Been There, Done That

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Today I got to spend some time with these two girls, Sam and Allie. It was kind of crazy talking with both of them because we've all endured such similar things. Sam and Allie both had recent surgeries for SMAS and MALS. And while both of them are in recovery, they know exactly what I am going through right now.

Surgery is tomorrow and I am scared. Scared about recovery, the pain I will feel, and most importantly the surgery itself. There is always the risk for complications, and while I have COMPLETE faith in Dr. Petty and his team, I am still a little nervous. I mean, not only are they cutting into my stomach, but they're going to be working around an artery. They're going to be separating the nerves that are wrapped around my celiac artery, as well as releasing the median arcuate ligament that is compressing it. I'm nervous. Nerves are so sensitive and I'm afraid that by messing with them/detaching them from the artery, it's going create overwhelming pain.

Both Allie and Sam were able to help prepare me for surgery and reassure me. Sam just had surgery for MALS four months ago, and while recovery has been rough for her, she has made a lot of progress. She helped calm down some of my fears as well as give me some good advice for post-op pain maintenance. All three of us began to talk about our (very similar) experiences, and we were able to laugh about it all. I mean not very many people can relate to: Not being able to eat... Feeding tubes... Having major surgeries... Being misdiagnosed... Having your appendix/gallbladder taken out... Surgical scars... The list goes on. It was so refreshing because we were able to relate to each other on a level that most people can't; unless you've lived it, it's hard to know how truly difficult it can be at times. And while the things we talked about were so horrible at the time, we were all able to laugh about it together.

Anyways, tomorrow is a big day, and I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many people that truly care. Sam and Allie are dealing with their own health journeys, but they made the trip to Winston Salem to come spend time with me - and on a day that I needed some laughter to get my mind off of my surgery tomorrow.

Comments

  1. FarleyMarch 5, 2020 at 3:28 AM

    Thank you, LewLew. Three angels on that bed plus your mom! What a long hard road but now you are sharing with those who KNOW. Community is so important. The rest of us cannot imagine the road you have traveled but they can.

    ReplyDelete

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