After my IV, we headed on to Provo Utah where we spent the evening with Chase. The next day it was back to the Huntsman in Salt Lake for my pre-op appointments. In my visit with Dr. Agarwal, we decided to change which surgery I would have. Because the expander has caused me so much pain, I worried that I wasn't a good candidate for the Latissimus flap procedure because it involves a small implant, which I felt my body might want to reject. That is why I had chosen the longer, nastier DIEP flap procedure which takes skin & fat from my belly. Dr. Agarwal assured me that I was just as good a candidate for the Latissimus as anyone. So, the day before my surgery, we changed the procedure I would have. In some ways it was a relief, because I went from an 8 hour surgery to a 4 hour surgery, and from a 5 day Hospital stay to a 3 day stay. That meant I wouldn't be spending Christmas day at the Huntsman. I would be getting out Christmas Eve instead! Course that meant that we needed to come up with some alternate plans for those days, since we weren't going to go straight home. It ended up taking most of the day to see my surgeon, and then the anesthesiologist. We decided to get a motel room just a few blocks from the hospital, since we needed to be there early in the morning.
I guess "good drugs" help, but that first evening, dang, I was feeling pretty good. My sister Cynthia stopped by soon after I got to my room, having just finished a surgical shift at LDS Hospital nearby. She was expecting me to be dopey and dosey, so she figured she'd just say "Hi" and go on home. She ended up having to stay for a few hours so I could talk her leg off!
The next day, December 23, the soreness of a big honking incision on my back, having muscle cut, burrowed under my armpit and pulled out through my chest and attached to my pectoral muscle, all kicked in. Getting up and going to the bathroom was a challenge because I felt dizzy and nauseous when I'd get up. But when I was laying in my bed staying relaxed I didn't feel too bad. Eating was a bit of a problem. Between no appetite and cotton mouth I couldn't seem to eat anything. My dear "Eldest" brother Tim stopped by to visit. I ended up making him eat my sandwich since I couldn't do it myself. Thanks for the visit Tim! He and Kay were the first ones there last time I had surgery. Hey - our hairdo's are almost the same! Tim's is more gray though! Ha
My younger sister Barb also stopped by for a visit. We got to chat for quite a while. And while Barb was still there, my Bro & Sis-In-Law, Eric and LeAnn stopped by to visit. I so appreciate those who take the time and effort to come by and visit, cause it truly does take some time and effort! While Barb & LeAnn & Eric were there, the nurse came in and told me it was time to go for a walk, so I had 3 friends to take my walk with me. I had to hobble along like a little old woman hanging on to my IV machine as my walker. But, I went a little farther each walk! 
Later in the afternoon Rich's Aunt Fern also came by to visit. Somehow I managed to miss getting a picture of Fern, dang it! She let us know that we were very welcome to come and spend a few nights at their house through Christmas after I get released on the 24th. Nobody throws a party like the Hill's, so there was no place we'd rather be!
On Christmas Eve Day, Dec. 24 I managed to go for a good walk all by myself. Rich spent the night in Provo with Chase, and they were waiting for Chase's car to get fixed, then they were going to come and pick me up, since the Doctor OK'd me leaving. After my walk I took a shower, also by myself! Yeah, it's a big deal to be able to shower oneself! Then I laid on my hospital bed and watched TV until Rich and Chase arrived to "spring me". I got to watch 2 old classics: "A Miracle on 34th Street", and "White Christmas". Haven't seen either forever, so it was fun to see them. While I was laying there, two adorable families stopped by and asked if they coud give me a blanket as a gift, and sing me a few Christmas Carols. There were at least 10 or 12 kids in those two families, from teenagers to little ones. They said that they have had cancer in their family, so it has become a family tradition to go visit Cancer patients at the Huntsman on Christmas Eve. They gave me a nice green fleece blanket, and then they sang a few songs for me. It was so sweet. I was totally touched!
Speaking of being touched by sweet gifts, Collin & his sweet Tiffany had the topper! Before they took off for California for Christmas, Tiffany put together a "6 days of Christmas" box for me. They gave it to cousin Julie who occassionally works at the Huntsman. Julie gave it to a nurse friend, Bryn, who would be working on the 22nd when I came in. Bryn brought the box into my room right away. Collin told me on the phone to go ahead and open it then. Inside was a little gift and note for the next 6 days. Originally I was going to spend 5 days in the Hospital, so Tiffany wanted to make sure I was covered with a little gift for each day. The Day 1 gift was a little Christmas tree made of paper, so I could have a tree in my room! The Christmas Eve gift were 3 adorable little stockings Tiffany made so me and Rich and Chase would have stockings for Christmas Eve! Also among the gifts were Christmas candy, Tiffany-made hot pads, and a funny Picture Story book of Landon. So here's a fun pic that includes one of the shirts Cynth gave me, the green fleece blanket the sweet families brought, and some of Tiffany's fun work. You know, Thanks to Family and new friends, Christmas Eve at the Huntsman wasn't too bad!
On Wednesday, November 24, Rich and I, along with Collin, Tiffany & baby Landon, and Chase, went to LaGrande Oregon to spend Thanksgiving with my parents. The trip was a bit of an adventure. When we got up to leave, it was 5 below zero outside. The roads were snow packed and icy pretty much the whole way. We happened to get to the Burley area very close to the same time that Collin & Chase got there coming from Utah. So we connected with my cousin Ron in Twin Falls, and he and his wife Carolyn met us at a truck stop, and took Collin's car home with them so Collin, Tiffany, Landon, & Chase could snug in the pick-up, and make the rest of the trip with us. That made the long slow drive on bad roads a little easier to endure. It gave us more time to visit, even though the conditions were crummy.
