New shoes!

I'm totally in love with my latest shoe purchase! It's kind of funny, because they're not my typical style - but I still think they're cute - and they're super comfy.

They're black stonewashed corduroy Toms and I got them from nordstroms.com (free shipping & returns) for $53.95. This is my first pair of Toms, so I wasn't sure about the fit - but I just read all of the reviews & the fit guide on the Toms website.

Most reviewers said that the corduroy shoes have a more narrow fit than the classic canvas Toms - and also that they tend to stretch a little less. According to the Toms website, you're supposed to buy your Toms a little snug, with your toe at the end, because with wear, they will stretch to fit. Since I've lost so much weight, my feet are smaller, and it's annoying because I seem to be somewhere between a 6.5 and 7. I decided to order a size 7 and they fit just a little snugly, so I assume I ordered correctly.

I've worn them around the house all day & they're loosening up a bit - they're really comfortable! I think they're super cute with jeans, too! Now I want a pair of the wedges!

Words of wisdom...

"Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world."  - Marilyn Monroe

Hey, there!

Did you wonder if I was coming back? Here I am!!

I had no intention of being gone for so long, but recovery from my surgery has been a lot tougher than I ever expected. There were a few problems with the surgery, as some of you are aware, so let me start there...

Surgery was on October 31, and the plan was to do a thoracic laminectomy at the T6-7 level, with rods & screws - and for me to just be in the hospital overnight. Unfortunately, I woke up over 24 hours later in neurosurgical ICU on a ventilator. Scary stuff. Apparently, the surgeon had problems getting the last screw in at the T7 level (probably due to my scoliosis below that level), so he moved down to the T8 level. Somehow, either my aorta or intercostal artery was nicked & there was a lot of bleeding. They had to call in a cardio-thoracic surgeon, and do an arteriogram, a venogram, 3 CT scans, & give me 4 units of blood before deciding that I could go to ICU. For obvious reasons, they wanted me to lie still for a time & also keep my blood pressure under control, so that's why they kept me in a medically-induced coma on the ventilator for 24 hours.

I remember seeing Gus's shadow & hearing his voice saying that I was okay and everything was going to be fine. I remember nodding & then starting to cry - and he told me not to cry, everything would be fine. When I finally "really" woke up the next day, I was still intubated - and let me tell you, it was horrible. It was really hard not to fight the tube. Even after they turned off the ventilator, they left the tube in for several hours to make sure I could breathe well enough on my own. I swear it was the longest few hours of my life. They kept me in the ICU for 2.5 days, and then finally moved me to a regular room on the neurosurgical floor. After another 2.5 days, I was allowed to go home. I was in a lot of pain, could only do a few things for myself, and I was as weak as a newborn kitten.

Those first few weeks, I relied on Gus for everything. I don't know what I would've done without him. I was supposed to shower 3-4 times/day (to help prevent muscle spasms in my back), but even with a shower chair, he had to help me. The first 4 weeks, I wasn't allowed to do much at all - which is good, because I probably wouldn't have been able to anyway. After 6 weeks, I was allowed to go back to physical therapy. After 8 weeks, I was doing better - less pain, getting a little stronger, doing more for myself.

Now it's been almost 12 weeks since the surgery. I'm still going to physical therapy twice per week, I still need pain meds, & I'm using Lidocaine topical patches for some of the nerve pain. I continue to have muscle pain as well as the nerve pain, but for the most part, the pain in my legs is gone. I have good days & bad days - and on the bad days, I tend to get discouraged. I still can't do much around the house, I can't do much work for my business, and I can't spend much time at the computer. It's difficult to deal with that.

I've seen the neurosurgeon a few times & he's pleased with my progress as well as being dedicated to helping me recover completely. I've also seen the cardio-thoracic surgeon, and my latest CT scan showed that the hematoma on my aorta has resolved, but I still have a pleural effusion on the left. He feels it's probably blood, which would be fibrous at this point & impossible to remove without opening up my lung. I've lost about 5% of my lung capacity on that side, but since I seem to be mostly asymptomatic, he doesn't plan to do anything. I'm supposed to have another CT scan in March & if it's okay, I won't have to see him again. I still can't cough very well and I can't sneeze, but they think it's due to muscle weakness & the fear of pain. Again, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have Gus to take care of me!

So that's what's been going on for the past 3 months! I have a ton of things I want to blog about, so I'm hoping that my tolerance for sitting at the computer will get better before I forget everything!!

I hope you've all been well & are having a great 2012!

Wish me luck...

My back surgery is tomorrow - I have to be at the hospital at 5:00 am. I should only have to stay overnight if everything goes well, but I don't know how long it will take me to get back to "normal". They tell me 4-6 weeks, but I hope it doesn't really take that long. So I'm not sure how long it will be before I'm able to post here. Keep checking, because I'll be back as soon as possible!!

Deals!

 

One of the daily deals today (10/28) at target.com is on their long-sleeved tees - 2/$16 plus free shipping. For some reason, when I checked out, they also gave me a discount of some sort, so my total, with tax, was only $15.68. Hurry - the colors are selling out quickly (at least in size medium, LOL!)!!

It's time for Payless' BOGO deal! Oct. 27 - Nov. 22, buy any item in the store & get an item of equal or lesser value for 50% off. Online and in-store. Flat rate shipping of $5.95 or ship-to-store for free.

Something I just recently learned about JCPenney: If you are shopping for something in home goods and they're out of the size/color you need, but it's something they normally keep in stock, they will order it for you, apply any discounts/coupons and give you free shipping to the store. I was shopping for curtains and the salesperson told me about this - so I assume it's at all stores.