Update

I haven't posted anything since before my first surgery. Between the drugs and it being too hard to hold a computer it just wasn't happening! It is still difficult to hold my computer so this won't be too long.

My first surgery went well. As Angela said they had to cut five ribs. I just want to say I have very little memory of what happened between my two surgeries. Apparently, I wasn't the nicest person and I was in extreme pain. I also said some pretty funny things while drugged. . . what a shock. I hallucinate animals a lot when I'm high. I do remember waiting in the pre op room before my first surgery is when it finally hit me, I got nervous. The drugs were great though.

I do remember waiting for my second surgery we were not even sure they were going to do it because of my fever, thankfully they did. Of course this time I had to be complicated, one of my lung collapsed the other filled with fluid getting me 2 chest tubes. I later found out that was the first time in years my doctor had to put in 2 chest tubes. I do remember something I wish I didn't. After the surgery was done, before you leave the OR, they have to do a wake up test. Your not supposed to remember but I do. I remember being asked to wiggle my toes and stuff but I also remember freaking out because I was intubated. I kept trying to tell them to put me back to sleep. They were also taking off my Halo at this time and I could feel the pressure. It was not fun. When they finally had me off the ventilator, a few days later and I was awake Angela's mom, who was staying with me, showed me a picture of my x ray. My response was not something I will repeat, lets just say I was shocked and very happy, although I don't remember this either. I stayed in ICU a while with a 103 degree fever that would not go away. Eventually I got moved to a regular room but still battled a lower fever. It was very boring. I was still on drugs but about a week before I went home I was with it and bored!

I kept pestering the doctor to send me home! Finally May 16th I got to go home! I was so happy! I didn't get to go home home right away though. The house was crazy with wedding planning for that weekend so I stayed with some friends. I got discharged Monday and on Thursday I got admitted to SE hospital. I had felt awful and been throwing up since the night I got back. They put an NG tube in which was awful because this time I was awake and not drugged, oh and at this point my good pain meds had been taken away. I was so miserable! They found out my stomach was paralyzed and put me on some medicine to make it work again. I got discharged on Sunday, the day after the wedding. I finally got to go home!!!!!!

Since I got home I've just been working on recovering. I can definitely see the progress I have made! I am finally able to go out on short trips and last Sunday I got to go to church for the first time in over 3 months!! I was so happy!! Right now my biggest challenge is sitting up. I can sit with a pillow in a soft comfy chair but sitting in a normal chair I can only last about 30 minutes. This limits what I can do. Right now I'm at the point where I'm feeling enough like myself (finally) that I want to do what I used to do but I can't. That's frustrating for me. It also makes things very boring!! But come this fall (hopefully, still have to work out the whole summer school that I can't take thing) I will definitely not be bored again for oh about 6 years!! I can't wait.

I'm so thankful I had this surgery. The recovery has been harder than I expected but it's so worth it. Just looking at me I look perfectly straight, no one could tell!! In my x rays you can see there is still a bit of a curve but it's nothing!! I also gained about 4 inches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am now taller than some people :D Its amazing!!! I am still working to build my lung capacity and will be for the next year because of what happened in my second surgery. I cant wait to see how much that improves now that I have 2 functioning lungs!!