Skeleton Pictures!

Happy Halloween!

I had my first post-op office visit today and that means I came home with nifty skeleton pictures to share. The office visit went well and everyone was pleased with how things are turning out. The nurse removed the tape covering the incision (yay for nurses who understand about approaching a sensitive back and picking at it) and while I haven't looked at it yet, it sounds like it's healing well and the scar is going to be pretty inconspicuous. With the new x-ray, Dr. Williams thinks they may have corrected the curve even more than he thought when they discharged me. I also have authorization to drive and wear my waist-cincher. Look out world!!

I'm using the holiday as a reason not to put these behind a cut.
First we have the before/after you've all been waiting for:

And in profile:


Yes, those are some very large screws in my back. In fact, here's a large up-close picture of my hardware:


And one last larger shot of my back now:

[edited to add: You should be able to see larger versions of the pictures if you click on them (I spent 2 hours screwing with it and when I finally gave up, it worked... ah life) Also, yes, that is Max's collar in the profile x-ray. It's missing from the facing x-ray because I had to pull it up over my face and suspend it on my ample ears to keep it out of the way.]

...One Step Back

I've been making lots and lots of forward motion the last week or so. It was time for me to have a small step back. That doesn't make it any easier.

The forward progress has been great. I'm down to one or two pain pills per day (compared to 8-10 when I first got home). I'm pretty darn mobile and surprisingly self-sufficient when I need to be. I still ask for help on things to save my stamina, but if I had to stay home alone for 24 hours, I think I could do it. I've been able to reclaim a few more of the playful and intimate things I like to do with my partners (no orgasms for me yet, but that's a different post). I'm even hoping to take a field-trip to a corn maze with Russell and Kaylee (who've never been to one) on Friday.

Tuesday I was feeling like I'd gotten complacent--less focused on actively improving my health--and wanted to get back on the focused track so I set a couple goals. They were pretty simple; prepare and eat a good breakfast, get showered and out for a walk before noon, spend more time writing thank you cards and less time idly web surfing.

I woke up Wednesday morning irritable and sore, but I went to bed with goals for the day so pushed ahead. Breakfast--check. Shower--clumsy and slower than usual, but check. Out for a walk--at the turtle's pace of two weeks ago and the pain in my back was a lot more acute (like someone had hit me with a bat or pipe right across the spine just below the ribcage--it hurt to exhale). The rest of the goals for the day went right out the window. New plan: be still, rest, try to get feeling better before company showed up at 6:00.

It more or less worked. I had a friend from work drop by with pizza and really enjoyed chatting with her. But when our game-night friends showed up and I was already starting to fade (not that I would admit that to anyone). As the night progressed I became less mobile and less vertical, but I was enjoying having people and something to do so much I wasn't about to give in. Sure, today was a backwards step when considered with the last week, but they didn't have to know that. I was still capable of fun conversation even if I wasn't hopping up to be the hostess with the mostess.

Only now it's 4AM and despite the pain pills that usually make me drowsy I'm wide awake and dreading trying to sleep. I'm afraid to move my body and tweak that spot again. But I know with some more quality rest and a little distance from the really bad pain I can start moving forward again tomorrow. So here goes...

3-weeks Post-op

It's been a week since the last post. I feel like I should get something up here so y'all don't forget about me.

In physical healing news: I continue to get better in teeny tiny increments each day. I walk a little farther, squat to the floor a little more often, sit up a little longer, accomplish more without assistance, and take a little less pain medication.

In emotional health news: I'm not doing too bad. I do much much better when I have company over, but even when I'm by myself I manage to avoid the giant pits of despair most of the time.

In coping news: I'm still working on having a set of alternative activities I can do on my own that occupy my idle brain but don't wear me out, produce useless junk, or lead to unhealthy thought habits. Reading books and meditation both seem like logical answers here, but the reading disability puts a damper on the first and I have yet to find the proper muzzle for my inner perfectionist to allow me to meditate without an outside guide. I think I want something crafty to do, but I just can't seem to justify creating mostly-useless stuff.

Attitude Adjustment

Appreciation, Gratitude, and Happy Happenings:
(small note: There is so much fantastiness going on in my life that I'm not likely to remember all of everything I want to say. If you were part of some wonderfulness that did not get mentioned, please understand that it's likely because it's late and not because it wasn't as wonderful as everything else listed. k thanks)

• The obvious first order of gratitude is that there is so much to be thankful for I'm certain of my inability to record it all here tonight.
• The last two nights I've been able to share my bed with someone and feel skin touching my skin as I drift off to sleep.
  
