My six-week post-op appointment with Dr. Jewell was last Tuesday. I thought it would be a short appointment. Nope, we were there 11:30 AM until 6 PM. After examining my incisions and vaginal cuff, she lifted all the restrictions. Bath time! I was able to lift Chocolate again! Oh how I have missed that. Food shopping on my own because I could start pushing carts again. She said to start slowly with workouts and lifting things. I had pain behind another incision that she discovered during the examination. She ordered a CT scan to rule out hernia. It has been ruled out. I suppose the pain will come and go as I continue to heal. I will be back in three months for a follow-up. Dr. Jewell reminded me once again that I will not be completely healed for at least six months. I will continue to feel aches here and there and I will continue to feel tired from time to time. I have to be extra patient with myself as I want to rush into things again. Tonight, I told my friend that it's about going day by day with this recovery process.
On Tuesday, we were in New York City and boarded our train home. Our train was a bit delayed then it was not allowed to leave the station. We had no idea what was going on. We asked other passengers who also had no clue. After waiting for an hour on the motionless train, we learned from friends that a northbound train had derailed in Philadelphia. Amtrak was not sure about what they were going to do then they decided there will be no trains leaving that night. We had several options on the table: go home somehow, stay with a friend, go to a hotel that has an agreement with the cancer center to offer special deals to patients. Mike was stranded in Detroit the night before after missing his connection home due to a delayed flight. I had the airline re-route him to New York to meet me. But he had some misadventure in finding his way to the cancer center. He landed at LaGuardia and then ended up in Bronx. He walked through the Harlem into Manhattan. He made it to the doctor appointment with three minutes to spare. I had no toiletries nor a change of clothes. We both were aching to get home. We decided to take a local train to the Newark International Airport to get a rental car to drive home. We didn't buy the local train tickets until I have booked the rental car. I was confirmed by Budget with a rental car. Then we were on our way. At the Newark Airport, we had to ride three different trains to get to the car rental counter. I was feeling exhausted and relived that we had gotten there. Now it was time to pick up a car and go home. Not quite. The gal at Budget said they had no cars to give. Mike and I were like... "Are we going to get home!?!" I think Mike had it worse because he has been trying to get home for over 30 hours at that point. We discover that Dollar was the only company that had cars available. They quoted us a pricey one-way rental. I told them there was a better deal online. He suggested that we book online but it would mean about fifteen more minutes for the reservation to be processed. Finally we got our TINY car and was on our merry way by 2 AM. Of course, I got lost in the area and finally got on the New Jersey Turnpike. We got my car from the Baltimore-Washington International Airport's Amtrak station and we finally got home at 6:15 AM Wednesday morning. We were messed up the whole day. The rough journey home felt like my wild ride with cancer. When will this stop? There were so much uncertainty until we landed into our bed Wednesday morning. I was there before Mike and was fast asleep.
The derailment in Philadelphia was a surreal reminder of how fragile life is. I was on the same northbound route that morning and later that night, numerous lives were affected. You really don't know what happens tomorrow. Just make the best of today. Tomorrow, your life may change forever. It could be a tragedy like the derailment or it could be a disease like cancer. A woman made a post on Facebook today that implies she wished she had cancer. I think she's aching for attention but... seriously. I do not want any MORE members in this so-called cancer club. It sucks. Stay out! Don't even consider pledging! Run away!
Tuesday night's trip home was tough for me because I had been sleeping a lot for several weeks and was going through 25+ hours without sleep. Since that night, I have not felt like myself. It is my body's way of signalling to me I need to rest more. Dang. I am supposed to do this, do that. Slow down, Naomi. It did not help that I drove six hours today to Rochester to fulfill some existing commitments I had made before the surgery. It is nice to be back in the Land of Lilacs though. There is something healing about being around flowers. The flowers in our front and back yards have been instrumental in my healing process. I relished the crocuses, hyacinths, daffodils, tulips, and azaleas. I took it upon myself to learn the names of the flowers and read about them. I left home when peonies are starting to bloom. I really hope I do not miss much of the process while I'm gone for a few days. Roses will come next, I believe. A friend told me last week that earthing is a healing energy. And by connecting with flowers, I am healing.
I close this post with a nice reading that someone sent me:
A small wave for your form
a small wave for your voice
a small wave for your speech
a small wave for your means
a small wave for your generosity
a small wave for your appetite
a small wave for your wealth
a small wave for your life.
a small wave for your health
Nine waves of grace upon you
waves of the Giver of Health
-Mhairi nic Neill
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