December 30,2006
Well faithful followers I am proud to announce to you that it is beginning to seem as though the surgery was " worth it". I know there were a few people who were beginning to wonder what was going on. There were a few who were watching my recovery to decide if they should have surgery. The past couple of weeks I have slowly started having more good than bad days. The bad days are bad but they are not followed by day after day of bad days. I am still recovering and have lost alot of weight (actually 50 lbs)in one year. My strength is increasing, I have even started to sew a little got a nightgown put together ( it only took me 2 months to get it done) who says I am not persistent?
I still have some pain, but it is relieved with medication which did not happen with pancreatitis. Food is good, I can't eat much at one time, but it is still wonderful. I can't believe that for 40 years I had a small bowel obstruction that was only getting worse. At the time of surgery it was a complete obstruction, I would have never been able to eat had that not been fixed. The diabetes is minimal. I use 7U of Lantus a day, and I am getting an insulin pump as soon as the manufacture can figure out what they are doing. I need very small amounts of insulin ( like the pancreas would give) the amount that I take works all day long, I could use about a half of a unit when I eat, but there are no syringes that measure that small of an amount, thus the pump. The pump makes is possible to give a small amount all day and then give extra small amounts. The thing about the diabetes is it is sooo controllable with a little effort. I don't care how much effort you give pancreatitis it is never controllable, never, ever. The tube feeding site is healed and gone expect for the scar.
Michael says he is happy with the surgery and he has no other thing he would like to say. He wanted me to tell everybody that it has been 98 days since I had a cigarette. I had 2 cigarettes the day of surgery, but after that I have not had a cigarette not even a puff. There are days that I would love to have a cigarette, but I know that diabetes and smoking don't mix. I will not loose my feet or legs because of smoking with diabetes. My husband is a surgical nurse and all of the amputations they do are because of diabetes and smoking, it will happen if I con't to smoke and that is not an option. I lost 10 years of my life to pancreatitis I will not loose my mobility again especially for something I can prevent. There were times when I was wheelchair bound. There were times I was soo sick I couldn't hold my head up. There were times I was so sick that I couldn't walk. I would fall flat on my face if I tried to stand up. I can't believe that pancreatitis is a thing of the past, I no longer have pancreatitis..... what more could a girl ask for at Christmas time.... so we begin a new year shortly..... what will 2007 hold..... I don't have an answer...... hope.... hope for a future I didn't think was there...... hope that I will be here in 5 years...... I don't have any answers I am as clueless as everyone else. Will I get back all that I have lost? I don't know. Will I go back to work as a nurse? I don't have an answer. All I know is I haven't done so many things in so long. I want to work in the yard, plant flowers, dig in the dirt. I want to decorate my house. Sew, and sew some more. Watch old movies and actually pay attention to the plot because it doesn't hurt so bad that I can't stand it. Read a book and actually be able to keep up with it. Time will tell all that I will do. Just waking up and not hearing my own voice scream is a good thing for me. Come on 2007 get here I want to put the last 10 years behind me I am ready to move forward....
The picture below was taken 12-28-06 I had went to the Dr.