Oh, Those Hospital Days...

Ok, so being in the hospital SUCKED!

The nurses were incredible and kind.  They took great care of me and were gentle, and patient.  But I'm not going to lie - It's a different world there.  Dignity is something you have to let go of.

So here we go...

Before the surgery, mom took a few last photos for before and after... Here they are:

From the front

Earrings taped in case of cautery

Did I always look so demonesque?

After the actual surgery on January 14th, I stayed in hospital until the morning of the 17th.

Thoughts and memorable things about the hospital...

• Never feeling physically comfortable, mainly because I was not allowed to lie flat, and the hospital bed, though very high-tech was SO uncomfortable.
• Falling asleep holding my phone I was so exhausted - so much for checking Facebook and keeping up with emails
• Startling awake in the night when the staff would do checks and take vitals
• How amazing, courteous, kind, gentle & patient the staff were!
• Having to cart the IV around with me everywhere was completely mental! I was SO afraid I would yank it out by mistake - and it was in such a weird place... In the middle of my inner forearm... Yikes!
• Walking around in the halls at the urging of the nurses and seeing so many different people - wondering; what is their story?
• Getting scolded for not eating enough... ME!!!
• Learning to eat, drink and rinse my mouth using a syringe... :-s
• Experiencing the WORST pain I can ever remember (aside from tearing my ACL) in the form of nose plugs being removed (Gramma, that one's for you!) -> Seriously, these are evil things that start out being the size of coffee stirrers and are used to soak up blood in the nasal cavities... Once placed, they swell like those tiny blow-up sponge toys you get at birthday parties and then... when the time is right? They YANK THEM! And Great BALLS of Bloody FIRE! I'm talking agony! I thought they'd dragged the back of my skull out my nose.  I thought I was going to vomit from the pain! This also began the nose bleed that didn't end for 8 days *lol*
• The complete euphoria I felt whenever I saw my parents come around the curtain each time they would visit.
• How teary I'd get over the kindness of the staff and small kindnesses of my parents.

Enjoy some hospital pictures from immediately after surgery.

Am I sexy yet? 

A whole new profile

A hot mess!

Well, at least the tape is off my face...

And some additional photos from the remainder of my hospital stay... Days one & two post-op (Jan. 15th & 16th)

Right - I drool now.  Great!

The whole kit & caboodle! Ice pack, oxygen tent, mustache dressing (real name!) and nose packs (covered!)

SO glad to be alive to see the sunlight!!

This picture makes my nose hurt!

Note to self: NEVER break your nose!!

Trying to stay zen...