Home for How Many More Days?????

Here is the latest update, it is actually the body of an email I sent to my aunt and cousins this morning, but rather than typing the same information again, I figured this would be easiest. Oh, and yeah....I'm not allowed to go back to work until a week from TOMORROW. That's right, 8 more days!!!!

Apparently I have a serious aversion to anesthesia, because while I had absolutely no pain at all, I was severely nauseous most of the time I was in the hospital. I felt like I had to keep pestering the nurses and trying to make them believe me! They kept asking why I didn't use the pain pump, and I told them I didn't need it - I needed anti-nausea medication! Late on Tuesday night they gave me something that seemed to work, but I was still feeling the effects when I got home Friday (the car ride was fun!). I remember very little from the time I got on the operating table on Tuesday until Thursday morning, but apparently the doctor was very pleased with how the surgery went. He said there was very little bleeding. I have seven little incisions, and by little I mean less than a half inch each. They are so little that none of them required stitches; they taped them and then covered them with a waterproof dressing, and they're already healing nicely - except they itch like crazy!
It took a few days to get everything out of my system, and I really didn't start feeling like myself until late Saturday when mom was here. I have been walking at least twice a day since I got home from the hospital, and now I'm up to two miles a day - a mile in the morning and a mile in the evening. I feel great most of the time - except when I eat. That is still a very hard adjustment for me. I have been taking the "New Whey" bullets, we bought the ones that have 42g of protein in them, so I only have to drink half of one at a meal, and that alone about does me in. I've been trying to get in some soup or applesauce or pudding, but even just drinking the protein I have to lay down for about 20 minutes after I eat. I'm really hoping this part gets better - soon! I struggle to get all of my water in, the dr said to work up to 64 oz, and yesterday was the first day that I got 32oz in, which I was very proud of! The doctor did tell me that he made my pouch a little smaller than usual, he said it just worked out that way. I'm not sure what a little smaller means, but it obviously means right now that it can't handle any more than 2oz of liquid protein and 2 spoonfuls of soup! However, all of that being said, I weighed myself this morning and I was down 10.5 lbs from the Saturday before my surgery (the 23rd), so a little over a week.
The no driving thing was fine while dad and mom was here, but it is driving me crazy now. Not that I have anywhere to go really, it is just the thought of relying on someone else. Being out of work is a little of a drag and a little of a blessing. I have realized in the past few days that I am not in love with my job anymore, and that if I didn't have this particular one, I wouldn't be too sad, so that has been eye-opening. I've also realized that I don't want to stay in Kansas City too much longer. It is a great place with great people, but at the end of the day, you can't beat being close to family. When mom left Sunday I lost it. I felt so alone. I know that I am not alone, I have Randall's family and some great friends that are checking up on me and offering to do a lot of things for me, but it's just not the same as family. Its a lot easier to ask my mom to vacuum my floors and my dad to wash my towels than it is a good friend - at least for me!