THE WEEK AFTER SURGERY

  I never thought that I could love someone so much till I saw the person that I am in love with in so much pain.  Kim, my partner, had her surgery for her chiari malformation Wednesday of last week.  The surgery itself went great.  The doctor said it was worse than he initially thought.  He relieved the pressure on her cerebellum and placed a synthetic material inside of her that will prevent her skull from ever slipping down again. 

    Kim was in ICU for two days.  There were only certain visiting hours so it was very hard to just sit back and wait till those hours came up.  She was in soooo much pain.  The suture on the back of her head looks wonderful compared to all the pictures we saw of it going in.  It kinda resembles Frankenstein a little bit, but it's a perfect straight line down the back of her neck.  She was on morphine, muscle relaxers and steroids to control the pain; along with a lot of other medications.  When the nausea from the anesthetic ceased, she could be moved to a regular room in the hospital with no limitations on visiting hours; so I spent all day and a lot of the night with her till she fell asleep. 

    She has a long road ahead of her.  We got her home and she has to sleep in a recliner with a neck brace for support.  It isn't the most comfortable position to sleep, so needless to say she hasn't got much, same as me.  I am tending to her constant needs or cravings. 

    A few unforgettable moments, of course, happened while this whole process developed.  I learned that I could cry at just the sight of her sleeping.  Chairs are very uncomfortable to sleep in. A liquid diet is just that...and beef broth smells like vomit in the hospital.    Vending machine and hospital cafeteria food sucks.  It's impossible to sleep with someone screaming out next to you all night long.  Security and red billboards are posted outside the not so "well-behaved" patients’ rooms.  When you hit your call button.... nurses do NOT come immediately, but if you pull the plug on your bed out of the wall.... THEY DO.  If you don't like being poked with needles you’d better get used to it, as you will go home with about 8 holes in your arm from the IV's. 

    Poor Kim, though, you never realize how much pain you can withstand until you go thru it.  She got to the point where it was so bad she couldn't stop from crying.  If she coughed, it hurt.  If she moved, it hurt.  If she breathed too hard, it hurt.  If she shit, it hurt.  One doesn't realize what you use your neck muscles for until you have them in so much pain that you can't use them. 

    Overall though, she is a trooper...and will be recovering slowly at home with me by her side. I have become the official house bitch.  She is not allowed to lift more than five pounds and, food for thought, her boobs weigh more than that.... so guess who gets the privilege of bathing her?? Of course I don't mind though.  Nothing is too good for her.  I am there for her every need.  It's going to be a long process; but eventually she will get herself back and we can sit back and laugh about the whole ordeal.  Until then, I am exhausted and unable to think clearly so I will close for now. 

Have a wonderful week, and thanks for all your prayers.  They certainly made a difference.