Flanagan Clan

Today I had my (hopefully) last visit with the doctor who did my surgery. This visit went very well. They say that I’m doing great, healing up nicely, and that everything looks good. He wants me to decide on a gastroenterologist to take over the care of my esophageal condition, and besides that wanted to know what I was doing on my diet. When I said I was still on soft foods and taking things slowly he said that was good, so the plan is that I will continue on soft and very gradually move towards a regular diet as I feel comfortable. The best part of the visit was when they told me they’d take my tubes out! The actual removal of the tubes wasn’t very pleasant (I’ll spare you the details), but it feels SO good to have them out now! I feel like I’m finally getting back to normal finally. It’s hard to believe that I had them in for a full month! No more taping plastic bags to my abdomen every time I want to shower and no more worrying about the boys headbutting my tubes. No more feeling like I’m a walking horror movie every time I look down at my stomach, and no more worrying that clothes are too tight and will put too much pressure on the tubes. I feel free and it’s a beautiful feeling. This has got to be the best Christmas present ever. I can deal with a soft diet pretty well- it’s restrictive, but it’s not as bad as being on purees or liquids- it was the tubes that were the most difficult thing to handle. I feel like everything else is a walk in the park compared to having them in. I’m so thankful for those that were praying that they would be able to come out today, and I’m thankful for all the help we’ve received over the past few weeks. I assume that I am still on a lifting and activity limit (I meant to ask the doctor about it, but forgot to get to it, though my dad said 6-8 weeks, and on Friday it will be 5 weeks since surgery), but I’m definitely regaining my energy levels and I’ve been able to do small amounts of housework, which I’m actually finding to be very liberating as well. I can’t wait until I can really tackle everything on my own again! Well, that is all for now. If I don’t write again before Sunday, I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas!!!