Another Update...and an Airplane Ride...

Well, last Tuesday, I was healing wonderfully, and then I went to bed. I woke up in the night very uncomfortable (like rocks in my head) and I had Richard give me a blessing. I tossed and turned all night and in the morning I asked Richard to stay home. We called the doctor and they were trying to get ahold of him because he was in surgery all day, and by then, my fever was climbing to almost 102. I was in a lot of pain and Richard was really getting worried. Well, when the doctor called back in the afternoon (finally), my fever was 104.6 and I felt like I was dying. My doctor wanted me to go to the ER immediately and have a spinal tap done and he was worried that I had meningitis. Well, after being in the ER for a few hours, having a CT scan, lots of pain medication, and a spinal tap (ow!), I thought they were going to give me some antibiotics and send me home. All of a sudden, the ER doctor comes in, talking to my other doctor on the phone, and messing with my head wound. He finishes his conversation, comes back in the room, and tells me that I need to get up North immediately. All of a sudden, they're arranging for lifeflight to come and get me, Richard's taking care of arrangements with the kids, and our plans are changed - big time. So after we get up North, my doctor tells me he is going to take me back into surgery. The next day, they took me in, reopened my wound, and cleaned everything out. The good news is that the inside part of my surgery was holding up well (there was some silver lining). Anyway, when I woke up, I felt horrible again, and they started pumping me full of heavy antibiotics. I was in the hospital 3 more days and then they released me with a PICC line in and a bag full of antibiotics that Richard gets to change everyday for the next two weeks (he's getting quite good at the home health biz). And if any of you have had a PICC line placed, it's quite the experience in itself. The lady who was putting it in was really good, but for some reason the PICC line kept going up my next instead of down by my heart. This happened about 10 times (she said this never happened to her) and when they finally got it in, I thought I was going to die! Let's just say it was sweet relief. Anyway, so now I have been home for a few days and I am getting a little better everyday. I am finally able to walk around and sit up more. My doctor doesn't want me to get a blood clot, so I have to walk more than I was, but I have to rest when my neck says, please stop! My hair is nicely shaved (even more this time - I'll try to get a picture) and it is quite interesting to get dressed over an IV.

My family, friends, and ward members have been amazing through this time and I wouldn't have made it without their prayers and concern. I truly felt all of them while I was up North and I feel them daily when I wake up a little better each day. I know this summer is a hard one, but I'm trying to look forward to the future and being better and enjoying my family for years to come. I almost felt like I would lose them, and now I am grateful for every second I get to be a part of this life. I am so blessed.