I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Ok, so I've been home for 2 days but unfortunately the gas pain and the catheter came home with me  :(  I've been feeling pretty crappy so I've been laying really low. 

I never did end up eating in the hospital.  My orders didn't get updated so they never upgraded my diet.  Plus this stay was a crazy one!  Perhaps it was a full moon while I was in?  I had an unpleasant roomate that made life very challenging for about 24 hours but thankfully they moved me to a saner room.  However the person they switched me with was having a rough time with confusion and had yanked her IV out.  There was also a man who would just yell and scream pretty much non-stop until about noon each day...  I tell ya, the hospital is no place to rest.

So I'm home dealing with this unrelenting gas pain and having my catherer, or Mr. Foley as I call it, follow me everywhere I go...  good times, not!  I'm slowly beginning to eat again which is nice  :)  Tomorrow I will go into Dr. Duggan's office to have my staples removed and to see if I can have Mr. Foley detached.  Cross your fingers for me!  As cool as it is to be able to pee standing up, I'm looking forward to feeling normal again.

It's hard to believe my first surgery was only 2 months ago today...  4 hospital stays, which included chemo, nuetropenic fever and another surgery, and I'm still kicking!  Jay thinks I may have a little shell shock from so much in so little time and he's probably right ;)  When I start feeling down I try to focus on how far I've come and the fact that I winning!!! 

Which, by the way, I meant to mention, all the cancer is out of my body with the exception of microscopic cells which my future chemo will take care of!  The pathology came back noting that all biopsies came back "no evidence of tumor".  Yahoooooooooooooooooooo!  Oh, and as far as me being a Zebra... well no longer!  I finally have an official diagnosis...  Grade 2 endometrial endometrioid carcinoma.  However, Dr. Duggan said because it traveled to my colon (the original surgery) she classified it as a Stage 4.

I feel fortunate to have such a clean pathology and I am thrilled I will have many more years added to this life of mine thanks to getting in there and getting things done.  Yeah it's been a lot but I'm alive!  I will be forever thankful to my doctors, my family, my friends and all the other cancer patients and people in general in this world that give me hope, love, support and motivation.

While my fight isn't over just yet, I do feel as though I've reached the summit.  May God continue to grant me the strength to see this thing through.

With love, Reba

Recovery

That is some incision!  It's 10 - 12 inches long and is closed with staples.  The doctors are watching for infection so Reba is getting antibiotics and all other meds (yeah morphine) through her port.  She can't eat until she passes gas so she is up and walking the floors.  It's a little unnerving to hear such loud burps coming from such a tiny body:)  The gas in her bowels is starting to move but she told me this morning it's painful and the morphine doesn't cut that kind of pain.  She'll keep walking and hopefully it will pass before too long.  Reebs is really hungry and is dreaming of food.  She's looking forward to the hospital chicken broth so she must be starving!  She'll be in the hospital until Saturday.  More later in the week.   Louisa

She never ceases to amaze.....

Surgery today was 4 1/2 hours!!  Reba was thrilled she was going into room 6 (her lucky number) and it certainly seemed to work!   Dr. Duggan told us she couldn't see anything new.   She did biopsy several places including lymph glands and we'll know more once those labs come in.  Reba woke up in quite a bit of pain, but is now happy in morphine land.  We watched Dancing with the Stars for a bit and she was her usual positive, chatty self.  She is a healing machine.  Today was a good day.    Louisa

Ok I changed my mind!

I actually AM excited about today!  I'm really looking forward to making more progress in this fight and today's a BIG step in that progress so what's not to be excited about!?

The next blog will be via Louisa.  She will let you all know how the surgery went and I'm sure she'll fill you in on my medication induced antics ;)  Should be interesting!

Stay tuned mi amigos.

Love, Reba

Surgery Eve!

In less than 24 hours I will be through my surgery!  YaY!

I've spent today doing laundry, cleaning house and just finishing up preparing for the hospital stay.  Travis came to visit and we just watched a funny movie together.  Brenna's coming down a little later :)

I wouldn't say I'm excited about tomorrow, but I am looking forward to having one more step in this process behind me.  I'll check in with you all again post op!!!

Hope your weekend was a fun, productive one and that everyone has a great week ahead of them.

Besos, Reba