Busy, Busy, Busy

I have never been so busy as I have the past few weeks. On Tuesdays I see my surgeon in the wound clinic for him to monitor my progress. I had a wound vac put on for three weeks and it came home this week. Progress! The wound remains about four or so inches long and about an inch deep. It started out about eleven inches long with a depth of over 2 1/2 inches so this IS progress but it's been slow. About three days a week a visiting nurse comes to change the dressing, listen to my lungs and check my vitals.

I had learned a few weeks ago that my bottom right lung was still partially collapsed from the surgery.
This Tuesday an xray showed that the sack surrounding my lungs once again has fluid in it This is an ongoing battle that I fight. Very frustrating No matter how little salt I eat, no matter how diligent I am with the medications to remove fluid, it still accumulates. When it does I am short of breath and to walk a short distance is somewhat taxing. The solution becomes having the fluid removed via a large needle. This is not something one wants to happen. I feel I am a lung expert by now. Ignorance IS bliss when it comes to this stuff.

It's been rather hot here. I am finally starting to drive short distances. I can't lift over 5 pounds so things like grocery shopping are out of the question. My pain is less than it was but I do have pain at times. Going up the stairs has to be very slow. I think the swelling has gone down some. I am wearing my regular clothes but they sometimes don't feel comfortable.

Rob has off four days for the fourth of July. Woohoo. The bad thing is that Monday is my birthday and he can't take that day off or he won't get paid for the two holiday days. We're going to have to celebrate on Sunday. Yesterday started out to be a terrible day: FIOS went out at 8:30 a.m. That meant no phone, internet or tv as I waited for my visiting nurse to arrive at 10:30. At about ten I showered and I had to remove the dressing and packing (ugh). The nurse was running late and I just had gauze over the wound.
My sister-in-law Leslie showed up (what a wonderful surprise!) with her daughter Jamie. I have such beautiful nieces. Leslie had made me a bean salad that was so delicious, a Guy Fieri recipe. When the nurse later arrived she had a machine that was problematic and I had to go to the cardiologist for a PT (blood test). I got home and got a nice delivery of Omaha Steaks (and pork chops, chicken etc.) sent by my generous and loving cousins in Maryland. It turned out to be a great day. Our FIOS didn't come back until ll:30 last night though. How did we ever live without the internet? Thank God for cell phones.