I HAVE SURVIVED!

A week ago today, I had my tonsils removed. What a long, strange week it has been. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions, pain, appreciation of my loved ones, and amazingly enough, some kind of sick learning experience, a crazy gift thrown at me by the cosmos. What the hell.

It started out last Monday, with my husband, R and I heading out to the Surgery Center without checking my phone messages before hand. We get there, and the receptionist tells us that the doctor is snowed in in Kansas City and that they had left me a message that morning on my cell. She was right--I had no idea this could even happen. There I am, totally as prepared as I thought I could be for this procedure. We went out the night before to Red Lobster for a great "Last Supper"--I had a fridge stocked up with after surgery food, jello, pudding, yogurt, ice cream. I was caught up with laundry. Had an awesome presurgery Girls' Night with Depressionista. The receptionist might as well as just went ahead and punched me in the gut. The most appropriate thing about that moment is that I was wearing my "grumpy pants" Depressionista gave me for my birthday while I was balling and feeling pretty certain that this whole thing had been discussed at the last "World Against Lil'Cherie" meeting. I took two weeks off from work...now what do we do? Luckily, they were able to figure out within a couple of hours that they could get me scheduled for the next day, if the doc could get back from Kansas...so I was really trying to not get to set on the idea since he was still not back that afternoon!

Luckily, we woke up the next morning and I checked my messages--no messages. We headed back to the Surgery Center and we were good to go! Doc was running a little late...I imagine trying to get caught up as an ENT after being gone an entire day is a challenge. But he was so sweet...He said he was sorry for "ruining my life the day before". The surgery went off without a hitch. I came out of the anasthesia without as much difficulty as usual...kind of a like a happy drunk as opposed the usual suicidal bartituate addict. They gave me liquid Loratab and liquid antibiotics for drugs. I initially thought thiere is no way I will take all of those pain killers....I believe one bottle is 473 milileters...at this point I have taken almost two full bottles of liquid loratab...I am gradually trying to lower the dose.

I have to say most of the warnings/horror stories you hear about having your tonils out as an adult are true to extent. It has been week and I am still primarily on a diet of pudding, yogurt, jello, water, gatorade and anything that does not cause an immediate, very intense burning sensation in my throat. I find that it takes me a long time to eat anything. It is really making a change in my eating habits and at the same time making me realize that I don't need to eat as much food as I was before my surgery. In fact, I feel a bit nauseous thinking about eating that much. One down side to that is that until today, I had not taken a shit since last Sunday--over a week and two days ago. Now, I am use to being atleast a daily shitter. I have to say that I was pretty damn excited when I pooped today...probably as excited as Depressionista is when her Bubba shits in the potty without throwing a fit--which I was pretty close to doing myself. All it took was me going to Walgreens and just buying the laxitives....I didn't even get a chance to take them.

I have also decided to try to quit smoking at the same time. And atleast at this point, it has been pretty darn easy. I started taking Chantix--which is not covered by my insurance I might add and is a heafty $133--but that is whole nother blog entry. The thought smoking now is painful in itself...like using an electric sander on my throat. So I have not had a cigarette since last Monday. Over a week. I think I have gotten through the three day hump. Now the challenge will be going back to work and hanging with Depressionista...if anyone has any healthy alternatives I would love some ideas!

Just like my birthday, I have been truly impressed with the support I have gotten from my friends and familly! Depressionista has been absolutley wonderful. She made the guys several meals to eat. She took the D-Boy on Saturday night so that R and I could have a break and she really seemed to enjoy it. She has just been awesome. My work spouse brought me over a present flowers and is taking a day off of work this week to hang with me. My dad came out yesterday and spent the day with me and left me his lap top...so I have been watching netflix movies and surfing while I am off. I go back to work next Monday.

THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT! I love you guys!