This time has been so long anticipated, it's almost like a joke to be honest. When I went in for my doctor's appointment last Wednesday, it was the LONGEST day of my life..
Mom & I didn't sleep the night before (as usual per our usual Tuesday night routine unfortunately), for some reason, the nights before we drive down to Charleston for my group therapy sessions, nether one of us sleep very well, or at all, it's insane..nerves or something. Needless to say, by the end of this day we were EXHAUSTED!! We "woke up" at 5:30ish, did our morning routines, & were out the door by 6:20 & on the road..by the time we got to Charleston it was nearing 9:45 & my sessions start @ 10:00 & last until 11:30. This was my LAST session of required Pain Management group therapy, which I was excited & sad about, because I have started to appreciate the therapy & the cause of the group & I truly like the psychologist running the group. Unfortunately, a good friend that I had met in group, had to miss this week, due to being hospitalized the day prior at MUSC, and I was the only one *in GROUP therapy* so it was very interesting doing a group therapy being the only one there with the psychologist & the medical student...we improvised a lot..but it worked out and I graduated!! ;-) After that I went to see my friend for a little while, and then headed to my doctors appointment with my surgeon..Scheduled for 12:15(I got out of group early being the only person in there) An hour passed, then two, then almost three before we were called in to an exam room...after that we waited another HOUR before seeing my surgeon..YES, it was AFTER 4PM before seeing my surgeon, and my appointment was for 12:15(you are reading the times correctly!!) Then it was all a roller coaster, consent forms for surgery here, trial consent forms there, information about this here, nutrition before surgery there, THREE immunizations all at the same time.. it was insane!!! It was all happening at once. When people tell you everything happens at once, it truly does!! It's like everything gets put on hold hold hold, & then they take the hold button off & everything flies off the handle BAM! lol We didn't leave the office until well after 5:30, we had to stop on the road a few times, just to stretch our legs & get some fresh air; it was a LONG day guys!; by the time we got home, it was nearing 12ish.. WHAT a long day that was.. Mom & I were exhausted.. When I told you in the beginning it was a LONG day, I wasn't kidding! haha ;-) Thank god for getting us through that horrific day, getting us home safely, & getting us through those 6weeks safely back & forth..Now we have to get through the surgery & the back & forth after.
I will head down to Charleston Tuesday night, with me pre-surgery nutritional supplements in tow, head to the hospital early Wednesday AM, get fasting labs(for my clinical trial), ultrasound & then I'm free until my room is ready, head back once my room is ready, get my central line placed, have more labs drawn & then have the clinical trial drug(Reberaxin) started around 2am. Thursday AM, bright & early I'll go into the OR (I'm told around 5-7 AM) & then I bid my pancreas farewell forever...bittersweet but it unfortunately isn't a choice; it's a situation where it's a "not if but when"
I am anxious about my new lifestyle that I will have to live..what will it be like being a diabetic? Will it be difficult changing my entire lifestyle & diet into a diabetic diet? Will it be difficult having to measure out my foods..(although I do this a little now; it will be extreme after surgery) Will it be difficult giving myself injections of insulin & pricking my fingers every few hours for blood sugars? What will this new lifestyle truly be like?? I pray this won't be a difficult adjustment.
So for now, I ask for prayers for a peaceful next few weeks; to get me through these times of waiting. You know waiting can be a trying time, and I want this time to be as peaceful on myself and my family as possible. I also would like prayers, in advance, but of course the days leading up to & the day of surgery for my surgeon, my big total pancreatectomy with auto islet cell transplantation, the islet cell harvest into my liver to get very smoothly & perfect & NO complications with surgery or post-op complications. This is pre-mature, I know, and I will ask for these prayers again, but beginning my prayers earlier than later means a lot to me. :) Prayer in general is very powerful and I can feel every one of your prayers, I promise you.. I wouldn't have gotten this far in my journey without your prayers and I'll continue to get through this with them. I thank each & every one of you for the prayers that are sent my way and to my families way!!! <3<3
Love you Tiffany!!! Praying for you, the family, and your surgeons!!! If there is anything I can do please call me!!! Hugs and kisses!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!! I promise I'll let you know if there's anything we can do! Love you.
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