The second week

So I'm into my second week post surgery. I went to the Dr. on Thursday to get my incision checked out. I saw Mrs. Dr. who works in the office. She was very impressed with the stitch-wichery of the Dr. Apparently I have internal stitches that are dissolvable and externally he applied butterfly bandages--I don't have staples or a "railroad track" type of scar. Just a line. So my scar won't impede my bikini wearing (we won't discuss everything ELSE that will negate me wearing a bikini!)

I'm still on bed rest to minimize scarring (scarrinng in my spine, not cosmetic scarring). And I was absolutely worn out after my brief excursion to the Dr. I went home and slept for several hours. My family has been wonderfully helpful. The kids are doing what they can, Ernest's Mom spent a lot of time here, keeping up with the general chores and cooking! Yum! Good ol' home cooking. But now I'm more on my own. And perhaps more dependent on Ernest's cooking (uh oh). Ernest has been wonderful throughout this run-a-way train health experience. I think he has been impressed with my ability to handle all this; but what he doesn't realize is I couldn't have handled all these diagnoses, tests and treatments without his strength and support. He pretty much sat with me holding my hand through every test.

So what's next? Dr.s office is checking my insurance to find rehab or physical therapy to send me to. I do have an even more noticeable weakness in my left leg, between the damaged nerve and the weak/atrophied muscles. But I'm assured I will be able to climb stairs by myself in the not too distant future! Of course I've been compartmentalizing all these problems. Dealing w ith one at a ti me. So the first couple of hurdles are done....busy Admissions work is done. Surgery is done. Next, rehab and then finally getting rid of one MS diagnosis to be able to concentrate on the other MS and focusing on a healthy, happy year.

On becoming conscious,,,

Okay, so I'm coming around into a more concious state! I think I slept all week. It seems every prescription they gave me "may cause drowsiness." I think it's all part of the plot to make sure I stay flat on myback in bed. But the Dr. agreed I could back off the prime sleep inducer, the muscle relaxers. That seems to help.

So now I can get to reading all those books and watching all those dvds. I'm up to visitors and phone calls too.

A word or two or three as dictated from Colleen

I got home noonish on Weds. I am feeling pretty good. Although I have 4 viles of pills ythat I am taking...including MORE STEROIDS! You SJS folks should be happy that I am not arround you these days. Speaking of SJS the flowers are really beautiful...thank you.



The doctor is really suprised. He assures me reagular old herniations do not have there own blood supply. Everyone "radiologist and oncologist" all "knew" that it was a tumor. He even sent it to pathology, just in case. Again Ellen, the are advantages to not being normal.



So now I am just recovering, mainly sleeping alot. This truely has been a special Lenten season and holy week for me. Love Colleen

Great News...It's Not a Tumor

I have just talked with Dr. Baskin. It is a disc not a tumor as previously discussed. Since it is not a tumor, there is no question of malignancy. The doctor went along one side of her spine and removed the disc as previously planned. The nerves were compromised by the disc but with it's removal should improve Colleen's mobility dramatically. He didn't have to brace her spine because his proceedure didn't compromise it that much (we can go through airport radar detectors without interruption) As soon as she is out of recovery she will be transferred to a room (instead of ICU as previously discussed). She should be home tomorrow, with a brighter mobility outlook. Ernest

Surgery Went Well

This morning the family made the very early (before 6am) trip to Methodist. Colleen's surgical prep. ran fairly ordinary. It took two tries to start the I.V. It has been one of the few times where her blood pressure was not elevated. I see this as a sign that all of the discussion has taken some of the stress from this proceedure, along with her confidence in Dr. Baskin running the operation "skin to skin". They didn't give her any good medication till she had signed numerous places on a document that rivaled our mortgage. She was wheeled down to the operating room at 7:05. Baskin touched base with the kids before surgery and gave them the run down of what proceedures and expectations of the surgery. Matthew and Katlyn have a limited history of Surgical Waiting Rooms. Matthew has been sleeping sitting up where Katlyn has taken a good nap on a couch. Matthew feels that this is truly a form of hell. The Surgery was set to start around 8:15. It is now 11:24 and the waiting room attendent has just informed me that they are closing and everything went fine. I will up-date as I know more. Ernest

Leaving for the Hospital shortly

I wanted to clarify one thing before we head off to the hospital: The change in diagnosis. The Dr. thinks all my back/leg problems were initially caused by a herniated disk as we originally thought back in November. But it was a small herniation that bumped into the already existing tumor and pushed the tumor into my nerves, causing all the pain, mimicing the symptoms of a regular herniation. The combination of steroids I've received for both my medical problems (the nerve root injections of cortisone followed by the intravenous and oral steroids) DID cause the herniation to resolve. Therefore proving the point of the pre-op (and NINTH) MRI. Prior to the steroids the herniation up against the tumor just showed up as soft tissue against soft tissue. After the steroids and the resolution of the herniation, a gap showed between the disk and the tumor--where the herniation had been. Therefore "justifying" the TENTH MRI with contrast which showed the characteristics of the tumor. As much as I hate to admit it, the ninth and tenth

Surgery Update II

It's a go. I passed my test. At least something was normal!

Tuesday, March 18, 8:00 a.m. No idea how long it will be, Check back for updates via Ernest.

Surgery Update

My surgery date has been changed. No longer St. Patrick's day, we're trying for Tuesday, March 18. But stay tuned. Because in the words of Gilda Radner as Emily Litella,"it's always something...."

Last week's pre-op blood tests were a little funky with regard to my ability to clot. Apparently I'm taking a little longer than desireable (maybe because of some of the necessary meds I'm taking). Dr. says this wouldn't be a problem for most surgeries, but with surgeries on the spine you don't want a large clot--as that could cause pressure on the spinal cord. Never a good thing and he prefers to err on the side of caution.

So I retake the test Monday, St. Patrick's day. If that one shows the same thing, I'm off the meds for a week and we try again NEXT week.