Post Op

The last thing I remember before being put under anesthesia was the anesthesiologist saying he is going to get me a bell to use for when I go home and need something from Steve. All the doctors were joking saying it was his big test before getting married. :) The anesthesiologist put a green plastic mask over my face and said "this is going to smell plasticy, well because it's made out of plastic." And before I even got a chance to smell plastic, I was out cold.

The next thing I remember was being FREEZING and not being able to breathe very well. I felt like I was choking and when I tried to cough, OH THE PAIN! The nurse heard me gurgle and whine and came over right away. I told her I was cold and she wrapped me up in a heated blanket and took off the gigantic ice pack that had been resting under my chin. I tried asking for Steve, and they said that he would be there soon. I just wanted to sleep and hold Steve's hand. A few minutes later, my doctor came over and told me everything went fine...they removed the cyst and the piece of the hyoid bone successfully and didn't even have to put in a drain tube. I was still sorta out of it but I managed to smile and thank him for making me better.

The nurse came back to check on me and again I asked for Steve. She must have seen a man walk in across the room and asked, "is that him?" and I said "I have no idea - I don't have my glasses on!" haha she laughed and another nurse yelled out "Steve!" and it was him!!! He came rushing over and held my hand and gave me a kiss on the head. I laid there for what seemed like another hour but I really don't know how long. The nurse asked me to rate my pain from 0-10 and it went from a 6 to a 5 but never really went away. She gave me a little bit of vicodin and some other stuff through my IV, but nothing really seemed to change. As the time passed, they wanted me to try to sit up and get dressed. I felt a bit nauseous when I sat up so they gave me some anti-nausea medicine in my IV and a bowl just in case. But thankfully I didn't get sick. I lied down for a bit longer and finally felt good enough to go home!! They wheeled me out to the car and Steve got the futon ready for me.

He set up blankets, pillows, ice water, medicine, the remote controls, refilled the ice pack and closed all of the blinds. Even though I was in pain, he made me feel so much better. I tried eating some jello and then later some yogurt and blueberries. I took a half of a pain pill and a half of an antibiotic and 5 minutes later, it all came out :( Steve went to the store to get me some coca-cola because flat cola is supposed to be good for nausea. It worked and I was able to eat some chicken broth and some bread and hold down another half a pill. I haven't felt sick since!

Today it is 100 degrees outside, but we are comfortable in the living room with the shades down and fan on. My ice pack is definitely helping to beat the heat too and Steve is enjoying some ice cold Miller Light while he reads his new book. By the way, it was Steve's 36th birthday yesterday! I felt so bad for ruining the day by needing so much attention and care, but of course he didn't mind. My mom sent him a book he's been wanting to read and I got him a yummy fruity italian dessert from Trader Joe's just to make him feel special.

Unfortunately the pain medicine doesn't make the pain go away much, but it does make me sleep really well. But the worst part is that I can't swallow very well because it feels like I have a bad case of strep throat along with torn muscles all throughout my entire neck. So not being able to swallow makes mucous build up in my throat making it hard to breath and I keep choking :( Other than that, I'm handling the pain okay and just laying on the couch watching movies. It could be worse! Here's a picture of my swollen neck and bandage - looks like my chin is a bit bruised.

Thyroglossal who?

For the past couple of years I've noticed a small lump to the right of my trachea that bothered me mostly when I became sick. I figured it was a swollen lymph node, but it never completely went away and it was only on the right side. I went to an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist to find out what it was and the doctor took an Ultrasound of my neck. You can see the dark mass there on my actual Ultrasound printout which is believed to be a thyroglossal duct cyst. Apparently I've had this cyst forever, but it grows slowly overtime. It was formed when I was in the womb. The thyroid gland begins to develop under the tongue, and as a baby grows, the thyroid moves down into the neck where it is supposed to be. However, sometimes tiny pieces of the thyroid get stuck on the Hyoid bone (the tiny bone in the jaw) in the process. This is what happened with me and over the past 26 years, it has grown into a marble sized bump. The Doctor said that it is rare that this would turn into cancer overtime, but there is a possibility. If I didn't get the cyst removed, it would just continue to grow and eventually I would have a huge mass jutting out of my neck. Sexy? I think not. So, long story short I am having it removed Friday morning. It's a 1.5 hour surgery and I'll be completely under anesthesia, which for me is the scariest part! The Dr said I will have a sore throat and stitches for a week and a small scar that BETTER FADE BEFORE MY WEDDING.

I love the way the shutter sounds

Just ordered my very first REAL lens for my Canon Rebel XS. It's a 50mm f1.8 lens. Now I just have to learn what that means!! Thanks Maren for the recommendation! I can't wait to start using it!!

David Buschs Canon EOS Rebel XS/1000D Guide to Digital SLR Photography By Busch, David D. (Google Affiliate Ad)

Sunday Morning Breakfast

Homemade oatmeal bread topped with blueberry-lime jam with a side of fresh peaches, juicy oranges, and a cup of Kona coffee. YUM.

Sunday Morning Breakfast

Homemade oatmeal bread topped with blueberry-lime jam with a side of fresh peaches, juicy oranges, and a cup of Kona coffee. YUM.

Merry in the Blossoming

During a morning drive into San Luis Obispo, we saw a row of blooming cacti along the road. I love the juxtaposition of the spiny cactus and the harsh barbed-wirey twig behind the soft ethereal blossom. The bees were in high heaven, licking every bit of pollen out of the flowers. Steve told me the buzz that the bees make is the sound of their tiny jaws munching on the yummy nectar. Thank god he finally explained this because all these years I thought the buzzing meant they were coming to get me.

Home Grown Fruit

No More Urine Scented Carpet

One down, one to go...

A Gopher's Paradise

During the past few months, our property has been mostly abandoned so you can probably imagine all of the destruction that gophers have been causing. They've been in paradise digging tunnels and excavating the entire yard since they've had no one to bug them. Now, after only four days of being in our house, Steve has already sought and killed his first fat gopher. Congratulations!

Lopezites

Top ten things I love about living in our new house so far:

1. I've never seen Steve so happy
2. At night, all you can hear are crickets, frogs, and the gentle breeze through the trees
3. My new BBQ!!
4. The Albertsons in Arroyo Grande is one of the biggest, nicest grocery stores I've ever been to, and if you know me, you know how much I love grocery shopping, so this is high on my list!
5. I drive to work every day on a narrow, two-lane country road, winding through vineyards and rolling hills, with a view of Bishop's Peak in the distance encircled by wispy fog and a vanilla painted morning sky.
6. We will get to explore a new quaint downtown area that has a wine bar, ice cream shop, antique stores, and live music on Friday nights!
7. We're trying our first mini re-model project next weekend - NEW TOILETS! and vinyl tiles (quick fix for now) instead of icky carpet in the bathrooms!
8. There's already basil growing right outside!
9. The kitchen window faces the front yard which has a view of my favorite willow tree.
10. We finally don't have to use Charter!!!!!!!! NT Charter!!!