Post-Op Day 4

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I made it to inpatient rehab at the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute this afternoon. It’s continued to be a whirlwind these last couple of days. Tomorrow I will begin intense rehab (physical, occupational, and speech therapies) for most of the day. Sunday will be a bit of a break, and then the intense schedule starts again Monday. My stay here will depend on my progress in the coming days. My goal is to get as strong as I can as quickly as possible. I miss my independence, my home, and family. Can’t get much more motivated than that. I’m glad I was approved to get here tho, as I know this is going to be the quickest and safest way for me to go home as ready as I can be.

From a neurosurgical perspective, they are really pleased with my healing thus far. I got my surgical bandages off, drain out, and no more IVs. Just trying to find the best pain management program while I increase activity.

Wednesday night I finally stood up at the bedside, but couldn’t take more than 2 steps with the walker. My right leg is very weak and uncoordinated. Since then, I’ve progressed to walking (slowly) with a walker to the bathroom, down the hall a bit, and tried a few stairs. It’s all so unbelievably frustrating. The amount of concentration you have to put into literally every muscle being utilized…. My leg wants to buckle underneath me; I know this will get better with time and work, but it is a very scary feeling.

I’m also experiencing significant deficits in my right arm and hand. It’s incredibly weak, a lot of numbness, and tough with gripping/grasping things. Having to learn how to use my left hand for a lot of stuff now.

My head feels like a 200 pound lollipop on a wet stick… I know my neck and back muscles have to heal and learn to communicate again. You just don’t realize how much you utilize certain muscles and do things unconsciously until you have to think through every teeny tiny painful step. Everything seems to be working so slowly, and I need to really focus on every task at hand. Looking forward to continued improvements and healing.

There is so much more to say, but I’m exhausted and on a lot of medications, so it’s probably time for me to call it a night (you know, try to rest until the next interruption 😏)

While my days are going to be more full with therapies for a while now, I still appreciate all the love, support, distractions, and prayers. It is so tough being stuck in a hospital, having independence taken away, and being so helpless. The road ahead seems so long and daunting. I’m trying to stay focused on the step immediately ahead, but it’s an emotional process, with lots of tears and fears.

Thank you all for your continued love 💜💛❤️

Graphic warning: Below is a photo of my incision after the dressing came off yesterday 👇🏼

First little walk down the hall, post-op day 3
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Published by Lauren

Welcome! Thank you for being here! My name is Lauren Doyle. My husband and I have been married since 2013, and together since 2011. We have 2 wonderful kids and live in the Twin Cities suburbs. I have both a Master’s and a Doctorate and am a board-certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. I also have the student loans to prove it. In 2019 our lives were turned upside down. Our daughter was born with a serious heart defect that required open heart surgery when she was just 5 days old. A couple weeks after her birth (while she was still in the hospital), I found a mass in my abdomen which required major emergency surgery to remove. At first, we were told it was just a fibroid; we learned about a week later that the mass was a rare and aggressive type of cancer – leiomyosarcoma. Through multiple surgeries and chemo, I have come out the other side, changed in many ways. I am now considered Stage IV, with a chemo-induced heart condition, and struggle with several other severe side effects from treatments. I continue to work and live and love as best as I can. I will not claim to have all the answers about anything, but I can tell you I have learned a LOT in my 35+ years of life thus far. My passion has always been helping and educating people in whatever ways possible. I am hoping this blog will allow me to do that for a broader population beyond the patients I see at work, share my unique journey, and help keep friends and family in the loop along the way. Thank you again for being here.

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2 thoughts on “Post-Op Day 4”

  2. You are amazing, Lauren. This post brought me to tears. You are SO brave, so strong…you’ve done great things in a few days! Keep pushing! XOXO

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