• Russell: who is here nearly all the time, who never grumbles when I call him in from another room to move this thing or that thing 4 inches , who has an endless supply of head kisses for me, who does a very good job of being aware of and taking care of himself in all this too, who provides me with yogurt and eggos and tasty sandwiches, who reads me stories, who walks me around the block, who worries so quietly and cheers so loudly, who loves me very very deeply
  
• Autumn: who makes me cry (in the good way), who adjusts the world with a few words, who walks me to the bagel shop, who makes the tastiest pie ever,
  
• A.: who helps out all over the place, who shuttles laundry and clears tables, who watches movies and brings grapes, who can help to fix the stuff I'm not talking about without having to talk about it, who declares when it's time to feel accomplished, who already understands why it's so important to be here on a Thursday night
  
• Max: who inspires perma-grin just by making contact, who washes loads of dishes, who reminds me this is all an investment he intends to collect in due time, who takes care of me, who tollerates my stubborn instistance on finding some service task I can still do, who gives me attainable goals, who does things that result in wet pillows, who also loves me
  
• Internet: fetlife, instant messaging, blogging, reaching out and finding people in some of the least expected places.
  
• FMLA sick-leave: feeling confident that I have the money to pay people back for grocery runs and rent, knowing that I will still have a job when I'm well enough to do it again
• I'm still getting better,
  

Whining

I have given myself the next 45 minutes to type out as much whining as my fingers will allow. I'm a listy kind of girl so bring on the bullet points:

• Pain meds: I'm not happy about being dependent on the damn things. It's not just the pain though, it's the grumpy moods and wooseyness. I've weened way down, but I want to be able to switch over to tylenol and deal with the moods in their raw state. My body just isn't ready to do that yet and I'm losing patience.
  
• Moody: I'm a redheaded woman with hormones. Moodiness isn't new, but when combined with everything else it's downright irritating.
• Lonely: I need to do a better job of orchestrating all these offers of help and company. I know y'all are out there, I just can't figure out what barrier to remove so you can come here and hang out with me.
• Getting bored: I'm developing a routine which is nice, but it lacks productivity to it. Trouble is, productivity usually requires deadlines, and deadlines and pain meds just don't mix.
• I want my damned 2-week happy boost! The book and several other sources said 2-weeks is the magic point at which you all-of-a-sudden start feeling better (not perfect but better). Now maybe I'm just running ahead of the game and I had mine on day 6 in the hospital when I all of a sudden took a shower and started wandering around sans walker. I really haven't felt any giant increases in wellness since then. I'm sure there are all kinds of little improvements I'm not noticing cause I'm in this damn body every day, but still... grrr.
• I want to sit at Max's feet again. This, I know, is pure impatience. Max has already found ways to start reclaiming some of our power dynamic. But I'm gnashing at the bit because I want it allllll back right NOW! I want to be able to hop up when he comes to the door and get him a glass of water to drink while I make him coffee and he enjoys sitting in my nice TIDY living room. Then I want to kneel quietly with my head on his knee while he chats with Russell or works on his laptop.
  
• The apartment is a mess and it's driving me crazy! Probably part of the reason I'm not actively inviting more people over is embarrassment about the state of the apartment. Logically this isn't really a problem because y'all understand I can't bend over to pick stuff up, but logic doesn't seem to matter to this emotional part of my brain. I know many of you would happily come over and help me clean, but that just feels weird too. Bah!
• I have officially reached my threshold for feeling needy. This is not a good sign. I have a long way to go before I'm self-sufficient.

This is less than 45 minutes, but I seem to be feeling worse as I type not better so I'm stopping now. I anticipate a gratitude/landmark entry very soon.

The Incision

There are pictures linked in this post, feel free to skip the reading and go straight to the images if you like :)

Four days after surgery, the surgeon came in and removed the dressing covering my incision and the wound drains. (tangent: Wound drains are weird things! They are long tubes sticking out of the incision and attached to little bellows-like boxes that collect all the goo that would otherwise back-up under my skin or mean changing bandages a whole lot more. Even after my catheter came out I had the wound drains for a day or two longer. Because they came detached in several places fairly easily, it was like having a pair of Eeyore tails while trying to get around my hospital room.) My redhead skin was unbelievably sensitive. Literally, unbelievable as far as the surgeon was concerned. He kept saying "I'm just pulling up tape, this shouldn't hurt, I'm not touching anything." The nurse who had seen my skin after the last IV replacement believed me when I cried out and tried to explain it to the surgeon, but to not much avail.

