Did I Really Just Get Surgery???

Hello all! Old Faithful here..

I'm alive!! And still can't believe I am finally to this point in my life! It is SO weird to think that once this process is over and I am back in Utah to jump back into life, I will no longer be wondering when and waiting for a surgery date! That will no longer be controlling my life!! Holy crap that feels great!

I would like to thank EVERYONE A MILLION TIMES for all your thoughts, support, prayers, concerns etc. over me and this situation. Seriously, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I cant thank everyone enough. I am overwhelmed EVERY day with how many people actually care about me and wish for the best. Sure makes a girl feel good! And all the wishes and faith for me to do well has sure given me courage to fight! Just like my mom mentioned, we are uplifted and can feel the power and help of all your thoughts, prayers etc. It's amazing! THANK YOU :)

Mom has done a great job keeping up the blog and an even better job taking care of me! There sure is a lot of nastiness involved in this healing and she is handling like a champ! I won't go into detail, you may have to run to the bathroom before you even finish reading, hah! Tyson has been so good and patient and takes care of whatever I need.. foot rub, neck rub, fluff my pillows, helps with meds and get liquids into me. My pops is a sport and my anchor. He can keep my calm the most. Its weird, whatever he says I really listen to and it just helps. He doesnt even have to do or say much, just being here helps me. He's alright with me walking around basically naked and he bought me my have drink! I seriously am just not hungry at all. Its such a struggle to drink and hurts to swallow that it takes all I've got to get any small amount into me. And then I'm exhausted hah. My lips are atrociously large marge and have no feeling whatsoever, so I have to hold a towel to my chin while I drink bc half of it comes out haha. I have to have some seeerrious concentration going on just to swallow, oh, maybe, a 1/4 of a teaspoon, and doing just that takes about 1 minute to get it down. But each day I can feel a teeny bit of progress! 

I have NEVER EVER in my ENTIRE LIFE felt so disgusting!! Surgery was last wed. the 20 and I cant brush my teeth for the first time until NEXT week. That's 2 whole weeks!! With braces!! You might be thinking, well she is only drinking particle free liquid so not much can get stuck..              Ó Contraire!

• Dried blood from the hospital (I think I must have coughed up a quart of blood. At times so much so that it shot ALL OVER, there were blood splatter stains at the bottom of my hospital bed hahaha, and I once heard Ty say some got in his mouth lol GROOOSSSS!!)
• Mucus
• I can only use medicated blistex for my lips. That stuff is thick and white and does not dissolve whatsoever. And it must be gobbed on at all times. SICK
• Dried skin/lips that get stuck to my braces
• Mucus
• Blood clots from all over in my mouth
• And did I say mucus? In any form

Mix all that to extra thick saliva and you've got yourself a petri dish of something un-human!

So sorry for all that nastiness. I said I wasnt going to go into detail, and I didn't, that wasn't the nastiness I was talking about, yes there is more. But ya know what?! I am SO grateful to be to this point!!! It's a miracle and a dream come true!

Time to go attempt a shower in my attempt to be somewhat hygienic when I go to my first follow up appt! Because that too is limited, my hair is dis.gus.ting!! Just plain nappy like you can't even imagine.

 Thanks again to you!! Sending my love right back atchya! :)

soakin' me up some UVs

Tiger

the next angelina jolie

March 26, 2013

Good morning, Tuesday! We are happy for another day and happy with the progress Lana is making.
It was a great day yesterday for her. We hope for the same today!

Her routine is a bit like a newborn. Awake, take care of needs, and sleep.
Her day consists of this:
up by 8:30 am
coat stomach for anitbotic at 9:00
does her mouth rinse
put oils on her feet,
Vasoline on her stitches
takes a little walk around the house (which she can do by herself now)
congestions and/or pain meds if needed
another mouth rinse to fight for infection
natime from 11 - 1:30ish
start the whole routine over
naptime again 3:30 - 6:30ish
same routine again
antibotic again before bed
bedtime at 9:00 pm
up in the night usually once for pain meds

Yesterday she sat outside on the roof deck and enjoyed the sunshine. Tyson laid out next to her. He even got a little sunburn. She must keep her face covered so as to not cause discolor to her face with it being swollen. So we put her in a wide brim hat and sunglass and kept her shaded.

