heya everyone!!!

Well, its been quite a while since I posted, but at least this time I actually have a legit excuse!!!

ok, buckle yourselves up, cause you're in for a looooonggg story!!!! BWA HA HA HA HA......

ok...going back to my surgery...right up until the day before my surgery I had thought that I would be going into theatre alone because my parents weren't getting to sydney until Friday night, and so as you can imagine, I was scared, petrified to be more exact!!! Being wheeled into thatre is one of the scariest exoperiences and I couldn't imagine having no-one there to hold my hand. Then at my last class for the year Sharona told me she'd be coming with me to the hospital that night and staying with me. I went back to my room and cried and cried for an hour. I was so grateful to her that she was such a good friend to me, and despite her busy schedule she would be there for me.

So that night our chaplain Drene and her hubby Martin drove us to the hospital and we stayed in the accommodation for patients families. I had intended to go to bed early, but we ended up spending most of the night on the phone, watching tv and laughing ourselves silly!!! I was glad thought, to get my mind off everything, so even when I woke up the next morning and we walked to the day-ward I was feeling great and praying heaps. When we got there they informed us that there was a delay and my surgery had been pushed back to 11am instead of 8.30am. So Sharona came up with an idea of making up a song for me to sing to myself to calm my nerves when I was being wheeled into theatre. We decided on 'over the rainbow' from 'the wizard of Oz'. Here is an example of a few verses we created:

Somewhere over the rainbow, is Andrew Kam, and he's got a big scalpel, ready to make mince lamb

SOmwhere over the rainbow, I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me, every single day.

it was amazing how many we came up with, just about everything that happened, from yoie getting lost in the hospital, to hot wardsmen, not being allowed to drink, etc. we were caking ourselves, cause they were so silly, didn't fit the music and mostly didn't rhyme, but who cares?? It passed the time and soon I was called into a room where I got changed into my sexy hospital gown and TEDS and we prayed and waited. Finally a wardsman came and wheeled my bed to the theatre reception. we were there briefly and then it came time for the goodbyes. They are always hard. I was quite upset and as soon as i was out of the room I started balling. then we were just outside the theatre and nurses and anaethetists started buzzing around me- all the same ones as last time and they all recognised me and we had a good ol chat. had a talk with my neurosurgeon who said there was a possibility they might fuse 2 levels depending on what they founf when they openened me up. got jabbed with cannulas and IV's and was sedated therefore I didn't remember anything after that , although i was still awake and aware.

I remember waking up in recovery , and a man tellking me I was nearly ready to go to my ward, we were just waiting on a wardsman. I was a lot less groggy than last time and i just layed there and watched everything happening. my throat was soooooo dry i asked for water but i was only allowed ice chips. I must have still be under the affect because I remember telling all the nurses that I loved them and how good they were at their job and how much i appreciated them!!! how embarssing!!! finally a few hours later a wardsman turned up and took me to the high dependency unit in the neuroscience ward. I saw my parents briefly on the way but they weren't allowed in for a while. then when they were my sister was with them. I couldn't believe she had come b/c she wasn't meant to come cause she couldn't get time off work. I remeber just holding onto her hand so tightly and saying 'you came, you came' over and over and over and crying. man, does anaesthetic make you emotional or what???!!!

i don't rememebr much of the next day except ashley, his friend, my parents, sharona, drene and martin, aofaga and Andrew visiting. I was so groggy I don't think i made a lot of sense!! poor people!!visiting hours in the high dependency unit are VERY strict, well they were for me, so ppl could only stay a few minutes, and i couldn't have any flowers :(

about 2am teh next morning however, i was moved to my very own private room!!! how awesome!! it was soooo big and it was nice to have some privacy and be able to have as many flowers and visitors as i wanted!!!

well i'm not gonna go into great detail about the rest of the week, only to say taht my stay was a LOT better than last time. Part of it was evern enjoyable!!! I wasn't in much pain thanks to a morpheine PCA (petient controlled analgesia) which means I could give myslef my morphione by pressing a button- good stuff!!! and I was moved about 4 times hich was kindof annoying, but I made a lot of friends with the other patients and nurses, and then I came home on Thursday, which shocked everyone cause it was only a week since my op!!!

The past 3 weeks at home I have been doesed up on very strong painkillers, which are so strong they are sold on the street and I need government authorisation to have them!!! the first week or so I was very 'out of it' and I would wake up not knowing where i was or what day or time it was!!! my mum was here for a week and it was so good to have her here. when she went home i got very lonely, as i didn't see very much of my friends, except clover and adrian who visited me at nighttime.

So basiaclly my days consist of walking as much as i can, visits to my doctor, cleaning my room and sleeping. we'll know in a few weeks whether or not my operation was successful- when I get off the maedications i'll be able to feel whats happeniong inside my body, and hopefully i'll be pretty much pain free!!!

so now taht i have not been able to complete this semester, and can't do next semester, I have the task of figuring out what to do in the next 6 months. hmmm, tricky!!!

ooh, and i have a job interview tomorrow for a job at the ABC (adventist book centre)- its only a small job, just 2 hrs a week, but its $20 an hour, and every uni student can do with an extrea $40 a week!!! it'll also help me to keep occupied without straining me too much. Its really an answer to prayer!!!

So thankyou all for your thoughts and prayers over the last tumoltuous month, i greatly appreciate them.

Have a great night everyone :)