I'm really really glad Max was there in person for this procedure, I know I would have completly fallen apart without him there to hold me and keep me focused. Let me just say it's a damn good thing my doc went into surgery rather than gynocology. At least most of the time his patients are unconscious so it doesn't matter if he warns us about when he's going to touch something sensitive. After the stress of the bandage removal, I was really nervous about the wound drain removal. Having them removed was a tickley sensation, but didn't actually hurt.

Here are two pictures of what the incision looked like right after the bandage removal. The first is a wider shot and a little easier to look at if you squick easily. This second one is more upclose for my detail oriented readers.

You'll notice there are a couple bandages at the base still. Those were there to catch what was left from the wound drains and came off a couple days later (Russell was there for the next round of bandage removal, but neither Russell nor Max were there for the final removal on day 6. It wasn't pretty and I think the surgeon felt kind of bad afterwards. That was a really rough morning.)

I don't have any x-rays to show you just yet, but here is a before/after shot of the outside of my back. Don't click if you don't want to see ouchies on my back! It's behind a link because the before was taken after a pretty intense single-tail scene with Max and my bare butt is featured. Look at my waistline on the right side to see the really dramatic change in my body shape. I'm "standing up straight" in both pictures.

Content-free post

I need this cat right now. Wonder if I can get an ADA waiver on the no-pets rule at the apartment for a cat while I'm in recovery?

Another Recovery Landmark:

I POOPED!!!

Ok, I realize this is really more information than anyone wants, but for those of you considering this surgery, you need to fully comprehend what a HUGE deal this is. Today is the first day since September that I have pooped without the aid of chemicals. And yes, that liberated sensation that we all know about and no one talks about does still accompany the post surgery poo.

In other landmark news:
The first post-surgical load of laundry is done with the aid of two consecutive visitors today. I really enjoyed having both ladies over and welcome more visitors at this time. It seemed pretty obvious to both visitors when my stamina was gone and it was time to go, so no need to worry about keeping me up too long.

Memories of Surgery Day

In less than 12 hours I went from looking like this to looking like this. Here's what I remember about it:
The morning started (as most appointments on this journey have) with a bunch of hanging out in a waiting room. Other patients came in later and went back sooner, but it didn’t bother me all that much because it just meant more time with my family. I can’t say I was in a big hurry to get started honestly. The extra time also gave us all a chance to see that even if my “next of kin” consisted of a group of 4 very important people, the nurses were only going to let one of them come back to the next stage with me. This is a choice I would have liked to be a little more prepared to make, but when it came right down to it, it wasn’t so very difficult. Thankfully I knew there would be no resentment no matter whom I chose.

When the time came, I went back into a pre-op area with Russell where began the unending litany of monitoring my vitals. This is also where I got the hospital gown and was introduced to a nifty new contraption: the hot air blanket—think blanket-shaped paper balloon hooked up to a hairdryer. I met my anesthesiologist (a friendly, practical lady who obviously had horse history), saw my surgeon one last time, and briefly met the circulating nurse. There was, once again, some lag time here so we managed to cycle the rest of my family back one at a time to give me one last good-luck wish. The anesthesiologist poked the first of many IV holes in me and started some relaxation medication before they wheeled me back. Max was the last family member I saw as I went through the doors to the OR.

In the hallway, I was awake just long enough to confirm my suspicions about the anesthesiologist’s horse background. I don’t know why it was such an important observation to me at the time, but it went a long way to helping me feel a little more comfortable knowing we had some kind of shared background. It was REALLY cold in the OR. I was fading fast after the second dose of relaxant, but vaguely recall meeting the Neuromonitoring specialist and the extremely apologetic nature of the nurse as she stuck a bunch of cold electrodes to my torso. I was unconscious before they stuck any more probes in me or hooked me up to the catheter—Thank Heavens! I remember nothing about the surgery.

