Coping, Treatment

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Thanks for all your kind words. I feel so loved, which really helped me through the week.

I’m still shaky (literally and figuratively) — not sure why I’m trembling, but at least it doesn’t interfere with reading. I stopped taking Vicodin on Friday night because I was worried about being nauseated on the trip back to Seattle. Traveling was still uncomfortable, but we got a free first-class upgrade, which made the flight much easier.

Most of the surgical pain is gone, so Advil is serving as a decent replacement. The surgical sites are sore to the touch (of course) and I can’t turn my neck or use my right arm without pain. The biggest annoyance is that the incisions itch. It’s a sign that they are healing, but it’s awful to have an itch that can’t be scratched.

Previous surgeries were followed by terrible headaches. The theory is that my nerves weren’t happy about being touched, so they let me know it. This time I made it to yesterday afternoon without a bad headache.

I’m OK so far today and even managed to run errands for a couple hours. I’ll try to take it easy the rest of the day so I don’t wear myself out. Unfortunately, typing and using the mouse causes pain in my chest, so I can’t post much.

I’ve read a book a day for the last week and will probably keep up the pace. I stocked up on $1 clearance books at Half Price Books and have about 10 left, which will keep me occupied for a while. We’re having some meals delivered from a local service, so I won’t even have to aggravate my neck or chest by cooking.

And that’s the minutiae of my recovery. Hope you’re all doing as well as possible. Thanks again for all your support. I swear I could feel you cheering me on.