Since we have some time to pass while I am in surgery I think I should mention a few more symptoms that I failed to list earlier. I noticed a sensitivity to light – especially fluorescent lights in a well-lit store. Funny you are having trouble seeing everything and yet your eyes are feeling overly sensitive. Perhaps the iris opens more to try to see everything. I don’t know.

My energy levels had been lower and in the last year I had been unable to not pass through a year without a cold or ear infection. In each case I needed eardrops to get me over the illness.

I was probably grumpier too but nothing I can really pin point. Hey! Once a bear always a bear – I think.

OK surgery must be done by now.

What can you say about the recovery room. What do you even remember? I do remember how nice the warm blankets feel. I seem to recall them asking questions. I think they want to make you wake up when all you want to do is sleep. Go figure – your in a hospital – you are not there to sleep.

I do remember the doc stopping by briefly. He said the tumor was gone and that he thinks the pituitary did not look damaged and he did not think it was attached to the tumor. He asked about my sight and I said it was much improved. Now my eyes were watering from my swollen sinus but I could definitely see. No missing letters.

About suppertime I was moved to the Neurology ward but into a staging area to monitor more than one patient returning from surgery. I was still wired with a heart monitor and the hourly on slot of blood pressure, temperature etc. began. Sue, Jennifer and Alexis were there to greet me. I was a sight to see. My nose was more than twice it’s normal size - really! It was packed with some kind of absorbent material and there were two plastic horns jammed up in there to keep everything in place. They told me I really did not want to see what I looked like. I think I heard the word pig mentioned if that brings up a picture in your mind. I do remember Alexis said something that we all thought was funny. Unfortunately no one can remember exactly what is was but when I tried to laugh I snorted a red spray that came out of somewhere – perhaps my nose – and flew around the bed clothes. This just made everybody laugh even louder and longer with me trying to keep from a further red discharge. Here I was worried I might gross everyone out and here is the comment I got from Alexis in an email. Don't feel bad that I came down on the weekend, it was my decision and I wouldn't have wanted to miss seeing blood shoot out of the trumpets in your nose!

I do remember that my mouth was dry and they gave me some ice water to drink and a sponge sucker to soak in the ice water and moisturize my lips and palate. It was like nectar. I drank a lot of water that night. They were monitoring my liquid intake and any discharge through the catheter. I was also wearing pneumatic stockings that pumped up every few minutes to massage my legs and help the blood circulation. If the unit was not about $2000 I think I would consider buying one. I guess it helps to prevent blood clotting in the legs when you are not active. About 10 pm I started to feel “good”. The “girls” went home for the night. I tried to doze off between the activation of the socks, the blood pressure tests, the noise on the ward, and the trumpets up my nose.

I did take some morphine around suppertime but I was not feeling that sore. I really don’t know what the big deal is with that stuff. I didn’t fell any real buzz or anything. At 10pm they wanted me to take something for the pain. I really didn’t have a lot. Can’t say I was totally comfortable with my pig nose and some swelling but not really in pain. They don’t want you to slip into a level of pain so I agreed to take some Tylenol 3s. I have felt worse coming home from the dentist. The doc knows his stuff.

About 4am they moved me into a room. They liked the fact that I was keeping all the water down and was not feeling nauseous. No more Heart monitor. I got to watch the sunrise over Calgary from the 12th floor of the hospital. The saline drip was stopped as I was drinking a lot of water.

Breakfast arrived at 8am and I was ready to eat. The mouth was a little tender. It was not painful but I could not use my mouth, as I normally would have. I had some difficulty using a straw too. I ate everything that they sent me. With breakfast came my hormones, and of course the vampires showed up for blood samples. The dreaded IV was still in my left arm. I had to take antibiotics until the trumpets were removed. That was scheduled for after supper. They usually leave them in for 24 hours.

I think Luke showed up that morning with my Daughter Jenn and Sue and Alexis. I had made everyone who drew blood or even asked me any questions look at my picture of Luke. He did not know what he was seeing. The trumpets are plastic cones but at the ends there is grab rings to help with removal. I think Luke was tempted to grab hold and see what happened. Take a look at his picture don’t you just know he wanted to pull on the trumpets. He was making me nervous. As I was to find out later that evening he probably could have easily pulled them out. I’m glad I made him keep his distance.

So much for the surgery now let the healing begin.

G