Waking up was not as smooth a process. I was face-up when I woke up. I remember having full-body chills and shivers. They quickly put a bunch of baked blankets on top of me that seemed to calm things down a little bit. Then I was out for a little while again only coming to when I heard people trying to figure out which room to put me in. My finely tuned “communication error!!” alarms woke me right up. The plan beforehand was that my family would know which room I was assigned and they’d be there waiting for me when I rolled in. When no one was there, my anxiety level went way up. I tried to be patient, figuring someone would go get them quickly, but either my sense of time was off or none of the staff understood my request the first time. I had to throw a first class fit go get someone on staff to go find my people who were waiting and worried about me. This is a part of the process I wish there had been more amnesia drugs to erase.

Speaking of wishing for more amnesia drugs; I wish I could forget how upset my mom was when she saw me. Parents of scoliosis surgery patients really truly should find someplace else to be that first night. Mom wound up staying that night and trading off watching over me with Russell. Do I wish she hadn’t been there? Absolutely not. She did what she’s always done my whole life. Cared for me the best way she could and more than anything else in the world. Do I wish she didn’t have to go through that? Absolutely. I don’t recall all of what I needed from Mom and Russell, but I’m still very glad they were there that night. I just wish it hadn’t been so hard for them.

So, About the Collar

Preface:
Collars are uniquely intimate connections. Even with as open as I try to be here, there's a lot about the collar that will continue to go unspoken on this blog. What I don't want to glaze over though is the fact that making changes on one branch of a poly relationship will almost always have impacts on others. Wearing the collar like this was a big change. The other members of my poly family have given me an amazing gift by choosing the lowest-drama route to dealing with this situational change. I can not say enough how grateful I am for that. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by so many incredible people.

How did Max's collar interact with my surgery and recovery?
First I should start with how I came to be wearing his collar immediately before surgery and during recovery. While Max and I have had a collar-oriented relationship for about a year, this is the first time I'm wearing his collar not in his immediate presence. It's a huge step for both of us, but one we were ready to take when the surgery rolled around.

The Sunday before surgery, we scheduled one last overnight date. As some people might imagine, this “date” quickly turned into a grief and anxiety processing session. Honestly, the nature of the date didn’t surprise us either. After this intense evening, we decided to leave the collar on so I could keep going back to it as a concrete representation of our connection and a source of the same strength and serenity I feel when I’m working hard for him. It worked! The next day at work I could feel it underneath my shirt reminding me to finish or release the last couple tasks on my plate so I could leave early. That afternoon, my massage therapist was a little surprised by the collar, but noted just how much more willing my body was to let go of the tension it’d been holding for the last few months. People all around me were commenting on how calm and centered I seemed given the circumstances.

As helpful as the collar was for my mental and emotional states, it didn't seem like the brightest most practical idea to go in the operating room wearing a chain locked around my neck. Much to my surprise, my surgeon was just fine with the idea. He did however suggest the anesthesiologist might be less flexible about extra stuff hanging around my airway. Rather than deal with back-n-forth the morning of surgery, it just made more sense to take it off in a quiet moment with Max just before heading back and let him put it back on as soon as it made sense to do so afterward.

I don't actually remember when in the sequence of events immediately post surgery Max put the collar back on. The farther I get from that day the blurrier things become. I do remember the power the collar held though, I do remember it linking right in to our connection and opening up to him, I do remember how relieved I felt to be able to push just a little more of my fear and pain back out through those links and into Max's strong hands, I remember feeling just a little more peaceful knowing I didn't have to do it alone anymore.

The collar was also a very practical tool for much of the hospital stay, even when Max wasn't around. It worked like a worry stone that never fell out of reach. I could fiddle and fidget with it when nothing else could distract me from the sensations that moment. Or I could simply tug at it a little and feel Max's hands on my neck holding me and keeping me. I genuinely believe I had more and easier access to the mindset required to get through the tough nights because of his collar around my neck.

Friends and hospital staff took it in stride for the most part. I think I was on my third post-op day before anyone on staff so much as mentioned it actually. Most often I explained that it was a token to help me stay strong and centered. Whether people understand D/s relationships or not, they usually understand tokens and symbols. Every once in a while a vanilla friend would comment and I'd just flat out say "It's Max's collar." Sometimes this knocked them back a pace or two, but my ease with it seemed to spread quickly and calm the situation.

Recovery landmarks to-date:

Because I can't seem to focus long enough to answer any of the questions I posed this morning, and in order to avoid getting lost in the past, I thought I'd post a few recovery landmarks.
Most of these have been achieved through redheaded stubborness more than simply feeling better, but they still count.