Her dad will be coming back to Santa Barbara today. That is a comfort to Lana.

Still not much intake of anything yet to speak of. A little 'Breakfast Essential', that's about it.
Hunger will come. And when it does, it will become the challenge.

Hooray, her first follow up appoint is tomorrow. They will remove her outside stitches (3) and remove the tape across her upper lip. Then she can shower and wash her hair normally. That tape is not suppose to get wet.

"Hope you're feeling better". She is!

Thank you Hadfield women!

Way to go, Lana!
Hugs,
Heidi

Monday morning, March 25, 2013

"I just can't believe the surgery is over." This are words we hear Lana repeat.

Sometimes it doesn't seem real. It has been a 5 year process. And now she is on the other end.

We have gotten things down to a routine with her meds and sleep.

 We know how long she can stay up before she start to get nauseated and worn out.

We know how cold she needs the room so she doesn't get sick.

(Let me just say, it is COLD!)

She still really has not ingested any food yet but 2 sips of broth.

Hoping today she will want one of her protein drinks or a breakfast essential.

The highlight of her day yesterday was a shower.

It took both Tyson and I to accomplish it.

Her dad bought a hose with a shower nozzle head. We attached it to the sink since it didn't work on the shower. But it didn't attach well enough by itself so Tyson held it in place. The hose was just long enough to reach into the shower. Thank goodness for a tiny bathroom.

You just know that feeling of a nice shower after so many days of being sick.

We feel the strength of your prayers.

I woke up this morning with that thought in my head, that the prayers of others are blessing our lives at this time. There is a great power in pray. So often we want to help and do something for others in a difficult time, but we can't. It is their trial and only they can go through it. As much as we would like to take a piece of their trial away, it isn't possible.

So we pray! We pray in their behalf.

And isn't that the most important thing we CAN do. 

Petition the Lord with our faith for another.

Because, He can do what we can not.

So, thank you!

Much love,

Heidi

PS. I think I forgot to mention that the morning of surgery Lana woke up with the hymn in her head,

"Be Still My Soul"

Perfect!

Yo-Yo

Note: Somehow or another, this post here and then, it wasn't.

So I will just do a recap.

Right after her good time Saturday when she got up and wanted to watch a movie and drink some broth, she took a turn for the worse. She was up for about an hour and started feeling nauseated again. No reason, she didn't just have meds, it just came. We think it was possibly the movement from watching tv. We changed her ear patch and gave her Zofran. My worry was dehydration. Being nauseated, of course, is one sign of dehydration. However, she did not have any other signs of dehydration. Chad and Tyson helped ground me. I was ready to take her in to the hospital for a bag of fluids. Poor girl. She just can't get all that liquid in. But we watched her closely through the night and was ok. She has tried even harder to get those liquids in since then.

Therefore, the title for the post, Yo-Yo. It's up. It's down. That quick!

Day 3 - 4:00pm

Don't you just love pleasant surprises! Today certainly has been one.

Lana's little fighting spirit emerged more today. 

She is drinking more (oh, that sounds scary! Liquids not alcohol!)

She is able to handle her pain meds better without upsetting her stomach.

      She even skipped a dose this afternoon (opted to sleep!).

She has been up walking, even outside. She did put her robe on for that!

She sat outside in the beautiful California weather and chatted for a bit (as best as she could).    

      Sometimes we have to have her say things a few times before we can understand.

She has another blessing before her dad went back home to Vegas for the weekend. I am so grateful she seeks that power and the peace it brings her (and the rest of us).

I think we will try to give her some broth tonight. Yippee!

