pneumonectomy

Hello, I am sorry it took me so long to update this blog. Here we go...

On Tuesday February 7 I had a pneumonectomy at Swedish Hospital in Seattle. Dr. Aye did the surgery, which started at 10:00 and was done at 5:00. A pneumonectomy is the removal of half the lung - in my case the entire left lung.

Often the surgeon will make a long incision that runs parallel to your spine in your back. Other times they will make a similiar incision in the front by spreading your ribs and perhaps cutting through the sternum. I was lucky; Dr. Aye approaches the lung through your side. I look like I had a shark bite on my left side but it has really healed nicely and quickly.

I spent a total of 8 days in the hospital. 3 days in ICU (plus one more about half way through). We are grateful to all the people at Swedish who took care of me, but I started whining about coming home Saturday. We had a couple of small set-backs, but I got to go to a hotel near the hospital on the 14th and come home on the 15th!

Like I said, the incisions have healed really well and after a couple of weeks the pain is really tolerable. I don't do well with narcotics; they depress me a little and give me nightmares. But, things are going so nicely that even though I could take up to 8 pills a day I am down to only 1 and a half!!

I do little breathing exercises several times a day and Mark and I walk for 10-20 minutes when we can. He had to go back to work this week so I will be inside walking on the treadmill now. Currently the walk winds me, but that won't be the case forever.

We want to thank everyone who has checked in by text, who has come to visit me, and who has brought food (what a blessing not to have to worry about what to eat everyday - and most of you are way better cooks that me!)  All the support has been good and powerful medicine.