We were able to go see Alec a few hours after surgery and he thought he had just had some sort of hunting accident-related surgery and was at Cabella's! I said, you must be on some good meds! He also asked me if we were still in Boston. Umm...yup, we certainly did not bring you back up to Maine to have this surgery. Once he came out of the ICU he was in a lot of pain and breathing was very difficult. He had a tube coming out of each lung that was just so uncomfortable. I tried to make him feel better, "This is it! You did it! Now we can go home and eat turkey!" He wasnt into it. I try to imagine the pain, and what must hurt, but its impossible. He looks so darn healthy that its hard to believe.
Alec is hooked up to these long tubes that go from each lung to these blue fish tank looking things that make noise like a jacuzzi tub. I guess they get rid of the fluid in his lungs, they are so weird and it makes me feel like I am in outerspace to see such odd medical devices. The doctor removed one tube from his lung today and the next one tomorrow. I asked when they think he may be able to go home and they said either Friday or Saturday afternoon! Yay...Home Sweet Home.
He had a rough morning this morning, I guess someone dumped a breakfast tray on him and spilled hot coffee on his leg. I told him later, that gives a whole new meaning of "having a bad morning, spilled my coffee". Then he had another issue with his stoma supplies. Luckily, Katie, Alec's chemo nurse was here visiting and helped me get his supplies, even driving me back to Southie this am! Now that calls for Nurse of the Year! I tell her all the time, I dont know what we would do without you! She is just amazing.
Up next is a walk around the floor, he is sitting up in the chair right now, waiting for an xray, but then will go for his first walk since the surgey. Walking is so important after lung surgery, making sure the fluid does not build up. He doesnt want to do it, but I think now he realizes the more he does the better he will feel.
The view from 19th floor, (we were on the 7th last week, looking out at a brick wall) Moving up in the world!
We are so thankful that both surgeries are done with and we can enjoy the holidays without the dread and fear of another surgery.
My husband amazes me more every day. I am not at all exaggerating when I say he has not complained once. Not once. Its funny, if I hear someone complaining about the littlest thing now, I kind of have to roll me eyes and chuckle to myself.
I want to say, come, here, with me, I will show you something worth complaining about. He's got tubes coming out of all places in his body, missing more than half his liver, pieces of his lungs, cant even breathe without it hurting and he has yet to feel sorry for himself. I knew I married a tough guy, but he is beyond anything I have ever seen.
As for recovery, Dr. Waine said it will hurt to breathe for a while, especially on a young guy like Alec. I guess younger men are in more pain because they are healthier and lungs are so much stronger.
Julia eating cookies that Keith brought while waiting for Alec in surgery.
We are so thankful that this is behind us and we can breathe a little easier. (At least I can, Alec will be able to once his lungs are better) But it is nice to have this in the past and no more dread and fear of the next surgery.
Thank you all for your prayers, we just hope that this helps and we can get this cancer under control. I think it helps to have 2 friends who are Catholic school teachers, hundreds of kids saying hundreds of prayers every day! If they only knew how much it meant to us :)
We are going to focus on a happy, healthy holiday season and 2011. A year from now we will look back on this week and wonder how we did it. But like I always say, we could not do it without God and without all of you.
Love Always,
Heather & Alec & Millie :)
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