Blocking out the bad...

Happy Sunday, everyone!  I decided to back track in my story and explain more in depth about my stay-cation at Florida Hospital. I realized that I hadn't really talked that much about it, but that was because it sucked. It's interesting to look back and realize how much you can mentally block out without any effort.

This picture is here simply because it's hilarious and I can't wait for basketball season.

One of the many things that I mentally blocked out from the hospital was the cream that they used on my incisions. Nitroglycerin topical cream is actually used to prevent episodes of chest pain in people with heart disease, but in my case, it was used to help ease my surgical pain. I don't get it, how could a cream be traumatic? The particular cream has an interesting array of side effects, one of them being a head ache. I am not talking about the take two Advil and a nap kind of head ache, I am talking on the strongest pain medication in the hospital and still feel like your head could explode head ache. I had a head ache from the time I woke up from my surgery until after I took a shower the night I got home from the hospital. If you're going in for this procedure and your doctor uses that cream, I'll add no headache onto my list of prayers for you. 

Another thing that I mentally blocked out was exactly how much I struggled after my surgery. At that point, in my mind, getting out of bed was literally the hardest thing I had ever done. Hospital beds are pretty standard: Tons of buttons to raise your head, feet, back, butt, whatever, and even with all these buttons, I cried the first 2 days trying to get out of that bad boy. I had to raise the back of my bed all the way up, put the bottom of my bed all way down, and then have someone put their hand behind my back to help me lift myself up. After all of that effort, I still had to walk all 7 feet, which felt like 62 miles, to the bathroom, somehow sit on the toilet, have someone pass me the toilet paper that was a foot away, and help me stand back up. I was literally helpless and it was most definitely the roughest experience I've ever had and hopefully will ever have in my life. 

On a recent doctors visit, a nurse asked me my complications after surgery and I explained how low my blood pressure had gotten... the nurse responded with "Jeeze, that's almost dead." Thank you for that. 

Not all memories that I have from the hospital are bad. At one point, I had a super attractive random doctor, who was some how affiliated with Dr.P, walk into my room, talk to me for a while, and make me laugh. I recently told my mom that the least he could do was take me to dinner since he's already seen me half naked, but he hasn't called. Call me, haha.

Another funny memory I have from my surgery was when a doctor walked into my room while I was heavily medicated and half asleep and I thought he was my neighbor from back in Chapel Hill. The doctor walked in and I said "Kedar?" I was so confused as to why my neighbor was there and where he had come from, only to realize he was actually one of my doctors. To be fair, he really does look like my neighbors identical twin.  I had a good laugh about this after I was done feeling like a total idiot. 

I write the ups and downs for a reason. While I want you to fully grasp my experience, I also want everyone to take the time to acknowledge the little things. To us, things like walking to the bathroom, or being able to sit up in our bed aren't even a thought... but for others, they are laying in a bed wishing they could walk to the bathroom one more time in their life, or even sit up again. 

While I know that this process so far has changed me for the better on many levels, one things I can truly pride myself on is that I have learned to love life so much more. I do take the time to make a sandwich and then smile to myself and think, "Hey, you just did that all on your own." It is only when you begin to acknowledge the small things that you realize how incredible life really is! 

My song of the day is Krooked Treez-Rebel because I love this song!! Oh and because, I'm a rebel so I do what I want. 

These guys are super awesome so check them out, download their album... y'all know the drill. 

I hope everyone had an awesome weekend filled with good vibes, friends, sunshine, and funny stories! I also hope that everyone has a quick and painless Monday. See you tomorrow!