The weather forecast countdown....

The date is set for my next hospitalization and surgery. I will be admitted on Monday September 13th and surgery will be the following day on the 14th. After that, I will remain hospitalized for about 7-10 days to allow for healing and because of my complicated blood disorder. I will be in a full leg immobilizer for about 4 weeks and crutches.

There are a few family events going on this week/weekend that I can look forward to. I always like to have things to look forward to before and after surgeries, it helps me get through them and gives me something to strive to get better for!

I will have my IPHONE and laptop in the hospital with me so look for updates!

For those of you who are wondering why this entry is titled, "The weather forecast countdown"... I measure how soon surgery will be here by when the day appears on the 5 or 7 day weather forecast. When it appears on the news's forecast, it means surgery is fast approaching and helps me to mentally prepare and get through the 'stages' of anticipation that I go through!

It feels strange not to have gone back to work with my family who are teachers and collegues. I'm sad that I will be delayed in returning so that I can have this surgery but I know it's for the best and will use this time to recover and get well enough to return sometime in the later fall.

To be continued....
Stacy

The Revolving Door...

So, after 18 long days, I got home from Kessler.. It's so nice to sleep in my own bed, see my dogs, and be in the comforts of home! Unfortunately, I have had some complications with the surgery that I had back in June (Z-plasty) and I was made aware that I will require more surgery to revise that incision. Although it looks like a small wound opening, the surgery will bring me back into the hospital for 7-10 days and possibly again to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. I will lose most of what I gain in physical therapy these next two weeks because I will be in a full leg immoblizer for 5-8 weeks after this surgery. I will find out the date of this surgery on Wed. (I'm hoping he can do it the week of Labor day to maximize my healing and that way I can go to my big Birthday dinner and not ruin it for my twin sister, Michele!) I will not be returning to to work in September ...for those of you know know me... this makes me very unhappy!

Positive...it's frustrating for people to say "Just be positive, or try harder to be happy through all of this." I continue to try real hard to have a positive outlook on my life but I'd say it's pretty hard when I'm continually faced with such hard challenges. This will be my 3rd surgery in 3 months... my 56th surgery in 20 years... I still have a smile on my face though..and always will!
Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way and continue to provide support, prayers, and friendships during this difficult time. I really appreciate all of you!

More to come....
Stacy

Hi Ho.. Hi Ho...It's off to Kessler I go...

Hi Everyone!
I write to you from my hospital bed at St. Barnabas Medical Center. I've been here for 10 days recovering from an open lateral release knee surgery and then subsequent bleeding into the joint due to blood thinners that I'm on. It seems that I'm finally on an upswing. The heparin IV was discontinued tonight and I'm on Lovenox blood thinner shots now. They are keeping me on the shots 2xs a day incase the bleeding resumes they have a shelf life of 12 hours in my body.

If all continues on this path, than either tomorrow (Thursday, August 5th) or Friday I will be going via ambulance from the hospital to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation for 2 weeks of intense physical therapy to help jumpstart my recovery so that I may resume teaching in September.

Thank you all for your support, calls, gifts, messages, facebook messages and encouragement. It's been a long road and I will need that encouragement as I enter the most painful part of my recovery and it will require a lot of hard work and motivation on my part to resume some function and quality of life to this leg....

Stacy

The next step...

Hi Everyone...
The next step in my summer of surgeries is as follows. I got the rest of my stitches out yesterday and I'm allowed to shower (yay!) However... I must remain immoblized and on crutches until further notice. I see the surgeon again next week to make sure everything is still healing nicely. So far, it looks great!

Tuesday, July 27th, I will have the "Open" Lateral release by the knee surgeon. After a hospital stay, the plan is to go to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation for some inpatient treatment and therapies. This will ensure that I will be ready to go back to work (school teacher) the beginning of September!

So... T-12 days! UGHGH

Stacy

Becoming Unraveled

Today I had my first, outpatient, post-operative visit. The surgeon removed some of the stitches but decided to keep the rest in until next week. I was hoping that he'd remove the cast on my arm but I remain immobilized and on crutches until further notice so... the cast stays!

It is looking like the next surgery will be Tuesday, August 3rd.

Thanks Uncle Mickey for taking me!

Stacy

The rewind....

Firstly, I wanted to explain the title of my blog. We've all heard the phrase "The light at the end of the tunnel.." Since I have had so many MRIs over the last 20 years, my "tunnel" is a MRI machine (which actually is a tunnel ...) Therefore... "The Light at the end of the MRI..."

Most of you know that I've had medical/orthopedic problems for about the last 20 years. I've had knee surgeries, other surgeries, casts, tests, doctors, physical therapy, hospitalizations, IVs.. ports, blood thinners for life and more.. My body does not absorb vitamin C and as rare as that sounds, even with IV vitamin C administered by me every night, I'm absorbing just a little amount. This is why I have a continual break down of my body.

I will start with the surgery I just had the one coming in a few weeks and the blog will progress from there.

The knee replacement from June, 2009 - some of the incision never healed so I needed to have a Z-plasty reconstruction done of my incision. This was an extensive surgery and I will remain immoblized and on crutches for 4 weeks. At the end of July, I will also be having an open lateral release. By 'open" I mean, not arthroscopic so it's another large incision to have to heal. I need this surgery because my kneecap is not tracking correctly on the knee joint.

Busy summer for me!

The knees

Hi everyone!
It had been suggested for a while now that I write a blog of my "knees" so that people can follow my story. Hopefully this blog will answer your questions, keep you up-to-date regarding my hospitalizations and surgeries as well as other ongoings in my life!

Let me know what you think?!

I'm very new at blog writing so it may take me a little while to get my style down!

Stacy