posted Wednesday, 18 April 2007
I was supposed to go to the dr on Monday to have my drain pulled... but no... still too much fluid draining. I go back next Monday and hope to have it pulled then. My back has gotten extremely sore (I'm guessing it's some combination of the drain + starting to walk Otis again, who is not used to walking nice on a leash + carrying my computer bag on my first commute into Philly + going back to work every day instead of sitting, relaxing in my recliner all day + ???) and I'm not sleeping great as a result, but otherwise, things are going well.
I started back at work for real this week. I've worked some over the past two weeks, from home, shadowing Vanita, whose job/role I am taking over -- her baby is due in early May and I am hoping that this role will help me to balance things as I get back up to speed. Of course, this new role is proving to be quite a challenge... but it's something new & challenge can be good!
Our Philadelphia office opened on April 1 and I am part of the team opening this new office. Our location is great -- 35th floor of One Liberty Place, right in center city. I take the train in and walk a few blocks to the office, so the commute shouldn't be too bad... once I get used to it. I just missed the train this morning and had to wait a half hour for the next one. If I hadn't stopped to go through the starbucks drive through, I would have made it... but at least I had a warm latte to sip while I sat in the cold at the station! I would like to move a little closer.... perhaps Haddonfield or Collingswood, in south jersey. Both are cute towns on the high speed line that runs into Philly. It would be great to be walking distance from the train (and a short 15-20 minute train ride in).
In other news, my grandfather has been sick, so please keep him in your thoughts/prayers. He had several rounds of surgery in Feb and is now back in the hospital. Both his health and his spirits could use a lift so feel free to take the positive vibes you've been sending in my direction and point them towards Boston for a while...
Also, this weekend, we had a big fire in my neighborhood. The houses 6 and 7 down from me had extensive damage, though, thankfully, nobody was hurt. It was bizarre Friday night --as I stood in the kitchen, shredding sweet potatoes to make sweet potato quesadillas for Abby & Maura (who visited this past weekend) - and I saw a huge steam shovel drive by in the field behind my house. Realizing that I had forgotten cucumbers, which I needed for the avocado salad (yes - I was copying B Lo's sweet potato quesadillas & Vlad's mom's avocado salad!) I got in my car to run to the store and noticed the entire neighborhood was standing out by the two houses that had been damaged. I stopped the car and walked down -- to see the steam shovel tearing down the house where the fire started. Pretty crazy thing to watch. It makes me wonder whether I have the appropriate documentation for my house/insurance. Chatting with my neighbors, it suddenly dawned on me that I had left a candle burning in my house. Yikes! What a crazy thing to do... I excused myself and ran home to ensure that these would be the only fires in my neighborhood, for what I hope is a long time... Please keep these families in your thoughts as well.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Blame it on the Drain... (Boo!)
posted Wednesday, 4 April 2007
After several weeks of needing to stab my back with a syringe to drain off the fluid that's collected there, we decided to re-insert a drain in my back. Boo.
After administering some local anesthetic, Dr Singer opened an inch-long spot along the incision in my back (to prevent additional scarring). I laid on the table, on my stomach, craning my neck, trying to get a glimpse of what he is doing back there (I should have asked for a mirror so that I could watch).
It took a while for him to find the seroma, or pocket of fluid, that was in my lower back. While I couldn't really feel the poking around he was doing, it was a bit uncomfortable and I knew it would be sore once the anesthetic wore off... He finally found the pocket, inserted the tubing, connected the jp drain to the end of the tube, stitched everything shut... and then found out that there was a problem with the tube. The drain would not hold any suction. He had to reopen the incision, pull out the drain and start over again... can't anything be easy?
Charlene was a dear, as always, and came with me at the last minute. A night owl, Char finds herself up in the wee hours of the night, watching surgery shows on TV -- Dr 90210, Code Blue, Critical Hour, Real Life in the ER, etc... she's got a pretty strong stomach and decided to stay with me through the procedure. Unfortunately, when she noticed that I had gotten uncomfortable -- her face went white, she got a bit queasy and she excused herself into the hallway for a few minutes. Thank goodness she didn't pass out! She came back in as Dr Singer was finishing up inserting the drain the 2nd time. He taught her a few things about the stitches he was using to close up the incision (she even assisted a bit, getting something out of the cabinets for him while the nurse was out of the room. He offered to let her throw in a few stitches (jokingly, of course... but I was afraid for a second that she was going to agree!).
Fortunately, the worst pain I felt was due to the fact that I had tucked my arms under my chest to cushion the expander as I lay on my stomach... which would have been fine if the first drain had been successful... unfortunately, we were in there for longer than expected and both arms fell asleep! Ouch!
Best guess is that this drain will be in for 10 days. If this doesn't do the trick, we plan to leave the fluid there until my exchange surgery (in June), at which time he will have to open up my back and put in a few sutures to hold the pocket closed. Hopefully, this will not be necessary. Positive thoughts that today's little procedures will do the trick!
PS - Today was Dr Singer's Birthday... Happy Birthday!
After several weeks of needing to stab my back with a syringe to drain off the fluid that's collected there, we decided to re-insert a drain in my back. Boo.
After administering some local anesthetic, Dr Singer opened an inch-long spot along the incision in my back (to prevent additional scarring). I laid on the table, on my stomach, craning my neck, trying to get a glimpse of what he is doing back there (I should have asked for a mirror so that I could watch).
It took a while for him to find the seroma, or pocket of fluid, that was in my lower back. While I couldn't really feel the poking around he was doing, it was a bit uncomfortable and I knew it would be sore once the anesthetic wore off... He finally found the pocket, inserted the tubing, connected the jp drain to the end of the tube, stitched everything shut... and then found out that there was a problem with the tube. The drain would not hold any suction. He had to reopen the incision, pull out the drain and start over again... can't anything be easy?
Charlene was a dear, as always, and came with me at the last minute. A night owl, Char finds herself up in the wee hours of the night, watching surgery shows on TV -- Dr 90210, Code Blue, Critical Hour, Real Life in the ER, etc... she's got a pretty strong stomach and decided to stay with me through the procedure. Unfortunately, when she noticed that I had gotten uncomfortable -- her face went white, she got a bit queasy and she excused herself into the hallway for a few minutes. Thank goodness she didn't pass out! She came back in as Dr Singer was finishing up inserting the drain the 2nd time. He taught her a few things about the stitches he was using to close up the incision (she even assisted a bit, getting something out of the cabinets for him while the nurse was out of the room. He offered to let her throw in a few stitches (jokingly, of course... but I was afraid for a second that she was going to agree!).
Fortunately, the worst pain I felt was due to the fact that I had tucked my arms under my chest to cushion the expander as I lay on my stomach... which would have been fine if the first drain had been successful... unfortunately, we were in there for longer than expected and both arms fell asleep! Ouch!
Best guess is that this drain will be in for 10 days. If this doesn't do the trick, we plan to leave the fluid there until my exchange surgery (in June), at which time he will have to open up my back and put in a few sutures to hold the pocket closed. Hopefully, this will not be necessary. Positive thoughts that today's little procedures will do the trick!
PS - Today was Dr Singer's Birthday... Happy Birthday!
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