told me it was the bathroom or a bedpan, and I said "I'm not THAT nervous!" and stood up for the first time on both feet.

They gave me a walker, and miracle of miracles, I took my first steps in 7 weeks.

When I got into the bathroom, I sat down on that toilet and cried. And when I came out, Judy had tears in her eyes.

It was so special.

We got home around 3:30, I had some chicken mcnuggets--my post-surgery treat of choice--and went to bed for the next 4 hours. I woke up in time for "Deal or No Deal" and "Lost" and came upstairs to go to bed.

But I didn't want to leave anyone hanging... I'll be around sporadically for the next couple of days. I'm back on Vicodin to ease the pain, and yes, my leg HURTS (i've also had a killer headache, no doubt from whatever anesthesia I got).

I will be seeing the doctor again on April 13th, exactly 2 months to the day of my accident, to have my stitches removed and have a follow up exam. After that, I hope I'll be fully recovered!