A Truly Great Day

With the exception of my abrupt, extremely painful wake-up at 3am after failing to monitor my painkiller intake during my Valium-induced sleep (these back spasms of mine are no joke), today was a pretty perfect day.

After that painful back incident in the early morning hours, my mom and Will both stayed up all night, helping me keep on track with my meds, and giving me back rubs and foot rubs and shoulder rubs and hand rubs until about 8am. I was in such a state of bliss that I actually hummed, laughed, and sang (Andrea Bocelli, no less) while sleeping peacefully.

Dr. Sugarbaker entered my room at about 8:45am, checked my NG tube (which showed no backup of liquids in my gut) and within minutes, one of his residents had pulled out the dreaded, beastly thing. Goodbye, NG tube!! Although the Sugarbaker NG tube was leagues better than the standard one I endured at Good Samaritan, I was VERY happy to see it go. With it went the phlegm I'd been coughing up for days and any feeling of distress. The NG tube was gone and, as I told a grinning Dr. Sugarbaker, I was a new woman.

I slept even better after that. Hours later, my Foley catheter was removed (the one that collects my pee) and I was truly free. Besides the fluids I'm getting from my IV, which is painlessly plugged into my Portacath, I am totally tubeless. I can't even express how gratifying this is.

I took long strolls down the halls today, reveling in the brilliant, unobstructed feeling of walking unattached. No breathing tubes, no Jackson-Pratt drains, no chest tubes, no huge needle in my neck, no NG tube, and no Foley catheter. Bliss.

Mary Ellen, who gave me a cleansing acupuncture session yesterday, stopped by to check on me and as we discussed our next appointment back home in L.A. I started to realize that this part of my cancer-killing journey, the hardest part, was largely behind me. Double bliss.

My cousin Vivian and her daughters Erika and Erin came to visit today, along with my sweet dog, Winston. I haven't seen the love in 10 days and was SO excited to see him. I'm pretty sure the feeling was mutual - he gave me about two thousand extra-loving licks, and rested peacefully and happily in my arms. Triple bliss.

Erika gave me a wonderful gift - her classmates (the wonderful third grade class at Woods Academy, a great group that I met with just before my surgery), made me a "WunderGlo" banner with their painted hands along the border of it. Erika and Erin also got me a sweet stuffed animal named Love Bug, who is already one of my favorite cuddling buddies. Hanging out with my family and friends (which also included my nurses, my mother-in-law Carol, sis-in-law Marie, buddy
Junior) AND Winston lifted my spirits and made me feel like a million bucks.

I got back to my room just in time to be informed that my clear liquid diet (broth, jello, clear juice, tea) would begin tomorrow, but I could indulge in sips of my favorite drinks today. Chamomile tea never tasted so good.

After I caught up with dozens of friends via text and email, I took a delicious nap, all bundled up in a Duke blanket my friend Mike and his mom bought for me, and awoke to my friend Andrea, my three nurses, and
the Duke basketball game. The Blue Devils picked up a solid win at Miami tonight, a fitting birthday present for Coach K.

And now, I'm relaxing, winding down after a great day, thanking my body for its continued progress, and looking forward to some veggie broth and vegan jello for breakfast. I'm a very, very happy camper.

Always Pushing

A little pooped (no, i haven't pooped yet, don't get excited) after a long day, so I can't write much tonight. I am happy, however, to report the following:

* each of my walks around the halls gets longer and faster and easier
* despite the current pain I'm experiencing in my ribs and back, I'm getting stronger and feeling more like my old self (just a sweeter, new cancer-free version of myself) by the minute
* Music should be credited, in part, for my rapid recovery. Drake and Lil' Wayne specifically helped me power through those moments when my drains and chest tubes were being removed. Old school Jackson 5
inspired me during my late night walk around the halls tonight. Moby helps me fall asleep after waking up in the middle of the night with an achy back.
* My sense of smell is freakishly acute these days.
* I dream about 20 times a day. Little, realistic, hilarious dreams.
* Tomorrow, with a bit of luck, I'll be rid of this dreaded NG tube.
* Tomorrow, I get to see my sweet pup, Winston!! So excited to reunite with my son.

Thanks again for all of your daily support. Your love and well wishes are like rocket fuel to me.

Big Things Happening at Washington Hospital Center

First of all, I was called the "best patient ever" from not one but two Washington Hospital Center nurses. The teacher's pet in me is very pleased.

Secondly, my last chest tube and last Jackson-Pratt drain were pulled out of me today. Could they possibly hurt more than yesterday's snake-pulling challenge? Yes. But let's not dwell on that. Let's focus on the fact that I'm almost totally tubeless and on the fast track to a record- speed recovery!

Took some very long walks today despite reeling from the pain of those tube removals, and had fun chatting up all my lovely visitors (my Duke bud Junior, my mother-in-law Carol, my sis-in-law Marie, and my Stanford pal Andrea). Spent a great rest of the day with my three nurses. With such a great support structure, it's hard not to bounce back quickly. Can't wait to see my doggie, Winston, soon - I think I'm up for a long walk down to the hospital lobby to visit my pup soon, don't you?

Pain is Weakness (and 14 inch Jackson-Pratt drains) Leaving the Body

So as part of the pick-it-out-pour-it-in surgery, I had five Jackson-Pratt drains inserted into my abdomen. These puppies wind around my gut, are at least 12 inches of tubing each, and allow for any excess fluid to be cleverly caught in egg-shaped rubber cups.

I had three of these bad boys taken out today, and holy moly, people, I never knew pain before today.

First, imagine little snakes living in your body. But they live in five cans. The top of each can appears on the surface of your abdomen in a circular shape. To get the snakes out, the top has to be carved out of
your skin, then the dude removing the snakes (in my case, my boy Dave the Physician's Assistant) has to pull them out. He grabs the head of the snake, pulls as far he can, then uses his other hand to pull out even more snake, and so on. Until the pain is CRAZY but the snakes are gone, baby, gone.

Within hours of getting four massive holes in my body (I'm not even going to mention the chest tube taken out of my left side because it was hilariously easy compared), your pal WunderGlo hit the hospital hallways and walked farther than ever before. An hour after that, she walked even farther.

Cancer, the snakes I use to obliterate you may cause a bit of a sting (to say the least), but you're dead, dipped in paraffin wax, being analyzed in a lab, and have no trace of your idiotic self in my body. And you never will again.

Major Progress Today, at the hospital and at Cameron Indoor Stadium

Today, I got one of my five Jackson-Pratt drains pulled (JP drains are pretty gross and are lodged in my abdomen, and pulling out the drain consisted of no local anesthetic and a genuine, actual sensation of flesh tearing). I also took my first two walks down the hallway of 2 NW (the Sugarbaker wing of Washington Hospital Center), holding onto my belly, lugging all my attachments around, and feeling the pain in my back and ribs loud and clear.

But you know what? I made progress and it felt fantastic. No small thing like this slightly-battered, massive surgery-fresh body is going to hold me back from moving forward! Always moving forward, always showing cancer who's boss, always staying focused.

And then, my Blue Devils played our biggest and only rivals, the UNC Tarheels (I like to call them Tarholes). Nolan Smith played the game
of his career, and led Duke to victory after coming back from a 14-point halftime deficit.

You never question the odds or worry about losing when champs are involved. Because champs aren't worried about losing. They are concerned with making progress.

Much love to Coach K and my Blue Devils for continuing to keep this lionheart's lion heart inspired and focused on nothing less than success.