the brand new me

A little bit about having the surgery done in Guatemala: First of all, I have to state that Dr. Behrens has been completely amazing! He has been so kind and thoughtful and sensitive throughout this whole process, especially when it came to answering the millions of questions I'be had via email and overt he phone. Not only was he available on his mobile phone, but he also gave me his home number so I could reach him there if I couldn't get through to him at the office or on his cell! He has been extremely attentive, making sure I have everything I need, as well as reserving one of the best rooms in the hospital for me to recover in. Now, I know that Guatemala is a "3rd world country" or whatever, but the hospital where I am is really great! It's called 'Hospital de las Americas' and is located in the central area of Guatemala City. For starters, the place is extremely clean and modern (though the outside of the building is pretty whatever). Once inside, though, there a sort of indoor garden and a pretty plush waiting area with plump leather couches. When I came into the hospital, I was asked to check in through the emergency room, and I have never seen anything like this emergency room before. There were actual rooms for each patient with plenty of space, a far cry from the gurneys separated by wraparound curtains you usually get in hospital emergency rooms. As for the operating room, I'm no surgeon, so I have no idea what the standards are for operating rooms, but the one I was in was large, spotless, and filled with new-looking or at least very well maintained modern machines. My next stop was the recovery room where I woke up. The room itself wasn't anything impressive, but once again, it was very clean and I was in there with only 2 other people. Once I had spent about and hour and a half there waking up, it was time to take me to my room. Actually, room isn't the right word for it; it's a SUITE, and a fairly large one at that!!! I have a sitting room with a coffee table and 2 leather couches. The sitting room also has a mini kitchenette which has a mini fridge, a microwave, and a sink. My suite also includes a separate bathroom for my guests, which is extremely convenient. In the bedroom area, I have generous closet as well as my bed and a little table on wheels that fits over the bed. I also have a large bathroom with a big shower and a sink outside for washing hands, face, brushing teeth, etc, which has a very large mirror. I also have a desk and some chairs in case I get bored of being in bed and feel like doing some work. In addition to all of this, there's a lovely cleaning lady who pops in periodically to clean the floor, empty out the trash, or wipe things down. It's so reassuring knowing that the room is being kept super clean at all times! The nurses here are all super friendly and nice and are always smiling and ready to help with whatever I need. To top things all off, there's a "breathing therapy specialist" who came in to administer the treatment. Basically, she had this sort of vapor mask for me to help clear my lungs out a bit and get rid of any phlegm. Whilst I had the mask on, she had me lay on my side for about 10-15 minutes during which she rubbed my back with one of those vibrating massagers. That was amazing, especially after having just had surgery! It was so soothing and relaxing and a totally unexpected treat, which apparently I'm scheduled for twice tomorrow as well! Yay! Honestly, my experience here has really been very positive, much more so than I could have imagined it would be! And now, it's time to get some sleep, because I want to try to do plenty of walking tomorrow

Yay!!! Had the surgery today!!! Apparently, everything went very smoothly. I woke up with quite a bit of pain, but the nurse gave me some pain medication, which really helped. I got out of surgery about 9 hours ago, and I can't believe how pain-free I am considering that a good chunk of one of my major organs was removed. My throat is quite sore from the tubes that were put in during the surgery, and in terms of my tummy, I feel a slight discomfort. It's not pain but more like sensation of having done a really intense an workout. I have an IV hooked into my arm and a drainage pouch coming out of my abdomen, neither of which are uncomfortable. The only thing that kind of sucks is that I can't drink anything, not even water, until tomorrow, but I guess that's just standard procedure.

Getting ready for this surgery and hoping that this will give me the opportunity to live the healthy life I've always dreamed of! Can't wait to see the results afterwards. Feeling a bit apprehensive of doing the surgery abroad, but luckily I have family in Guatemala who are doctors so I'm reassured knowing that they'll be looking after me. Here we go!!!