Brad & Noelle Koosmann & Family: Second Surgery...Over And Done With!

Being a nurse must be challenging, to say the least. (And the same goes for NA's, too, as I'm sure they get the brunt of the jobs nobody wants to do.) To have to care for patients at work, and then go home and care for your own family (like teachers!)...well...it makes me tired just thinking about it. I am so, so thankful for the medical professionals out there who do their job, and do it with a smile. That container of apple juice may mean an extra trip to the kitchen. It may mean the next patient has to wait an extra minute before you can get to them. But to me, it means being able to keep my medications down without getting overly nauseous. That extra pillow means my extreme shoulder pain will dull by being set in a comfortable position. That extra pull-out chair you had to lug into my room? It's so my husband, who's been through just as much as me, can rest within touching distance of my outstretched fingers. And when you do it with a smile, it makes me feel well cared-for, and at peace. I'm sure it's frustrating to have patients that demand instead of ask and who react outwardly with their pain instead of swallowing it down. But without you, we would be patients laying painfully in a bed, nauseous and miserable. Thank you for being on our side. Thank you for taking care of us.

That said, Brad and I's experiences with the nursing staff this surgery go-around was much less than stellar. I'll spare the complaining, but it makes me very grateful for the awesome medical care we've gotten previously at Abbott and in Montevideo.

It's been a little over five weeks since my surgery, and the days just seem to run together, as many experiences do over time. I'm healing well and am back to slowly trying to regain some upper body strength. With the added good news that my ovaries were clear, it feels like that huge breath of fresh air (that I talked about after my first surgery) all over again. Life is good.

Brad and I headed to the cities on the evening before my surgery, leaving the kids at home with his parents. One last night at my grandparent's house-a quick overnight, as we didn't get there until 9pm and we were up at 5am. The surgery prep went well, although I had a nursing student do my IV, and, while he got it on the first try, he was very s-l-o-w about getting it inserted into my arm. Like, glacial slow. But it was only one try, which was a relief to me! The OR was running about a hour behind, so I had some time to spend with Brad, pray with Pastor Tim, and visit with my mom, Liz and Lauren.

The surgery went smoothly and I woke without any kind of severe reaction. We ended up staying overnight because I was experiencing extreme pain where my plastic surgeon had to clear and re-stitch into scar tissue, and I had quite a bit of lower body bleeding. We figured it would be better to have me heal a few more hours than bump along in a vehicle for three more, to get home. Even though our nursing experiences were horrendous in the recovery room, I'm still glad we made that decision, because I felt a lot stronger the next day.

Once we were home, I had a troop of people taking care of us for the four weeks I was on the lifting restriction. Brad tracked my meds and made sure I rested. The kids behaved well and (besides the one accidental jump on my abdomen) were very careful while I was healing. My dad, my mom, my sister Liz, and Brad's parents each helped watch the kids at different times (I don't know what I would have done with you!) Several friends brought over meals. We were well-cared-for and loved by many.

A few days after surgery, Brendan came down ill, and it slowly spread it's way through our family. It was a horrible, long-lasting illness that was a lot like strep (I'm pretty sure it was the worst sore throat I've ever had!) Five weeks later, we are finally healthy again (shhhh...don't say that too loudly!) and we're ready for the warmer weather that's headed our way. I think a few days of gardening, raking, and playing outside would do my muscles wonders!

Thank you, again, for all of your love and support. It has been an absolute blessing to us, and I can't imagine having to go through this without each one of you by our side.

Where We Go From Here:
Nowhere! Just kidding...I still have follow-up appointments in the cities next month, quarterly appointments with my Oncologist, and ten years of hormone therapy...but all of the big stuff is done! We're looking forward to a summer of t-ball, playing outside, going crazy in the garden (that one's just me. Brad says..."Ummmm....no."), trips to the cabin, celebrating our 10-year anniversary in August, and just being here. We'll see how I survive having all three kids at home all summer. I'll keep you updated...

The Future:
Looks beautiful

After I've been prepped for surgery (no, that's not my new chest- ha ha, a little lop-sided, don't you think?-that's the air warmer!)

One last picture with the hubby.

All settled into the room for the night.

I slept in a rocking chair in our bedroom for the first couple of weeks after surgery. The kids decorated the closet doors so I'd have something to look at.