These are all my experiences in the hospital!

November 24, 2001

Jodi, Christina and Charles here to give you a quick update on Jamie's surgery and her recovery. She came through surgery with flying colors yesterday and we are all very proud of her. She is doing a lot of resting and a little bit of walking today. She's doing really well. Hopefully she will be able to leave the hospital on Monday or Tuesday. Thanks to everyone who has sent many prayers and thanks for the well wishes.


November 25, 2001

Hi Everyone! This is Christina again. Jodi, Charles and I just got home from Ft. Lauderdale and left Jamie in the great company of her Dad! Who says you are ever too old for Daddy? Jamie is doing really well. They took out her catheter, IV's, and her PCA pump. She really misses that PCA pump. She is on her 4th or 5th meal of broth and jello but she is not complaining. She's able to get up and move a little more today. She's starting to sound like herself again! Hopefully she'll be out of the hospital by Tuesday at the latest. Until she has access to a computer, I will update the website for her. Thanks to everyone for all support and I'm certain that Jamie would like to say a special thank you to her sister, Jodi, who took such amazing care of her in the hospital. We should all be so lucky to have sisters!

November 26, 2001

Hello everyone! Just wanted to give you an update. Jamie is still in the hospital. She is staying an extra day due to a slight fever and some nausea and dizzyness. She is still doing well though. She is sounding better. She was able to eat pureed eggs and chicken and turkey today. She said it was pretty good. (I think anything besides broth and jello would be good at this point!) Looks like she will be retreating to her hotel room tomorrow until she can make the long journey back home. Keep her in all of your prayers!

November 30, 2001 aka ONE WEEK POST OP!

Hi everyone! It's me, it's really me! I want to give you a run down of the last week of my life, so I am apologizing in advance if this entry is kind of long. Ok, so let's start with Friday morning...We (being my dad, Jodi and I) arrived at Holy Cross Hospital at 5:30am and I registered, signed my life away and got a cool bracelet. Then we went upstairs and I changed into a rather large hospital gown (but at least it fit!!) and got into bed. Now by this time I am not too nervous but I am concerned about that darned IV. IVs and me do not have a pleasent history together. I usually leave the hospital looking like a drug addict from all the bruises on my arms. I had been praying so hard for this entire surgery and a one stick IV was on top of my list. Well guess how good God is?!?! Only one stick and I am officially on IV fluids!! YIPEE!! My day is looking up! Next they came and drew blood (2 sticks, but not too bad). Then the worst pain I think of my whole experience was drawing blood for blood gases! That hurt! They had to stick a needle way into my wrist into the artery that is there and draw blood. The guy definately hit a nerve because YIKES that hurt. Now on to holding. I said goodbye to Jodi and dad and was put in the holding area. I thought I would be more emotional by now, but I am holding it together. In holding all these people came in and asked my questions, got me warm blankets :o), but generally I just laid there. The anethesiologist came in and asked me some questions and I told him that I get qweesy from being put under so he gave me some medicine for that, he also gave me my happy shot! I was so relaxed! It was around this relaxed point I started to try and talk myself out of having surgery. I was trying to rationalize how I can successfully navigate my way out of the Holding area, grab my family and go to Denny's for breakfast. I was thinking about all the things that I didn't have a chance to eat before surgery. All in all I was feeling sorry for myself that I had let it come to this. Needless to say as I wheeled into the OR I said a prayer and I was fine. Now I have just been transferred from the stretcher to the operating table and about all I can remember is the anethesiologist asking me to please move my head up and telling me he was going to put on oxygen mask on me...Oxygen mask?? what oxygen mask?? I was sleeping with the stars by this time!

Apon waking up I was in a hospital room. I can barely remember the Recovery Room, I try hard to think back, but it's just not coming to me. The first thing I remeber is semi-waking up and pushing the PCA pump for all it was worth. I don't remember any pain, but I didn't want there to be either. I mumbled things like did I have Lap and mostly I remember saying ICE!! I was really out of it for a while. I don't think it was until like 5 or so that I was moved into my private room. At this point I really hadn't been awake long enough to feel any pain, but boy did I feel some when the nurses slammed my bed against the wall! Boy talk about reckless driving!! I remember thinking wasn't I supposed to be up walikng by now?? Not that I was going to say anything, but I was thinking it! Once in my room I slept some more, pushed the PCA pump button some more and finally had to get up and walk. I'm sure I was a sight to see, all hunched over and grabbing my stomach! My dad left shortly after I arrived in my room to go be with my mom who was still in the hospital, so it was just me, Jodi, Christina and Charles. A motley crew! I am not sure what time they left for the evening, but I went to sleep and when I woke up around 9ish (I think) I awoke in a panic. Now I have never had a panic attack before but I am sure this was close to one. I woke up and I was like GET ME OUT OF THIS BED! I rang the nurse and she was so nice! She got me out of bed and called around to get the number to the hotel where everyone was staying. I talked to Jodi and she came back up to the hospital and spent the night with me. She really calmed me down and I am so thankful for her! Saturday was pretty uneventful. Just sleep, walk, and drink water. Sunday was a good day! I got my catheter out and my IV and all that junk out of my body. It really made getting in and out of bed a LOT easier. I was finally able to do that myself. I also got to take my first shower! YIPPEE!! It felt so good! Jodi, Christina and Charles left to go home around 10 or so and my dad was coming back so I spent some time alone and resting. Monday I had a great morning and I was doing good and they wanted to send me home. I thought ok this is fine, I am feeling good. Well that all changed aroung lunch time. I started feeling dizzy and light headed like I might pass out. I also started running a fever and I felt like crap. Even through all of this the nurse kept coming into my room and asking us when we were going to leave. She was very rude about it. Finally dad went to talk to her and he told her that he was not comfortable taking me out of the hospital in this condition and they agreed to let me stay another night. This was the best decision ever! I slept good that night and Tuesday morning I woke up feeling better than ever! I got ready and ate some lunch and they let me go after lunch. I talked to mom on the phone that morning and she was like COME HOME NOW! Even though we were supposed to stay in the area for 10 days after I got out of the hospital, we went home! It was a long 4 hours, and my tailbone hurt like crazy from being in that darn hospital bed, but it was worth it. When we got home my mom cried and I cried and we were a mess, but it was sooooo nice to be in my own home and with my whole family. All in all my hopsital experience was good. I had a great night nurse named Gail for 3 of the 4 nights. I couldn't have survived without her. My day nurses left a lot to be desired, but I know they were busy. I am glad the procedure is over and now I can concentrate on healing and getting on with things. Thank you Lord for seeing me through the surgery and for being with my family during this time!