Mood:
chillin'Now Playing: Day 2923-Chapter 3... Happiness~My Silver Lining
I may be the only one right now really enjoying this extreme cold weather so early in the winter season. A long awaited break from far too many warm winter seasons. If only we could add a bit more snow to the mix... ahhhhh...
that would be heavenly! Last nights temperatures heading back from the hospital dipped to a rare zero degrees. Although this isn't the coldest we have seen over the past few weeks. It is pretty rare to see zero and below zero temperatures. The only downside to this super cold winter weather are the double size record utility bills that hit our mailbox today. Our bill literally doubled from just the month prior! Even our high efficiency furnace couldn't keep up with the constant demand for warmth. This might not only be a record cold winter season. But also a record season for extremely high utility bills! Crossing our fingers for some available overtime at the sheriffs department!
Until then... tis a great day to enjoy the great outdoors via a room with a view. Actually our living room with a huge window view of some rather large visitors. It never gets old looking up to see a new visitor or two from all the deer that surround the wooded hillside. You know... someone has to feed god's creatures, both big and 
small. We continue to be fortunate to be a part of those someone's. Nothing fancy, just a few homemade food stations to provide something to eat for all the wildlife visitors through out the cold winter season.
At least Papa and Sweetie kitty are doing very well with their temporary shelter in the basement during these cold winter months. Other neighborhood friendly felines have also taken indoor shelter with other neighbors. I will say one thing about our area here in the country. The love for all animals runs deep! If there is a stray, you can certainly bet that someone will be opening their 
doors. Having more than one fur child is very common in our little, lazy, river town. It's not uncommon for a typical household to have more than 3 fur children at a time. Especially during the past few weeks when even those that have gotten lost are still welcomed with open arms. Seeking temporary shelter in a strangers home.
Unity is a really big theme when you live outside of the big cities. Back in Ohio... unity was pretty much obsolete. What I enjoy most about living in a much smaller community within a little, lazy, river town is the closeness among families. Folks here live together, as one, including the grandparents. Together under one roof. The way it used to be. I have lost track of how many times we have seen an entire family get out of their car... together. The love that is shared among family in a very small tightknit community.
There is something to be had... when seeing the love among family. It never gets old...
never.
today was that day.
This past surgery was tough! Yet... I still have another upcoming surgery to remove a cancerous skin lesion in less than 2 weeks. I also have a few more surgeries still left to endure once I make a full recovery from my most recent surgery. Two separate surgical procedures to replace bone that had to be cut back due to tumors causing the initial infection. Bone that literally crumbled on my surgeon. But first... I must make a full recovery. It's like another flashback from surgery a little over several years ago that started this entire mess. A surgical procedure that turned out anything, but normal. An ovary that literally crumbled as well on them. Scary enough... there seems to be quite an eerie pattern going on here with my body. A very bad pattern. 
lucky
ahead of me! 
My surgeon had me come into his office today during his lunch break in order to address issues with another post-operative infection. Not only is my digestive system extremely slow when it comes to an anesthetic state of sleep. But so is my overall healing process. My body is just now beginning to show signs of healing. Crazy! At least all of the surgical bruising is finally starting to fade away. One grows tired of hiding indoors in fear that some folks will assume that Eric is a wife beater of some sorts. HAHAHAHA! No worries... we already had to explain my bruising to a few at our local bank. BAH! Even my surgeon's assistant got in a few of her own funnies regarding odd, but normal for me, various shades of bruising that is just now beginning to fade away. As she told my surgeon, "I sure hope she didn't give out the name of who did her surgery!" Hahahahaha! Once again... being called the 'special patient,' with some really special post-operative complications like another nasty infection. Another procedure, but a far shorter one today in order to drain the infection.
Eric wasn't given every little detail with regards to what my surgeon encountered during last weeks surgery. But today we both got full details of not just problems with my far too low blood pressure issues. But as well with bone tumors that literally crumbled on my surgeon which meant the need to cut far deeper than anticipated. Surgical incisions that we were told will take up to 5 months to heal. We were also told that I will need to have a few additional surgeries, surgical implants, to replace bone that had to be removed within the entire upper left portion of my jaw. I don't need to go into any further detail on how fortunate one can be to have such an amazing surgeon with decades of handling such highly complex cases as my unique case. Let's just say that sometimes pictures say more than a thousand words. I will handle the changes within the structure of my face. I will prepare, once again, for the necessary upcoming surgeries.
vegas lucky
I can't say that we woke up this morning with a hangover. Alcohol related anyways. HA! But I sure am finally feeling the side effects from anesthesia and other strong narcotics that are slowly coming out of my body. Gastroparesis means not only a super slow, turtle pace digestion system. But it also means taking ten times longer than most folks when it comes to weaning anesthesia and other drugs out of your system. I may not fully feel the surgical cuts just yet. But I sure the heck feel the side effects of severe nausea that comes with anesthesia! Tis was not a very good day to kick off a new year. What I have been doing is a whole lot of resting. Enough sleeping that could last me for the remainder of the year! BAH. I feel for Eric once he goes back to work, on any anything but a normal sleep schedule. For the first 48-hours he barely got any sleep during and after surgery. Let's just say that we both finally were able to catch up on some serious sleep. Much needed rest for the body. 
special
This year we will be ringing in a new year with all the comforts, joy and unconditional love from our fur children at home. It sure beats the hospital! A place where there is no sleep. Unless you are in a drug induced state of mind. Yes, there is actually sleep to be had in such a place. So much sleep that when I finally got the opportunity to rest on my own couchbed. I still had a hard time waking back up. We almost missed the opportunity to bid farewell to 2017. Welcoming in a far happier new year! Doing so as a family... together. 
As I am now taking the time to catch up on blog entries over the past week. I am very fortunate to now be on the other side of surgery... recovery. The safe side after suffering surgical complications. Having pre-existing issues places anyone at a far greater risk of surgical complications. This is why when surgery is a must, not an option. One must be prepared both physically and mentally. It takes one heck of a surgeon to be okay with not just taking on my highly complex, complicated medical case. But to also understand that surgical complications can sometimes not be avoided, no matter how many precautions one may take before surgery. And I must say... my surgeon took a lot of measures in order for me to have the safest surgery possible. Without complications. But you can't predict the unpredictable. 
After layering my clothes and bundling up with the biggest and warmest coat I could find. Yesterday morning was the truest test of all time to see if I could pass pre-surgical testing for this mornings scheduled surgery.
Once I am released, there will be plenty to keep our fur children busy while mommy is home finishing up her smooth road to recovery. Yes, as we were told, things will be different after this surgery. Life, once again, will change. But those words couldn't be handed down to a much stronger person. There isn't anyone else that I know that is stronger than me. The one person that I know who is stronger happens to be watching over me from heaven. I am forever blessed by the strength they have handed down to me. 
Thanks to those who will be keeping an eye on our fur children. Thank YOU for inspiring me through out my journey. Those who are also bravely battling to live to see another day. KEEP ON! KEEPING ON all YOU brave Viking Warriors!
bright
Don't you just love the look of real stained glass windows? Especially during the winter time.
Guess we really don't have to worry about dryness from not having a humidifier during the cold winter months. We can just take in the moisture from the thick ice instead! Pfffff! 
