I'm home ~

approximately 24 hours after being wheeled out of surgery, I was wheeled out of the hospital! And oh, what an experience that was. A crazy-good experience I mean. Really .... unbelievable! I have SO much love and support in my life - wow!

So my mom takes me to Carle at 6:15 on Monday morning. I was taken back to the prep room fairly quickly and she joined me soon after. We waited for the IV to be hooked up, and then the sentinel node dye to be injected. Within the next hour, my dad and PJ were there, and Sabrina came along shortly after them. Following her was Britt and Mallory (with Mallory's oh-so- cute pregnant belly!). My cousins wife Cindy Stiger came by to visit, she is a bc survivor of 19 years! Joy Johnson was working and stopped in to say hello to the gang, as did Linda Figueroa and her mom! (It was hard for people to pass on by with all of the laughter & fun conversation gong on in there!) I really hated to leave the party, when they finally called me to the o.r. around 10.

I guess they all found something to do for the next few hours .... as I was occupied until at least 2 pm! When I began to awaken, I felt like I'd been hit by a mac truck. It was difficult for me to talk - my tongue felt so thick and I could not articulate my words - LOL. Surrounded by all of these kind, caring people, I felt nothing but grateful! Really and truly, I am blessed! There are people who don't have people ..... and I do. I don't take that for granted.

Mostly I was TIRED last night! I ate a little bit of macaroni and cheese, drank some water and tried to stay awake. My visitors dispersed a few at a time and finally I was alone around 8 pm. I slept surprisingly well until nurses came in to check on me around 1:30, then I slept well again until 5. My mom was there by 7 this morning and I had a good breakfast. The surgeon came in to check on me and explained that all went well yesterday. The right breast did have lymph node involvement, so nodes were removed and that side was treated a little more aggressively than the left. My dad came by mid-morning and then my friends Marca and Barbie came in to say hi. While they were there, Jenny Plunk payed me a visit as well.

I took a little walk down the hall and apparently was doing too well for them to keep me any longer :( I'm one of those odd people who'd like to stay at the hospital another day. Being waited on, ordering food at will, having visitors, etc.... I really enjoyed it & would rather have come home tomorrow. No medical reason to keep me though, which I guess I should be grateful for! So I had some lunch, took another pain pill, packed up my goods and headed home around 2:00 (same time I was coming out of surgery yesterday) Like I said, it's all an adventure and that's one more chapter in my book.