Hank's Journal

My Journal

2-14-05
Many things are going thru my head about the surgery like, what is the after affect going to be like, and if I will have to have drainage tubes and for how long.

I am starting to get nervous of the unknown factors of the outcome of the surgery, after talking to Geoff, it is starting to bother me more in what the condition I am going to be in after the surgery. I have always bounced back after any kind of surgery, from getting my appendix removed, laser treatment, wisdom teeth removed, and ingrown toenails removed. I have never liked being in hospitals, and never will. It is just that smell or aroma that hospitals have that just makes me sick to my stomach, on top of that the sight of needles make me go crazy. I can’t stand the sight of them and never will, it be like a phobia I guess.

2-18-05
Yesterday was surgery day and it was a very long day. I was supposed to have surgery at 2:30pm, and did not get in there until 4pm. I was very hungry, and just wanted it to be over. The surgery was about three hours, and I did not wake up until 9pm. I was very groggy and hardly remember TLC being in my room as I woke up and saw my parents for the first time. Today was the first time I was able to eat anything in thirty-four hours. I could not wait to get the IV out of my hand. I think that hurt more than my face at the time. It was plastic instead of a needle.

My lip is very swollen, and my eyebrow is starting to swell a little. I have two drainage tubes and I was surprised that they do not bother me as much as I thought they would. I have one attached to my lip and one to my eyebrow. My laser treatment is somewhat swollen but not as bad as my excisions are.

I am currently in my hospital apartment doing this entry. My parents are starting to be very bossy telling me what I can and can not do, but I keep setting them straight and have to remind them that I am not 12 years-old anymore. I know they are just doing the parent thing but it is starting to get on my nerves.

2-21-05
For the past two days I have been pretty swollen, and tired. On the 19th my cheek and eyebrow where so swollen in the morning that I could not see out of my eye for several hours. Day by day the swelling has gotten better in the morning. Yesterday my cheek was really swollen, but has gone down today. I really don’t feel too much pain because of the meds, and my toleration of pain over the years on my face.

I got my drainage tubes removed yesterday, finely, and does it feel good to have them gone. Now that I am at home I slept a lot better last night than the rest of the week put together. I will be able to get my stitches removed in four days.

This will be going on for the next month, I will not be able to see any good results for at least a month, after the swelling goes away.

5-3-05

Well it has been over two months now since my surgery and all is healed up. My eyebrow looks very good. You can barely even see the scar from surgery. My lip took almost a month and a half to heal, but now is starting to go back. I have some sort of bubble under the skin. Dr. Waner does not think it is a problem, but everyone knows what goes on in the back of the mind when a doctors’ says this.

My next surgery is Aug 2nd. I will be having surgery the same day as Geoff Ritchie.

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