On August 10, 2007, I had my giblets removed, also known as a total thyroidectomy. It's taken me a little while to get this onto the blog. But quick summary is that it all went well and I'm recovering nicely!
On that Friday morning, Mom and Dad picked me up at home and drove me to the hospital. After signing in, we were handed a light-up coaster ~ the kind you would get at a very busy restaurant!! Turned out to be pretty handy. They used it to call me up to register. Then when it was time for me to get prepped, they gave the coaster to my parents so that they would know when everything was done. I kept waiting for the waitress to bring me my drink with an umbrella. She never did show up. Hmm.
After chatting with the doctor and his assisting doctor, and getting an IV plugged into my hand, the anesthesiologiest came in to bring me my cocktail. I had been told that I would begin to get drowsy and that in the operating room, they would ask me to get onto the operating table. Then she squirted in the juice.
I said goodbye to Mom and Dad and they started rolling me out of the pre-op room. Then I woke up in recovery. I don't even remember making it out of my little pre-op room!! Click on the picture below to see all the pics from recovery.
I woke up in the recovery room around 2:30. I felt like I'd been punched in the throat. Eventually, I was moved to a regular room and Mom and Dad was there just a few minutes later. Several folks stopped by to visit, read scripture and pray. My girls (Martha, Jessi, and Kimberly) showed up that evening. Martha and Jessi had just finished their first week back at school as teachers and were sooooo exhausted ~ so I was especially touched that they had made it.
On Friday, I really wasn't able to eat. It hurt too much to swallow. So I'd take sips of water and little tiny bites of some crackers. But Saturday morning, I was so hungry I ate everything they put on my plate. By 2:00 PM that afternoon, I was back at home, feeling deceptively well.
On Sunday morning I woke up exhausted and in pain. From Sunday through Wednesday, I did a lot of napping and pain killers. I was able to stop taking the percocet on Tuesday. When I woke up on Thursday, I felt like I had turned a corner and was feeling great. I even got to spend the entire day reading.
Mom stayed with me all week. She's so wonderful! She cooked great meals for me and let me rest. In the evenings we would play Skip-Bo. Had a nice little tournament all week long. On Sunday I got to go to church and sing!!!! It wasn't pretty, but it certainly was a joyful noise!
On Monday, Aug 20, I went back to work full-time. Things have been going very well. At the follow-up with my surgeon, he said that everything is healing nicely and looking exactly like it is supposed to.
I know that lots of people have this surgery and they generally do very well. But I also know that so many peole have been praying for me ~ prior to the surgery for peace (I had plenty of that) and after the surgery for a quick and good recovery. I am so grateful for that. And I am grateful to God for taking such wonderful care of me!!!
