Colon Resect, Aisle 3

I drank the watered down tomato soup, and ate the orange sherbet yesterday.

Huge thick juicy hamburgers, hot dogs with grill stripes and brats plumped to bursting from the heat filled a lap tray on the patio table. The husband was grilling. 
 A platter held lettuce, thin sliced tomatoes and purple onion slices. Chibatta bread had been buttered and arranged on the grill to crisp it up and dinner was served. Baked beans, and a huge bag of potato chips rounded out the meal. I tried not to look.

I slipped into the kitchen and sat at the counter eating directly from the orange sherbet container. All mine. I could do this because nobody else would be eating Sherbet.

Our day ended with the husband playing with the 5yr old and the 9 year old and the remote controlled helicopter after dark.  The blue and red lights on the helicopter pinpointed where they were in the back yard.

I was up early yesterday morning. Rob made his appearance a few hours later. He mixed up some power drink stuff and headed for Planet Fitness. The little ones were now up and borrowed into the sofa cushions beneath blankets watching cartoons. Gradually everyone else start drifting in from the bedrooms. Carrie has spent the night. I bought in the mesh recliner from the patio and tilted it back flat, put a pillow and a blanket on it for her and placed it at the foot of my bed. She slept in it until she had to have a potty break. The husband was up. I went to check on Carrie. She was in the king size bed beneath the covers where she had returned after her bathroom break.

Soon she joined everyone else in the living room. Carrie requested milk.  That milk was spewed over the living room floor and down the hall. It's inevitable. A house full of guests and clean up on aisle 3.

I herded her to the bathroom while I did a quick clean up on the floor. Being the nurse that I am, I noted it was just curdled milk she had expelled. No temperature was noted while I rinsed her hair and reassured her she would be alright.
I always feel so vulnerable and alone when I have a regurgitating episode and I assume others feel the same way. It's such an "out of your own control"  and sudden thing to do.

April appeared after my frantic call. Carrie is not well, cleaning up vomitus and breakfast help needed. She arrived shortly.

Sausage gravy and biscuits were served. For a crowd, it's easier then frying up individual egg orders, bacon grease everywhere and it's a "eat when ready" meal. Everyone had their own agenda from some that didn't like to eat before 1000hrs to those returning from the gym later and those that weren't interested in breakfast at all.

By now it is close to 1400 hrs. April loaded up everybody 18yrs old and under and chaperoned them to a movie while Wanda, Rob, me and the husband boarded the Dodge train and headed to Avery Island, home of the Tabasco Factory.

Daily tours, done every 20 minutes was our destination. I had to be home for my Mag Citrate experience so time was at a premium.

Where is a gecko when you really want one. Usually the walls of the patio and the carport are covered with the little critters. Carrie and I slink away from this as much as possible. The 5yr old and the 10 yr old wanted to see geckos. I tried to tell them it was so darn cold here now that they were in their thermals and snuggled down in the attic.

They looked and looked. The hunt was on. Their grandmother Wanda, the fearless bug hunter went to the little house in the back yard and started searching. We now have 7 of them in Folgers coffee containers parked on the patio. Grass that has been saturated in water and placed in the containers supply their moisture. Safari Wanda will be on the hunt for bugs to feed them to keep them alive. I'm so grateful for a girl grandchild. I don't do well with boys, bugs and crawly critters.

It is now time for me to shower and dress. The alarm is set for 0600 for the ones accompanying me to the hospital. Fidel and Wanda from this house and April will join us too.

The first thing I wanted to do this morning was brew a pot of coffee. I'm NPO this morning and I have to be at the hospital at 0730. Morning meds is all I can have with a sip of water. I don't know where I am on the surgery schedule but I hope I'm "first call".

Friends phoned last night to wish me well. I was so surprised when Claudia called from Iowa. It has only been 30 yrs since we've seen each other! Denise from Casper, Wyoming called too. These are friends from the past that are always in our thoughts. Distance doesn't seem to matter.

I promise Kathy..I will get back to you as soon as I can. Skype is the word sis!

I'm off to get a quick shower before everyone else is cued out of bed by their alarm clocks. I will put on a pot of coffee for them.