I didn't end up doing much of anything yesterday, except a big exciting trip to the grocery store. It was well after noon before I finally gathered enough motivation, and I still didn't feel like seeing anyone, so I did my best to disguise myself with my glasses and a baseball cap. I took a long afternoon nap but for some reason, could not fall asleep last night. Maybe it was a little anxiety and a little bit of having enough sleep, but I watched A&E till midnight. Hoarders and addicts are so disturbing, yet so entertaining.
This morning was my final post-op appointment. I've had four in two weeks, so I'm glad to be done with doctors appointments for a while. I saw Dr. S. He noted that I was without my bodyguard, and I informed him that yes, I am now driving on my own. I also told him I was headed to work after the appointment, and he was glad to hear that I'm getting back to my life. I'm getting used to physicians dictating their notes while I'm in the room. At first, I thought it was awkward because they kind of look at you when making a comment about swelling or something, but I know from working in health care that this is just another step toward making health care safer. If he mentioned something about North Adams or IBS (like my primary care physician did - she thought I had IBS instead of GERD, an ulcer, and gastroparesis), I would hear him and be able to immediately correct him. Anyway, his notes included my improved appearance and the reduced swelling. He then sprayed my nostrils with lidocaine and proceeded to have a look using some sharp scope, or maybe it only felt sharp because the insides of my nose are still really sensitive. All of the crusty, bloody junk is gone, and he said it's perfectly normal that I still pass at least one clot while rinsing with my NetiPot. He also told me I must continue to use distilled or previously boiled water with my NetiPot. I didn't think this was such a big deal for a healthy person - I knew enough to ask Dad to get me a gallon of distilled water when Dr. S gave me the OK to start rinsing - but Dr. S says never to use tap water or even filtered water. Alrighty then. I only have to do this 3-4 times a week now instead of twice daily. I'll admit it makes me feel so much better but it's like using nasal spray - you don't want your body to start relying on it.
I see both Dr. C and Dr. S in six weeks (separate appointments, of course). I am getting a flu shot on Thursday so that I can hopefully avoid any additional sick days this year. My endocrinologist in Florida didn't let me get a flu shot the last two years because my Graves was not adequately controlled and he was in the 50% of endocrinologists who believe a flu shot's risks outweigh the benefits in patients with severe Graves. I always had a flu shot in years past because of working in health care, and I do recall getting pretty sick not this past winter but the winter before, so I think I will benefit this year.
Speaking of winter, I literally slept through the transition from summer weather to fall weather. Fall officially began the weekend before my surgery, but it was still really warm. Since I hardly recall anything between September 26 and October 1, I was amazed last Thursday while riding home from my post-op with Dr. C to see that all the trees in our neighborhood were beginning to lose their leaves, all in vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow. It's gorgeous, and I'm blessed to be able to experience what thousands of people drive to New England to see. And as almost everyone knows, I hate the heat. I always liked New England weather but at first, I loved Florida's "winters" and 11-month summers. Then, I got sick, and with my Graves came my extreme heat intolerance. I literally sweat walking from my car to the grocery store in the winter, so we won't even get into the months of upper 80s and 90s. The heat actually had a lot to do with me moving back to Massachusetts, where it has been anything but warm lately. I actually turned my heat on for a little while this morning while I was getting ready. Anyway, if it's ever nice again (read: sunny and not rainy), I will take some photos of our gorgeous fall foliage.
Work today was OK. I spent the first 30 minutes getting the lowdown from my co-worker K. I missed all sorts of drama and disappointing news about raises (or lack there of) and increased responsibilities. It's so disheartening. I spent the rest of the day going through 400+ emails, most of which were deleted, and then I just tried to tackle the most pressing issues. My eyes were so tired by noon (I got in at 10) and my back was aching by 1. I guess I haven't sat upright very often in the past two weeks, and to make matters worse, my feet don't reach the floor at work so I sit with poor posture. If I didn't, my feet wouldn't be able to hold steady on the floor and my rolly chair would roll me right out of my office door and down the stairs, because our office is an old house with horribly uneven floors. So my back gets screwed. Boss and D returned from a meeting around noon and so I went downstairs to greet them. Boss was floored by how good she kept saying I looked. I guess she was expecting my description of how I looked when we spoke last week. I showed everyone my Days 1-13 photos, and they couldn't believe how quickly the bruises faded and the bloody eye healed. I don't think it was quick at all - it's been a LONG two weeks - but the worst is behind me and I'm so so so happy with the results.
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