I went in for my scheduled surgery on August 7th and things went very smoothly and I was released from the hospital that Saturday.  Nice change considering the first surgery I had to stay in for five days.  So I get home and things go to hell in a hand basket.  I can't go into specifics but on Monday I still wasn't feeling right and hadn't been really that whole weekend.  I hurt when I walked, the bloating in my stomach wasn't going down, I was nauseous and really didn't want to eat or drink.  Monday comes and things still hadn't changed so I call my surgeon and while waiting for a call back I was having dry heaves.  By the way, that's not fun a few days after having surgery.  I was told to get to the ER and we'll go from there.  While driving there I ended up throwing up in the car, luckily I had a plastic bag to do that in.  "The Hubby" and I get to Mayo Hospital ER and I was seen and in a room within 45 minutes.  The ER doctor pretty much tells me that he's calling my surgical team and tells the nurse to give me fluids and Zofran for the nausea.  He did it in a nice way and I am grateful that he did step out of my treatment.

One of the residents comes down and we start talking about how I feel and how I also feel as though I'm walking with a water balloon inside and then after consulting with my other surgeons it was agreed that I needed to do a CT Scan then be admitted.  I'm freaking out because I was just released 48 hours ago but then Jan was leaving on Tuesday and I had no one to help with the kids.  After I had to drink both of the nasty cups of dye I was taken to the CT room and that was painful with the injected dye and also trying to get on and off the beds.  After a little while the resident comes back in with one of my other surgeons and tells me that I'm being readmitted to the hospital and after I get upstairs another surgeon comes in a tells me that I need to have another surgery because they think that there is either an obstruction or the intestine is turned wrong and I will most likely wake up with another temporary ileostomy.

After hearing that I get all worked up and start crying like crazy because I just went through this and now I have to do it all again.  I instantly went into a depression and was worrying about the kids since Jan was to leave the next day and "The Hubby" had to go back to work.  "The Hubby" finally stepped in and helped me get it together and I was able to calm down.  The nice surgical nurses came up to help me get ready for surgery and I was joking with them so I could try and stay calm.  Luckily my actual surgeon was on his way from the Mayo Clinic to do my surgery and I was kidding with him as well.  I had the same anesthesiologist from the previous week and so we didn't have to get into much since nothing really changed.  Of course they gave me more Zofran and something else to help calm my nerves.  They take me away on the gurney into the operating room and all I remember is getting onto the table on my side and that was it.  I tried to look around to really see the room this time since I wasn't so scared and I don't remember anything.

I wake up in recovery and I asked them if I have another ileostomy and they said, "No, cysts ruptured on your ovaries and they had to call in OB surgeon to help with the procedure."  I asked her, "Because of all the cysts, do I have to have a hysterectomy?"  She laughed and said no.  I remember that I kept saying that I was cold and I guess I was soo cold that I ended up having a total of 10 blankets plus my head was even wrapped.  How funny is that?  "The Hubby" even took a picture of me like that and with a tube going from my nose to my stomach.  That was such a pain!  I had never had anything like that before in my life and I never want another tube in my nose again, after they took the tube out the next day all I could taste was vomit for the next few hours.

I think later that day I started walking but my doctor told me to take it very easy, a far cry from the other two surgeries.  I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything until Wednesday night.  I think they finally let me eat because I finally took a shower.  Just kidding.  I was surprised to be given food while "The Hubby" and I played Gin and anyway it was just nasty broth.  How I really hate broth now.  Like I said they took it very slow this time with me, I think a little to slow but they know what they're doing right?  I had no exact date to leave but was told it could be after the weekend.  I was going stir crazy because there's not really a lot to do there, my room was very cold, I couldn't eat or drink and it just really wasn't helping me mentally.  I told them that I have to be out by Sunday night since "N" starts kindergarten on Monday.

Things progressed nicely, Jan left on Thursday morning and things got back to normal (without me) at home.  I spent the days by myself watching TV since I really didn't want to read.  I didn't really call anyone because I just really was to depressed to talk but then Thursday night came and my kids came to visit.  I went downstairs with them for dinner and OMG did it smell good for being fried.  We came back upstairs and hung out in my room for a few hours and they left to go grocery shopping and home.  I was also told that day by one of my surgeons that I could leave Friday.  As soon as I heard that I called "The Hubby" and told him that I could be out as early as lunchtime on Friday.  Yeah, my surgeon scared me because when I saw him later that day he said, "We'll see about getting you out this weekend."  He was sweet about it but then I nicely said, "I thought I was being discharged on Friday."  Without hesitation he says, "I don't see why not."  I was so relieved that I called "The Hubby" and told him.  I was released by dinnertime Friday night.

It has been a long, depressing and very stressful road to today.  Here I am Monday morning and I am now finally off pain killers, can wear my fat jeans with them buttoned, able to cough without hurting as much, able to lift my right leg without feeling bone crushing pain (because of the incisions and blood), and I'm able to walk almost normal.  You see, after going through three surgeries it's weird because the first one was very difficult since I had a lot to learn about eating and taking care of a stoma.  They are right, once you start getting used to it, it will be taken down.  The pain involved with the stoma, arterial monitor, and drain bulb that the second surgery was to almost like out patient surgery.  When I left the hospital after the second surgery I was able to start doing laundry that day and for the most part get back to normal except for the whole not wanting to eat or drink thing.  What took place at home after the second surgery was not a good thing but I have now moved past it and am now a better person and parent.  Of course after this last church service too it really helped me see so clearly.  Since the first few days at home after this last time in the hospital I was spending a lot of time in the bathroom I picked up this book call The Shack which is also a spiritual book that's very interesting. 

I am now going to be the best mom I can be since I messed up so badly the first five years of my kids lives.  All it took was the emergency surgery, a catastrophe at home, a book and a church service to see how we can all use improvement in life, spirituality, and marriage.