Today is December 3rd and I’m in Tucson at a hotel recovering from my November 30th surgery.  I had nasal reconstruction surgery with Dr. Menick at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tucson.  He had to take some cartilage from my ribs and use it in the tip of my nose and on the bridge of my nose, which I didn’t have before.  He cut some skin from my forehead and attached it to my nose.  He did this because my nose had suffered so much trauma and he couldn’t use the same skin from my nose without the risk that it could die.  What he did is called a forehead flap and it will stay attached until my next surgery on December 28th.  It’s a pretty amazing procedure and it looks really crazy, but it’s only temporary.  Keeping the flap attached will help keep good blood supply to the skin and get it ready for the next surgery. 

This surgery took longer than expected, so he wasn’t able to correct my nostrils during that time, but he will do that when he detaches the forehead flap.  He will also revise a couple of my scars at that time.  He saved some of my cartilage and is harvesting it under my skin, just in case he needs it for my next surgery.  As far as my pain goes, my ribs are sore when I walk and when I get up from a sitting or laying position or just even when I move a certain way. My face feels like I have  sinus pressure and I have some pain in my mouth under my top lip where he had to cut to get to part of my nose.  Oh, and my nerves are going crazy again. That’s a super weird feeling.  I can’t blow my nose for 2 weeks, which is making me nuts, I’m super bored, but more than anything, I really miss my kids. 

I saw the Dr. for a follow up today and he said everything is healing well.  I will see him again Wednesday and then possibly Thursday or Friday to remove some stitches. Then I get to go home. Yay!!  I am on day 3 of recovery and I continue to constantly thank God that He is getting me through this and that I have been able to tolerate this pain pretty well.  My strength would be impossible without Him.  I haven’t had to take the pain pills that were prescribed, just Advil every 6 hours.  I’m so grateful this part of the surgery is done.  This has been such a long and challenging journey for my family and I, and it still isn’t over.  The impatient part of me just wants to feel better already and wants it all to be done, so I can hurry and put it all behind me.  Patience, that’s what I need to continue to pray for.  I heard a podcast about striding, meaning taking long precise steps towards a specific destination. That’s not so easy to do, because I doubt anyone wants to slowly walk through trials, we just want to rush through the pain and get it over with.  This is a challenge for me, but I have to learn to stride and take those long precise steps to my destination. I’m not sure what the destinations is yet, but If I try to rush through it, I might miss all the lessons I’m meant to learn and all the blessings I am meant to receive along the way. 

Thank you all for your prayers.  They are much appreciated and continue to be very much needed.  I will be back at the end of this month with a part 2 update. 

Love,

Darlene 

Xoxo