Home Sweet Home

After almost 5 days in San Jose, it was time for us to head home. Most people typically head back home a day or two after surgery, but since I had experienced so many complications following my initial surgery (i.e., nausea/vomiting/fever/pain), we wanted to give ourselves a bit of a buffer in case I responded similarly to the revision surgery. 

Thank goodness I didn't! 

Recovery thus far has been a piece of cake compared to last time. To be completely honest, we probably could have left the day after surgery. But I have to admit...I definitely did not mind having an extra couple of days to relax at the hotel and have other people take care of me for a change. I am so very grateful for my husband and mother-in-law who made this trip seem like an actual vacation. I am a busy girl on the go and it is not very often that I am able to just relax and take it easy. I almost forgot how nice it is to just not do anything. To not have to worry about going to work, making money, paying the bills, making sure the house is clean, that the dog has been fed, that I called so and so back. For the first time in a while, it was just about me me me. Was I comfortable? Was I feeling okay? Did I have enough to eat? Was there anything I needed? I must say that I was loving all of the extra attention I was getting from my husband and was a tiny bit disappointed that this mini-vacay was coming to an end. The stress in preparing for this revision surgery had put some strain on me and my husbands relationship, to say the least, and I feel that this trip helped restrengthened our bond. It gave me the reassurance that I am not alone in thing. That I have a partner for life.

While I had enjoyed these lazy days, I was anxious to get home and back into the swing of things. However, I had been so wrapped up in, well, me-time, that I completely forgot we were flying Southwest Airlines and had to check into our flight 24 hours in advance in order to ensure that we had a decent boarding position. Luckily, my husband had also, surprisingly, thought of this and woke up early to check us in and print our boarding passes. We ended up in the "B" boarding group which was okay, but did not guarantee that I would be able to find a window seat on the right side of the plane (so I could rest my head without putting pressure on my left ear).


My husband sensed my anxiety about this (partially because I was not so discreet about it), so after we checked in and got settled at the gate, he ventured to customer service to see what he could do. He explained to them that I had just gotten surgery and requested that we be one of the first to board the plane so I would be able to find a comfortable seat. They agreed and gave him a little blue envelope that we were to present upon boarding.

As promised, we were the first passengers to board the plane. We took the first available seats that we laid eyes on; right in the front row which mean lots of space, leg room, and a window to lay my head against (my poor husband took the middle seat). I popped a pain pill and off we went. I had been worried that ascending and descending would make my ears pop, which, I could only imagine would be a very unpleasant experience. Fortunately, I slept baby the whole two and a half hours. If my ears were popping during the flight, I did not seem to notice!

I woke up as the flight attendants were making their final rounds. I was so groggy and in a haze that I almost forgot that my parents would be meeting us in Denver. Their plane had arrived about 20 minutes before us and we had planned to meet up with them at baggage claim. I cannot tell you how nice it was to see them. There is nothing in the world like having your mom there to take care of you and get you settled.   

The first thing I said when I saw my mom was, "we HAVE to do something about my hair." At this point, it had not been washed for 5 days!! I have very thin and straight hair, so, as you can imagine, it had become stringy and greasy real quick. I normally cannot go more than a day without showering! My parents laughed, and said they would help me take care of it tomorrow. Everyone was tired from a long day of traveling. 

While my parents and I collected our bags, Fraser went to get our car from the long term parking lot. After a 30 minute car ride, we were FINALLY home. Ahh... There is really no place like home! 

As my husband and I laid in bed that evening, we both felt as if some weight had been lifted off our shoulders. The worst was over and we had made it through yet another roadblock in our lives. And to our surprise, we were still alive, standing tall, with big smiles on our faces. While life seems almost impossible at times, the strength we gain from these experiences are irreplaceable. They help mold us into who we are as individuals as well as in our relationships with others. I know one day I will look back on this and realize just how strong it made me and nothing will seem impossible anymore.