Another (surprise) Surgery!

I'm writing from my parent's house again (this time without kids or pets)! Yesterday morning I went in to my surgeon's office for a prescheduled check on my remaining abdominal drain. The evening before I was feeling hot (standard with my hormone therapy meds) and I was also having some pain (like a side ache from running but both sides and worse). I couldn't stand straight. I went to bed early and woke even worse and with a low-grade fever. My drain output was higher than normal. My mom drove me to my appointment and I explained what was going on. The nurse called in the surgeon who looked at everything and decided to re-open my abdomen and clean it out and put in a new drain because it looked to be the start of an infection. Sigh.

My mom and I then waited in the office (iv fluids and pain meds for me because I could hardly walk) from 10:30 a.m. -3:15 p.m. until my in-office surgery could start because I had eaten that morning, not knowing I would be having surgery.

I love signs, especially before big medical "events." One of my rooms was 315 (my birthday) and one of the nurses is friends with a cousin of ours - Mikkel! Per a guided imagery meditation my therapist gave me, I always look around the operating room for my guardian angels. It's very comforting knowing my grandparents are there. 💕

The surgery went well. (Love my surgeon and everyone at the Polyclinic office at the Swedish First Hill building.) I just slept a million (mostly peaceful) hours. I had a dream someone was strangling me (probably my drain nalecklace) so I fought back and squeezed my drain and my mom found me in what looked like a murder scene on her white sheets. I felt terrible. She was only worried I might have overflowed my drain. 😊 In the flight or fight, I guess I'm a fight! (Mom, you deserve an award.)

I'm relaxing at my parent's house where I'm forced to take it easy (as long as I promised to everything my mother says- like chugging water and laying down- haha!). Josh is holding down the fort and our au pair is back from her trip. My foobs look fabulous. My new belly button will be real cute once she's done healing (did I mention I have a "new" one?). I can't see my abdomen incision because it's taped this time (probably for the best). 

What a ride. So thankful I changed my date to summer because the school year for me + kids would be totally stressing me out. I have two more events with my company at the end of summer and everyone is so understanding about my change of meetings, etc. And there is no heavy lifting involved. 😉

While this is something yucky and painful and suuuuuuper time-consuming that I wouldn't wish on anyone, it's better than cancer.🎗️ And yeah, I have a lot of scars now but I honestly could care less. They scream, "Look what we did!" Plus it's only Josh and kids who will see them on the regular and when the girls ask questions, I get to tell them, "Babies, the bad tumor/cancer party is all gone! Mama's healed. 💕" This body grew and fed three babies, the boobs tried to kill me (so cut those off and went into medically induced menopause) and beat cancer(!) and I'm not trying to look like those things didn't happen.

Killing cancer and restoring my body is my favorite. Oh, and I just celebrated one year alcohol-free! I'll start up "running" in the fall with my cancer group again but at least this one "little" thing I can do (sobriety) decreases my risk of recurrence and my anxiety (don't worry, I still have anxiety, just less about cancer than if I made zero lifestyle changes). 

Get checked and go to the doctor, friends! 😘

Xx-

Lauren