It sure has been a while since I've posted, huh? Well, back in February I got to go on a cruise!! I know, crazy, right? I went on the cruise with one of my dearest friends, Lorena. Lorena and I met the first week of college (August of 1994) when we were both residents on the same hall at OU. Imagine our surprise when we showed up for church on Sunday and each other was there! Over the years at OU, Lorena came home to Broken Arrow with me many a time and became part of the family. In turn, I went home to the Houston area with Lorena and met aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. I was once the only white person at a Quincenera...I could hear the surprise when I could dance at the Quince, too.... "La alta gringa bailla!!!!" Anyhow, over the years Lorena and I have kept in touch. She has previously discovered the joy of cruising, and she thought I needed to discover it as well. So, we planned a 5 day cruise. GLORIOUS!!!! I'll admit, at the end of day 3 I did break at the phone to look at pictures of my child. But, as we were packing up I thought "I could handle a few more days of this." I was actually really sick when we took off on the cruise, I'd had to have two bags of IV fluid the day before we left & the Dr. had told me to stick to a bland diet. UH....don't think that'll happen on a cruise ship. I absolutely loved cruising! I loved lying out on the deck getting some sun, the yummy food, the different ports we went to....I loved getting to be an adult & not a mom. I even cut loose! I did a little crazy dance on the pier in Progreso, shook my groove thang a little. 
After my cruise, I had surgery. What?? They cut you open, Shandolynne? Why- yes, they did. On March 5 I had a panniculectomy. You may ask what that is. Basically, they cut my hangy tummy off. After 5 hours of surgery, the Dr. had removed more than 21 lbs of skin. As he said to my mom "No wonder her back was hurting!" I did spend one night in the hospital, for pain control. It was odd to be the patient. The techs came in the next morning and asked to give me a bed bath. It was actually an internal moral dilemma for me.....there was a student there and who was I to deny her a learning experience?? And I'd be easy- I could move myself, etc. Anyhow, I had 2 JP drains, which were inserted on the pubic....mound, if you will. 
I had, and still have an elastic binder which I must wear, except when I shower. I could not shower for 17 days. That was horrible. 
This is me right now. I have edema going on, since the 2nd drain fell out and was still putting out about 200 mL of fluid a day. So, I am waiting for the edema to go away, which feels like it never will. But, I know that when I can begin work as an RN, I won't have this surgery looking me in the eye & hopefully my back will hold up!!
