Hang Me Up By My Ears

I have managed to pull stitches out at the top of both of my ears.  One ear last night combing my hair after my shower and the other today running my fingers through my hair by my ears.  So, I had to call one of the nurses and she said not to cut them.  Be very careful with them.  If they haven't fallen out by the time I go back to the Dr. next Wednesday, they will cut them.  So, I have a clear fishing line type loop sticking out about half an inch at the top of both my ears.

Tuesday night I had a dream...rather a nightmare that I was teaching and all of a sudden my left ear came undone in the back and was flopping toward my face.  All my fifth graders were screaming and running out of the room.  YIKES!!

I went to the Dr. last Wednesday.  He said everything is healing beautifully!!  I go back next week to have the stitches and screws in the top of my head removed...YAY!  Those things cause a headache by the evening.  I am able to use regular shampoo and conditioner and face wash again...Thank goodness!  My hair and face are so dry from baby shampoo and Dial soap.

The following pictures are from before my Dr. visit on the 13th.  My smile was still pretty creepy that day and I was still a little yellow from bruising.  It is getting better though!!

Friends, I'm okay...

I've been getting calls and texts from some of you making sure I'm okay because I haven't blogged in days. I'm doing great...finally!  There were a few days there that I avoided mirrors and wouldn't let dad take any pictures because my left eye was so swollen it gave me a stomach ache to look at it.  I will add some pics at the end of this entry!

Now that I am not taking so many drugs...only taking tylenol for pain except at bedtime, I can be a bit more verbal as to what surgery and the last week has been like.  I had 4 total procedures done, one being a surprise bonus the Dr. threw in during surgery.  I had liposuction under my chin and jaw line, a brow lift, my ears pinned back, fat grafting in my lips and around my mouth (which came with its own special surprise after surgery), and he decided during surgery to do some deep liposuction in my cheeks.  For the fat grafting, he took fat out of my thighs...both unexpected and painful.  I couldn't understand the entire ride home why my thighs hurt so bad.  The cheek liposuction explains why my face looks like the state puff marshmallow man.

Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday I was totally out of it...never even making it downstairs.  Thursday I felt better and had a bit of an appetite.  The first two days I lived on graham crackers.  Friday my eye swelled and I spiraled into a bit of a pity party.  My parents celebrated their 33rd anniversary by eating take-out mexican food (I had a serious craving for cheese enchiladas and rice and I ate every bite) and watching Fools Gold with me.  Needless to say, I owe them!  Since then, I've been an eating machine!!

My days consist of waking up around 8:00.  Taking first 2 medications. Eating breakfast.  Taking morning vitamins.  Lay down for a nap and get iced.  Get up and take 2 more medications.  Take a shower.  Eat lunch.  Sit in chair and watch TV while getting iced.  Take more meds.  Eat dinner.  TAke more meds.  Sit in chair and watch TV and get iced.  Take more meds.  Go to bed and get iced.  Needless to say, I'm pretty sick of ice and sitting.  I do make some walking laps around the house, up and down the stairs, but it's not really the same.

I go back to the Dr. Wednesday at 12:30.  I'm hoping he tells me I don't have to wear the head/chin wrap 24 hours a day anymore because this thing is making me crazy!!

Ok, enough blah, blah, blah! Time for pics!  Lori, I think they are all okay for you to see.
The first two are from Thursday, I think...

The next few were taken this morning...My face is very yellow right now.  Very attractive, I know!

Parts of my ears are still pretty numb and swollen.  I can actually feel the nerve endings reattaching.  I get these tingly feelings running from my ear down my neck.

My neck is really that yellow.  It's not lighting in the room.  The bruising is working its way down my face and neck.

The Next Day

The pretty flowers given to me from the Dr. and my parents neighbor, Jennifer!

I'm wishing I could be more comedic, but I think the pain killers have sucked all the funny out of me.  The following pics were taken the day after surgery after I took my shower.
**Lori, I don't think these are too scary...just some swelling and a bit of bruising**

Ok, friends...nap time again.  I will post some day 3 pics after my shower today...

Surgery Day

Tuesday 5th, 5:45am...heading to the surgery center

We arrived at the surgery center around 7am.  They brought me back (mom too) to the pre-op room where the nurse had me change into a robe, surgical underwear that were 4 sizes to big for me, and warm purple socks with little puppy paw prints on them.

Next, they pumped liquids through my IV to get me to pee...they had to do a pregnancy test before the surgery.  I had plenty of comedic material in response to that.  Dr. Mentz came in very excited and chipper and asked if I was ready to have some fun.  Then he drew all over my face with a purple marker that I/m still trying to remove.

I peed into the little cup, the nurse came and said, "Congratulations, you're not pregnant," then I walked myself into the surgery room.  Holy crap that place was kinds scary.  I really wanted to walk around the room and ask what all the stuff was for, but instead they laid me down and ran warm fluid up my arm.  That's the last thing I remember until I woke up.  The nurse told my parents that she said my name and the first thing I said back was, "I have to pee."

**The following pictures are from right after surgery.  Lori, you may want to stop here!**

I don't at all remember the drive home.  I just slept and mom and dad kept ice on me!

Never Feed a Gremlin After Midnight

I have washed my hair with all natural baby shampoo, dried it and straightened it with NO product.  It is surprisingly straight!  I have swallowed all 12 of my daily vitamins and will be soon taking magic pill #13 tonight...a sleeping pill so I can get some much needed, nerves free, sleep tonight!

My dad cooked a fabulous "last meal" (that's what he called it) for me tonight.  Beer butt chicken and corn on the cob on the grill with mashed potatoes, green beans, french bread, and apple pie for dessert.  I feel like a gremlin with not being able to eat or drink anything after midnight.  If I recall my 80's movie quote correctly, "Never feed a gremlin after midnight and never get it wet..."

What A Nightmare!!

Perhaps starting to watch season 6 of Nip Tuck on DVD right before surgery wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had...I had a nightmare last night that I woke up from surgery with size H implants!!  They were so big, I couldn't even stand up.  I had to be in a wheel chair.  Do they even have bras for boobies that big?  I was so relieved when I woke up and found that my 34B's were still tucked safely inside my tank top. ** Just a reminder, I'm not getting any work done below the neck!**

I head to Magnolia tomorrow morning with lots of comfy lounging clothes, season 1 of True Blood (it's time to find out what the hype is all about), my NOOK, my laptop, and the beach bag given to me by the Dr. full of ointments, vitamins, and medications...

I'm currently taking 12 vitamins a day!  2 when I wake up.  3 after breakfast.  2 mid-morning. 2 mid-afternoon. 3 after dinner.  After surgery, I add another 3 vitamins twice a day, pain killers, antibiotics, and anxiety meds to help me relax and sleep.  I was also given meds to take incase I feel nauseous and meds to help with constipation from all the stuff I'm putting in my body!  CRAZY!!!

What Happens In Yemen, Stays In Yemen

**I changed to title of this post for Lori**

I'll begin my "Yemen vacation" July 5th at 7:45 am.

For those of you who are reading this and saying, "what...huh...Yemen?" it is a little joke thought up over lunch with Lori, Kelly, and Sarah. You're welcome Friends fans!  We decided if in a one in a million chance I met my Mr. Right before Monday, I would tell him I'm headed to Yemen for 3 weeks of relaxation and rejuvenation.  Isn't Yemen known for its day spas??