goblin

Hi all --

Haven't posted in a bit because I landed back in hospital for a week
with an internal abcess around my stomach. I was growing more and
more nauseated and was vomiting constantly....couldn't keep a sip of
water down. I ended up having to call an ambulance. I was admitted
for 5 days and have a draining leading from the abcess inside my
body to a bag outside my body. It is really ugly stuff.

I was so sick, you guys. To make matters worse, a different hospital
had spotted the pocket of fluid on a CT scan a week before and
decided it was nothing. So the abcess had a chance to grow and get
worse. If it has burst, I truly believe I'd be dead because I had
nothing to fight with.

I have really had a terrible time since surgery, though believe I've
now reached the bend in the road.

One thing two surgeons told me that I never truly appreciated before
surgery is that this procedure is considered HUGE in the surgical
world. One surgeon likened it to transplant surgery in terms of
complexity and the toll it takes on the body. THINK ABOUT THIS
BEFORE YOU HAVE THE SURGERY. Know that you're committing to a
complex procedure from which it will take you a LONG TIME to fully
recover, even without complications.

Also, I didn't know pre-op that I wouldn't be able to take
pills...this has been very hard to get around given my
complications. And let me tell you, taking liquid antibiotics is a
special kind of hell.

Sorry this post sounds cranky....but I've had five and a half weeks
of being in and out of hospital, being poked and prodded and hurt,
feeling emotionally, spiritually and physically drained. And to
boot, I had to have another leak test.

But..I'm here.

Lisa A