30, Flirty, and Freaking Out

I'm not really freaking out! I've been sitting around for 3 weeks so I'm going a little stir crazy.. I'm really missing going to the park and hiking with the kids.. as well as photography. Except for contracted sessions I'm closing up shop until mid-August. We are about to embark on a new adventure though. Brandon is being sent to Sikeston (aka nowhere) MO for two months for work. We will be joining him for a majority of the time, thankfully, at least until schools starts. I hear there is a lot of outdoor activities to partake of in the area, so I'm praying for increased energy for that.

You would not believe but I tried to do a small session over the weekend and ended up overdoing it. BLAST! Then I was freaking out about a spider and moved my bed.. WAAAYYYY more than 5 lbs. OOPS! In the end, I have a popped stitch and am back to sitting with my feet up. I've made it through the first 6 seasons of The Office during this time. Anyone have a series to recommend? I need to get to the library!

I can tell my writing is not well thought out.. very choppy and spastic.. a sure sign of my insanity. I've always thrived on that though, I mean normal is boring.

Summer Surgery (Seriously though.. graphic and TMI Warning proceed with caution!)

On June 1, 2011 I went in to Saint Luke’s Hospital East in Lee's Summit. I had a hysterectomy, hernia repair and bladder sling done by two physicians. The hospital had been low on rooms since before I was checked in for the procedure. The nurses had been talking about it when I arrived. I was taken back at 2:30 and they said they finally had rooms.. However, I guess after my surgery it took a while to find an available room. At around 7:30 I was told that I had a room ready and was taken there. I was not informed that I was on the cardiac floor.That evening I was introduced to my two nurses, a tech and a R.N. At one point I asked how much blood was normal to be losing and that I thought I was bleeding more than I should be. The nurses told me not to worry that it was normal to have bleeding after my procedure. I mentioned that it was more than I thought I should be having, they just kind of shrugged. It did not cross my mind that they wouldn't know what was normal as they probably weren't used to dealing with hysterectomy patients as a rule.After a couple more hours I had soaked trough more pads and every time I got up they changed the pad on my bed as it was bloody as well. They never once acted concerned at the blood loss or checked me. The pain I was having began to worsen and the medicine they had been giving me was no longer helping. The R.N. kept going back and forth between my room and the pharmacy trying to figure out what might help, but told me that ibuprofen was probably all I could have as I was allergic to Morphine and they usually don't okay any stronger prescriptions. At this point I was doubled over in pain in my bed crying. I stayed in this position for some time before I decided to try and sit up. As soon as I sat down I felt a gush that was unlike anything I had ever felt and that includes my water breaking during labor. I looked down and that entire portion of bed was covered in my blood. It was beginning to run down my legs. My husband called for the nurse but after no one responded he stepped out of the room and grabbed a nurse that was passing by. She came in and bent down to look at the bed. At this time she mumbled "Oh, shit, oh, shit" over and over under her breath. (NOT COMFORTING!!!) By now I was starting to get very worried. A few more nurses joined us (at one point we had 6 or 7 nurses in my room). They helped me to my feet when a clot the size of a soccer ball fell out, at this point the room begin to spin and I about passed out. I continued to bleed so they quickly cleaned up my bed and helped me back to it. My husband described me as ash gray from lips to skin and had to sit down with his head between his legs. I kept asking if there was a doctor there and kept being told that I didn't need a doctor, they would know more once the blood work came back. I was clammy, dizzy, weak and terrified. My nurse then called the doctor on call at my gynecologist's office and was told to keep me in bed and give me stronger pain medication. My blood pressure at this time was around 60/30 to 70/40. I was too afraid to go to sleep as I didn't think I would wake up. I had asked the nurses if I should be scared and they informed me if it were them they too would be scared. One nurse told me that she knew I was aware I was confined to the bed, but that I shouldn't sit up and if I could help it not to even raise my head.They continued to monitor my vitals every 15 minutes for most of the night as well as they were finally checking on my bleeding. It had slowed down, but was still too heavy. My doctor came in around 7:30am and mentioned that she was unhappy to have not had the whole story overnight. She immediately packed me with gauze and my BP and blood count began to stable out. By the time I was released my hemoglobin count was 8.1 (if it dipped half a point lower I'd had to have a transfusion before leaving) and my BP was around 80/50.It is frustrating to no end to know that if I had been listened to in the first place I could have been packed hours and hours earlier, kept in bed and not had nearly this significant as blood loss. I can't help but think if I had been placed on a floor that was used to having patients such as myself they would have known to listen to me and take the bleeding seriously. I have never in my life been so scared. My advice for anyone, listen to your body.. if you feel something is really wrong call a doctor YOURSELF.Now I'm 3 weeks post op, 30 years old, and improving daily. I'm still very tired, but that's just par for the course. I had excellent help from my family and friends over this time. My husband was my hero, and didn't leave my side for more than 10 minutes for almost a week after the surgery. POOR GUY! My sister and mother stayed the first week and helped around the house and spoiled my kids. My dad was there for the surgery, went home only to turn around and drive straight back when my condition worsened. I am so grateful to everyone! Friends and neighbors that brought meals and constantly checked in.. you are all a blessing!

So, I have been stuck at home the last 3 days thanks to the glorious snow. While I feel a little on the claustrophobic side, it has afforded me the opportunity to do some much needed catching up on my editing. I never realized just how much work I put into my photography business until I started working part time at the school. Now, I spend most of my free time playing catch-up. Its a good thing I absolutely love the work! I meet such wonderful people. In the last two weeks I've met some fantastic new families as well as had a chance to catch up with returning ones. I have to admit, some of my favorite sessions begin with newborns. It's such a special time in a couple's lives to welcome a new addition, and I love getting to come back every few months and see just how much they have all changed.