Let the healing begin

So I have a lot of catching up to do! But first, I just want to say that mama is doing great! She is very tired, and healing has proven to be hard work, but when she feels good enough, she's been getting up and around & returning phone calls. (Side note on that: if you've been trying to reach her, she's trying... she's still catching up calls to family as she feels like talking.) But I'm impressed. She's one tough lady. That's my mama...inspiring...a symbol of strength and courage. I can't imagine being in her shoes. Now for the catching up... Thursday was post surgery day one. Release day! And of course, she got stuck with a mean nurse. One more reason to will herself into recovery. So, as soon as she could keep some food down, she was on her way home. The nausea came home with her, as should be expected from anyone that has been under a large amount of anesthesia, on pain medicine, and still in extreme pain. Pillows came too. A lot of them. They sent four of them with her, to keep her incisions protected. I can't help but think of shipping fragile items with those little plastic air pillows... Friday was a new day, and one in which I promised to learn how to empty her drains. It was a much harder task than I thought. I remember it from last time she had surgeries. Dad has always taken care of them. The drains themselves, are little flexible bulbs, connected to a tube, that goes inside her body, and curls around, in a spiral, inside the area where she had surgery. She has two of them. One, in the front, and the other in her back. The part of the tube that's inside has holes in it. The suction from the squeezed bulb pulls fluid into the holes and through the tubes. So here is the hard part... to drain them, you have to start right up by the incision, and pinch the tube closed and hold it in place. At the same time, you use your other hand to guide anything in the tube down to the bulb, so you can empty it. The problem is that this process amplifies the suction inside her body. It's extremely painful. That was what got me. The blood, the tubes...okay, I can handle that...but to see how painful it is to empty the drains, it hurt my heart. There's no easy way to do it, no way that is painless, and I think that is something that other people should be aware of. Brace yourself if you ever have this drain, or have to be the person who empties it. Today, I could see that she was exhausted. When I talked to her tonight, I could hear how much pain she was in, in her voice. She hasn't been sleeping well. A few times today, she fell asleep for just a few minutes at a time. (Same yesterday...) She is getting her sleep in broken little bits here and there. She can't get comfortable enough to sleep. Or at least, to sleep well. She's getting sleep, but 30 minutes of sleep at a time will never be equal to a good solid night of sleep. She can only sleep on her left side, but even on her left side, she still has to find something to do with her right arm. It hurts to rest it on her side, but trying to keep it off her surgery sites can lead to tension on them. Sleep is a challenge. I'm impressed with her spirit, and her positive attitude toward this fight. She's even been able to enjoy some time out on the porch since she's been home. Rest and doctors heal the body, but nature has a way of healing the soul, and I know she enjoys spending little bits of time outside. Each day, the nausea is better, and I'm hoping that very soon, her sleep will come easier too. But for now, she's being patient, and coping well. Each day brings signs of healing. Today, her incisions were starting to itch. Her muscle was spasming slightly, adjusting to its new home on her chest. Good signs. Let the healing begin... <3 - Lacy