• I walked around the block (including the flight of stairs out and back in to my apartment) yesterday.
• I showered in my own tub this morning. This included washing my hair and shaving my arm-pits. The only assistance I needed was to have Russell turn on and adjust the water (because that requires too much bending still) and then dry my back (because the skin is still very numb and I didn't want to risk any of the stitches).
• I traded one dose of prescription pain-killers for extra-strength Tylenol
  
• Immediately after the shower, I walked from my apartment to Table 219 (about a block away) so Russell and I could have brunch with my dad and one of his friends. This included the aforementioned stairs, some busy sidewalks/crosswalks, sitting up in a kind of hard booth for about an hour, and eating more than I've eaten in any one sitting since surgery.
• I pooped (a very small amount and with chemical assistance...but it still counts!)
• I made my own dinner tonight (ok, fine it was Top Ramen but that still meant crouching to get the pot and standing and stirring for a while)

It hasn't been all success and landmarks. Last night and this morning were pretty rough emotionally and I still spend A LOT of time napping and recovering from any of those activities listed above. But for people considering the surgery I think it's important to know that a little more than a week after I'm up and moving and making big progress.

Where to start?

I have some time and energy to put in to detailed posts about surgery, but I'm not sure I have enough to cover all the possible avenues. Below is a list of questions in no particular order that I would have loved to read before jumping in to this whole surgery thing. I'd really like to give quality answers to all the questions, but I probably need to prioritize which questions get answered first. Take a look at the list. What questions/topics interest you the most? What other questions do you have? I thought I could set up a poll on my blog entries, but I guess that's just an LJ thing, so please drop me a comment (anonymously if you like).

1. What do I remember about surgery day and right after waking up (are there any blank spots)?
2. How did/does it feel physically?
3. How did hospital staff deal with the plethora of chosen family cycling through my room?
4. How did wearing Max's collar influence my recovery?
5. How did the rest of my friends and family (much less the hospital staff) react to my wearing his collar in the hospital?
6. What were the peaks and valleys of the hospital stay?
7. What were the coolest things family/friends did for me while I was in the hospital?

The old X-Ray is gone

Unless you're using an RSS reader, you'll note the old x-ray picture in the sidebar is gone. That's because it's not what I look like any more and not what I want people to envision when they think of me post-surgery. Until I get the new set of x-rays to show a before/after set or a really pretty picture of me post-surgery please enjoy this beautiful painting by Ed Martinez showing a woman with a strong defined back getting ready for an evening out. I have a small print of it on my wall in my bedroom to remind me just where all this is going.

Jigity Jig!

I'm home again! I'm doing well in general. In addition to providing the transportation, Puck did a fabulous favor for Russell and I and picked up a few adaptive household items for us so the transition from hospital bed to home was much smoother than it could have been.

I'm still tired and still waiting for a complete bowel movement so good healing thoughts are still very very welcome. And I'm still being lame about replying to previous comments, even though I love getting them. Now that I'm home and getting to drive my own meds/meals schedules I'm hoping to put together a post with a little more about my perspective on the surgery/hospital stay along with some pictures that I'll hopefully be able to post behind a link to protect the squeamish.

First self-post from the hospital

Hi there boys and girls!!!
Day 5 was kind of a wheel-spinning day, but by noon-ish today I was doing much better. I've been up an walking around quite a bit, made a huge trek to the only place in the Swedish complex that still takes films long enough for my surgery.
I'm up and generally perky, but with limited stamina so this is a short post. I'll take time to give individual thanks to comments later, but THANK YOU ALL for all the words of support.

progress with some challenges

(still Russell)

Red is continuing to do better. She had the catheter out and came off the IV fluid/painkiller mix on Saturday, then both wound drains taken out Sunday morning. Keeping food down has been a real problem though, we've been through a few different oral painkillers and anti-nausea meds. Right now she's back on an IV to boost her sustenance a little and carry some more direct anti-nausea med that I didn't catch what it was. She had nothing at all hooked up to her for a bit though, and I'm hoping this one won't be needed for long. She does seem to be keeping down the latest set of painkillers with some chocolate milk.

She's able to get all the way from prone to sitting up on her own, and from there to standing with just a little help arranging her walker. She's able to get to the bathroom and back with minimal assistance. I've been told that this morning she was able to walk with Max all the way to the elevators and back!

