I'm home...finally!!!

At the outset, I would like to say that I haven't been ignoring my blog.

I wrote the following post on August 4th from my hospital bed and was able to unload it to Facebook but for whatever reason, I could not upload it to my blog, nor could I access any of my photos.

The good news is that after six weeks, I was discharged from the hospital at noon today and I'm at home...FINALLY!  I'm still very weak and can't walk very far, even with the aid of my walker, but at least I'm at home.  

I promise to be more diligent with blog posts and will keep you updated on my progress.

I truly have missed you all.

Facebook post...


<<  This might be a long post so if you'd like to hear about it, why don't you grab a cup of what makes you happy, come back, settle in and read on.

In the wee hours of the morning on Monday, July 4th, the pain won and I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and admitted shortly thereafter.  Not only was I in excruciating pain, pain that even the pain meds couldn't conquer, but I couldn't walk.

My left leg had become numb and useless for over a month and I had lost the feeling in my right foot as well, making walking a virtual impossibility without Mr. Painted Quilt's help.

I spent two painful weeks in the first hospital during which time they conducted countless tests.  Then on Monday, July 18th I was whisked away to an acute care hospital in Halifax, about 70 miles away.  

After a brief consult with the head neurosurgeon, I was again immediately admitted and was advised that I would be operated on the very next day.  I found out later that the reason why they acted so quickly was because I had become incontinent on Sunday night.  Not only had my legs become dysfunctional, but I had also lost the sensation and ability to pee on my own.

Tuesday dawned and I spent the morning waiting to be transported to surgery. I later found out that I was on the operating table for 5 hours.  

Over the years, the spinal column in my lower back had narrowed to the point where two nerves had virtually fused together which not only caused the pain but also contributed to the loss of feeling in my left leg and partially in my right leg as well.  All the gory details were explained to me the day after surgery and I remember virtually nothing of that conversation because it took me about 4 days to fully recover from the anesthetic and the accompanying hallucinations. 

The best news is that I'm PAIN FREE for the first time in two years.

So now I am in the third hospital where I've started extensive rehab in order that I may walk again.  I still haven't got all the feeling back in my legs as yet but the doctors and physiotherapists are confident that most or all of the feeling will return over time.  I will probably have to walk with a walker for the rest of my life and if those are the cards I've been dealt, then so be it.  That little fly in the ointment certainly won't prevent me from shopping for more fabric...right?  *wink*  I'll just have to get one of those walkers with a basket!

I don't have a time frame with respect to how long I'll remain here before I can safely return home.  I'm working hard with my rehab team and am hoping to be home before too long.  I now feel strong enough to 'play' on the computer, do the newspaper crossword puzzles daily and I might just pick up some hexies to work on that I had prepped before this ever happened.

So if you've read this far, please accept my humble thanks.  You all know how much your support and caring has meant to me over the course of the last couple of years.   

I am ever so grateful for all my blogging and Facebook friends. My greatest wish would be that someday we could all meet at a quilting retreat and sew, laugh, eat and tell stories to our heart's content.  Who knows, huh?  Sometime wishes do come true.

Please continue with your thoughts and prayers because I know that they have contributed to my recovery.


Be well, sew lots and I'll touch base with you again soon.>>