Oh, Yay! As I type this, Lana just walked out of her room from taking a nap. She says she wants to stay up, watch a movie and have some broth! HOORAY,  YAY! Oh, I just want to do a little happy dance!!!! I want to squeeze her until she pops! (That wouldn't be good.)

And look what her dad brought home for her... her favorite drink, Cherry Dr. Pepper.

Lana wants to thank Christina & her family for sending the beautiful flower bouquet.

They truly were a bright spot in her day. Kisses to you!

Love pleasant surprises!

March 23, 2013

Day 3
7:30 am

Day 3. Oh boy!

This is usually the hardest day after surgery, babies, etc. On our charts from the doctors office, it looks no different. Swelling and congestion peaks today. Oh, boy! And that congestion is a bugger! She is really struggling with that and not being able to breathe out of her nose and then trying to swallow anything is certainly a challenge.

We did see some help from Sudafed yesterday with the congestion. Liquid Benadryl was gagging to her so she doesn't want that one.

She was up and walking a bit yesterday wearing just her under clothing. Just normal for Lana. Good thing her dad is use to it.

In order for her to take anything orally, she watches herself in a mirror. Since she has no feelings in her lips, the mirror helps her place the cup at the right spot.

We are most concerned with her hydration. She is not drinking as much as she needs. Its difficult. But we do not want her to have to go into the hospital for an IV. So we keep pushing. I think her natural mechanism for sickness is to sleep. It always has been. So she wants to sleep. Hard to drink little sips all day when she sleeps. Wake up, Lana love!

Her ears have been so sensitive to noise. Interesting. We talk in our quiet voices in her room.

She still does not want anything type of food - broth or soup. I think we might just have to give her some today anyway. All that has been in her tummy since Wednesday is milk with protein powder (this coats the stomach prior to meds) and medications. That makes me hungry just thinking of going that long without food!

Oh, time for more medication. Better run. Thanks again for your prayers and concerns.

Hugs,
Heidi

March 22, 2013

Just an update:

Lana checked out of the hospital yesterday feeling nauseated. As soon as we got home she asked for a blessing. This has been a battle for her since then. Even with a patch behind the ear and Zofran (immediately devolves on the tongue) she is dealing with being nauseated. I think its from the oral pain meds, so we are just trying to get it under control for her. Also,  we are using some DoTerra oils to help with that. Today we are in the stage of 'trial & error' to see what works and what doesn't.

There is a strict regiment of things she must do daily.

• Meds - antibiotics, pain, decongestant 
• Stomach must be coated with milk and protein powder prior to all meds
• Certain doses are split in half with a time lapse in between
• Mouth rinses
• Nose sprays and suctioning
• creams put on lips and stitches
• walking
• coughing and deep breathing
• sleep upright

Some things she has to do is every hour or a certain amount of times per day. So this means someone is always waking her up at have her do something. And, if you know Lana well enough, she doesn't like her sleep interrupted! Tyson is so tender and encourages her along (as long as he doesn't touch her!)

The morning routine took us three hours! Just trying to learn everything we need to do. We will get quicker at this as time goes on.

Swallowing is very difficult. The nurse at the hospital told us to pull our bottom jaw forward and then try to swallow. Much harder. And then the fact that it is swollen and sore for the tubes, etc. So trying to get med or liquids down is quiet a process, not real simple at this point. It will get better though.

She really cant breathe out of her nose much. That can be such a bother. We have to be careful because blood clots need to form. She is a 'nose-blower' so going for 10 weeks without blowing, YIKES. I hope she doesn't have to use her suction in front of any of you! 

The nurse at her doctors office has been so helpful with our concerns and questions. They stay in close contact with us. That is a comfort.

The rental house is set up just perfect for this situation. We are in the cute town of Carpenteria. Tyson has a room that is perfect for him to work from. Different from where Lana is resting. We can walk to the beach and to the main street. And the weather - wonderful!

I think she has pulled out of all the anesthesia today. She is much more coherent. Swelling will continue until Sunday. Our biggest concern today is that she gets enough fluids to keep her hydrated.

Hugs to all!

Heidi