Back to the grind...

Well, i've returned to work. This is surprisingly exciting considering the fact that I don't enjoy my job all that much. Its just nice to be back out in the world.

I'm going to stop posting updates on my recovery status now. I'm not back to 100%, but i'm far enough along that you can go ahead and assum i'm alright. In the future, look for only happy updates about mine and bobby's wild adventures and the crazy things british people say/do.

Once again, thanks for all of the love and support!!!

Laura Update

Many people have been asking for an update on my post-surgery progress, sorry I haven't been blogging more often, but the truth is that there's not much to say.

I actually don't feel like i've made much progress since i've gotten home.  I'm still AMAZINGLY tired all the time.  Its hard for me to stand or walk for longer than about 2 minutes.  I'm making progress on small things: for example, I can now get out of bed and off the couch by myself, even when i'm laying down completely (something I couldn't do when I got home from the hospital), also, I sleep less which I think might be a good sign.  

We actually had a little scare last weekend when my wound decided to spontaneously burst open.  Thankfully, bobby was home, because I just went into a state of complete shock.  I think I said "oopsie" and then just stood there while stuff started flowing out of me.  Bobby called 999 (aka 911) and after a quick trip by ambulance to the ER, I was all bandaged up and back home in about an hour.  It turns out that this actually happens quite often (according to the ER surgeon) and isn't a big deal.  And now, a nurse comes to my house every other day to change the bandages and clean the wound!!  Gotta love that socialized healthcare.  I do have to say however, and bobby agrees, that this was the single scariest experience of my life.   

So, that whole incident set me back a bit (i'm in more pain now than I was before while my wound re-heals) but hopefully this week will bring me more forward progress. 

I know its normal to have good days and bad days, and I know that recovery is a slow process, but I have to say that i'm getting very frustrated.  I'm so ready to just be healthy and "normal" (as normal as I can be now) and get back into the world, and its hard to just sit here all day doing nothing.  Luckily, my body is forcing me to take it slow since it's physically impossible for me to leave the flat!

If you have any good ideas for wasting hours every day, let me know!  DVDs are getting boring, as is reading and i'm avoiding doing the work that my boss sent me!

I'm home!!

Hi everyone!

It's a few days later than we had hoped, but i'm finally home from the hospital!  I'm feeling amazingly well considering what my body has been through in the last 2 weeks.  

Thanks for all the well wishes, cards, presents, and everyone who participated in the Wellness Brigade!!!!  I can't even begin to describe how much these meant to me.  I'll continue to look at them all over the next few weeks while i'm home finishing my recovery. 

I still have a long road ahead of me, but for the first time in nearly 3 years i'm not in pain or worrying about going to the bathroom- and that is an AMAZING feeling.  

Thanks again for all of your support- and especially to Bobby and my parents, without who's help I never would have been able to get through all of this.  Even at 25, having them sit by my bed while I slept was amazingly comforting.   

Update - Close to the finish line

Laura has been doing so well the past week. There were some minor issues, but she's taken it all day by day and is ready to get out of hospital and begin her recovery at home.

We're hoping that she'll be coming home on Monday or Tuesday.

I want to give a HUGE thank you to Laura's parents for coming out during the difficult past two weeks. They have been an enormous help, not only being there for Laura, but also helping me not go completely crazy while all of this has been going on.

Hopefully we'll have a final "Laura is out of hospital and watching Futurama episodes on the laptop in her own bed" post coming up in the next day or two.

Surgery Update: Recovery in Progress

Laura has been doing very well in hospital since the surgery. There were a few rounds of pain management, but now that's all covered and she's been making great leaps forward.

It is really exciting to see her bright and full of excitement, ready to get healthy and out of that rather dreary place. Not only that, but the concept of no longer being sick is just starting to sink in. For someone who has dealt with this disease for so long, already having a day (even in a hospital bed) where she's no longer in pain is a monumental step towards being 100% again.

Thanks for everyone who's been supportive and sending in get well messages. If you haven't put up a picture on the Wellness Brigade, it's not too late. Send them my way and I'll be sure to get them up and ready for Laura to see.

Hopefully it'll be just a few more days before Laura is walking around and then on her way back home to recover in her own flat (with her own personal butler of course).

Surgery = Done!

Laura is out of surgery and on the road to recovery.

It was a very long day of surgery, and a very long day of waiting to hear what was happening. I got to see Laura just after midnight tonight.

We've all had a very, very tiring day and are getting as much rest as we can (Laura included).

More to follow I'm sure. Thanks for all of the well wishes.

Wellness Brigade To The Rescue!

Tomorrow is the big day. Laura's at hospital now and prepping for her surgery tomorrow morning. It'll be a long day of waiting around tomorrow, but in the end Laura will emerge victorious!

I'd just like to say thank you to everybody for sending get well messages her way. Along those lines, if you weren't part of the original email list, I'd like to announce the official launch of the Wellness Brigade (http://www.LauraWellnessBrigade.com).

(A special thanks to everyone who has already submitted pictures for the Wellness Brigade.)

This concept was born out of the brilliant mind of Jacob to help give Laura a taste of just how much her friends and family back home are thinking of her and wishing her well.

If you want to contribute, please email me (harwig [at] gmail [dot] com) with your submissions. As you can see from the site, you're welcome to string together multiple pictures into a super-get-well-soon message if you're feeling clever.

I will update again tomorrow evening after the surgery.

A Note from Laura

As some of you already know, I have been battling a gastrointestinal disease for over 3 years now.  I have finally decided to have surgery to take care of the problem once an for all.  While it is a major operation and will mean tons of painful recovery time, I am very excited about the idea of feeling healthy again and getting my life back.  

I saw my doctors last Thursday (the 8th) and they checked me into the hospital because I was experiencing some of the more severe side effects of my disease (like anemia).  I was already in the process of planning my surgery, but it was not scheduled until March.  While in the hospital, I met with the surgical team again and they decided that the date should be moved forward.  I will now be having my operation next Thursday (the 22nd).  After spending 5 days in the hospital (and getting my blood levels topped back up thanks to all the fabulous blood donors out there), the doctors decided that it would be alright for me to go back home and wait for the surgery (I was having a hard time dealing with being in the hospital emotionally and there wasn't really anything they could do for me there anyways other than watch me and wait).  

So, I will be home until Tuesday the 20th at which point i'll go back for surgery prep and the actual operation.  I should be in the hospital for 7-10 days post-op and then home from work for 4-6 weeks after that while I recover.  

I am nervous about the operation, but I know its the right decision for me and I really have complete faith in my doctors.

Bobby has, of course, been amazing about all of this and by my side through the whole thing.  My parents are also coming out to be here for the surgery and the week or so following, so I have lots of support.

Thanks to you for all of your love and well wishes.  Bobby will put updates on the blog about how the surgery goes and my recovery.

Love you all!

Laura