Re: I'm in hospital - I'm here (sort of)
Morning, everyone! Leslie here; I wanted to say thank you so much for your kind thoughts and wishes over the past week! I wasn't up to typing much while in the hospital, but Grant would read your messages to me each day, and hearing from y'all made a world of difference in an uncertain and scary time. I could visualize many of you from Gaston's, 6Y9 and other venues; much easier to think of myself on the flight line with friends than in a hospital bed.
However, I did get some flying in - morphine and dilaudid given through an IV are much more cost-effective than 100LL these days, and I think it counts as IMC if you close your eyes
Because the docs weren't sure what was wrong, we didn't go for that lightweight laparoscopy procedure stuff, with just a couple of tiny incision holes for instruments
- noooo, I got the extra value size full laparotomy, complete with a pretty long abdominal scar and surgical staples. I should get the staples out in about a week and a half or so, and I'm learning how to get up and around by not using those stomach muscles, so they can heal and reconnect - and let all the internal incisions heal too. That's not easy (try it sometime - you don't know how much you use those muscles until you can't), and Grant's done very well in jury-rigging some exercise equipment and kitchen chairs so I have something like a side rail by the bed to pull on.
Full recovery will be a while, but returning to somewhat active duty will likely take about 4 weeks or so. First two weeks will be pretty much laying on life's brake pedal - shuffling about home-bound, no heavy lifting, lots of bed rest, no car rides, no work, et al. Other activity will probably be allowed afterwards as I can handle it.
I am bummed about having to strike Oshkosh and Alaska this year, although everyone tells me that now is the time to take it easy and heal properly - last thing we need is to get up into Northern Canada and have a bunch of internal stitches bust from turbulence with no quick access to a hospital.
Bright side is I'll finally have time to read all of the POA postings in between darvocet-induced naps, one of which is coming on now... I took about an hour to type this, and I'm tired, so it's back to bed - but Grant and I will keep you posted.
The Bahamas will feel very good after all this
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Many thanks again, Leslie