I've been reading everyone's comments to her and she's been very happy to hear them (and I bet ready to hold a computer herself tomorrow). We've had a bunch of people who've been wonderful coming in and helping take care of her. Her mom came in Saturday morning, V spent all last night here, Puck relieved her this morning, A. visited at some point today, both her dad and Autumn were here much of the afternoon, and of course Kaylee and Max have also been here a ton.

Lots of progress

(Russell summarizing stuff Red says)

The big news is the two rounds of physical therapy yesterday, and two today. She had low blood pressure yesterday so didn't get far- sitting up in bed for half an hour or so, then back down. She did better today- up and to the bathroom, thence up and into the chair, then back into bed. This means she should be able to have her catheter out tomorrow. She's had broth a couple of times, then yogurt, and is now theoretically on a full diet although she hasn't ordered anything yet.

She says she's had good experiences with the nursing staff in general, and it makes a difference that she learns their names.

Kaylee spent an heroic night here last night while I got a good block of sleep, then I relived her this morning. Before I came in I stopped at Table 219 (formerly El Greco) for breakfast, and I must have looked pretty thrashed because Gary wouldn't let me pay for my food. I then did my best not to cry in the middle of his restaurant. :) Red's dad and Autumn came in to visit at about the same time early afternoon, and Autumn covered for me a couple hours while I got more food and picked up DVDs (the TV in the room has a little dvd player hooked up to it).

Red is getting better impressively fast, they're saying she should be able to go home on Tuesday.

Update

(more Russell)

Red got into her room somewhere between 8:00-8:30 last night, and we got in to see her around 8:30. She looked pretty flattened, but not in a lot of pain. Her voice was a quiet squeak from being intubated for so long, but she was conscious and coherent.

Her mom and I spent the night in her room alternating who was awake, until Kaylee came back and relieved us around 10 this morning. Red spent most of the night asleep, waking up briefly a few times. She was pretty puffy when we first saw her, but that got better over the course of the night. When I left this morning she looked more or less human, albeit about as stationary as you can get.

I just got off the phone with Kaylee (after a nap in my own bed, and good company and Thai food with A.), who said that Max had shown back up, and the physical therapist was there. When I left six hours ago, I think her limit for physical therapy would have been something like lifting one hand a few inches three times in a row (I'm not exaggerating), so this seems promising. ^-^

More Details

(Russell again)

We're back from food, but she's not in her room yet. The guess was that she'd be out of recovery somewhere in the 7:30-8:30 range, so we're good. I think the plan is that we see her installed, then Max and her mom head to their respective homes, and Kaylee or I spend the night curled up in her window-seat. We'll then rotate around over the next few days, (and I'll make sure to let people know when she's well enough for more visitors).

Surgery went an hour or two longer than they'd expected- her thoraco-lumbar curve corrected to about 24 degrees (from 57), and they had to balance that out in her thoracic curve so as to keep her shoulders even and lined up above her hips. I gather that was a pretty fiddly process to get just right. We've been told she'll be more or less unrecognizably puffy when we see her- being face-down for so long means that there's been a lot of fluid pooling. I'm going to be really happy to see her, though.

in recovery

(Russell)

Red's in the recovery room, we just met with the surgical team and she's good. We're going out for food, more details soon. ^-^

Yay!

(Russell)

Just got a call that they're done and closing the incision. :)

ETA: anesthesiologist just walked by, said she'd been relieved because it went long but that the neural monitoring looked just fine.

Still Going

(Russell)

I just got a call from the nurse with an update. Red's fine, they've got the rods done and her thoracic spine straightened, but are taking some extra time with her lumbar spine.

Doing Good

(Russell again)

The nurse just stopped by, said Red's doing fine. They're just about finished installing the screws. Next is attaching metal rods to those screws (bent carefully so as to align with her spine), then straightening the rods as much as possible to correct her curve and rotation. The nurse said another couple hours, my impression is she was referring to the surgery itself. After that there's closing up the incision etc, then some time in the recovery room, so probably another couple hours after that. Once she's awake they take out her breathing tube, then she goes up to her own room, then we can visit her. ^-^

Here we go!

(Russell with an update)

Red is in surgery now, she looked happy and as relaxed as could be reasonably expected during prep. :) Max, Kaylee, her mother and I saw her in. Kaylee and I ran back to the apartment to get some stuff, heading back over to join Max and her mom at the hospital shortly. I think Max had found a wireless net there, so should be more updates later. Her surgery is scheduled to be over 3 or 4-ish, then recovery room for a couple hours, then we get to see her.