Back to the Real World!

I'm returning to work tomorrow after taking three weeks off following my tummy tuck surgery, instead of the two weeks I originally planned. I just needed a bit of extra recouperation time, nothing serious. I did have a minor complication arise: I was building up fluid on one side of my belly where fluid ought not build up.

That was a bit of a bummer because it required, and will require, a bit more attention from the doctor. On Monday, he said that on Friday he would have to re-install a surgical drain if the fluid didn't go away on its own. It didn't seem to be happening, so I was pretty sure I'd need the drain. In fact, on Thursday, based on our phone conversation, he said I would need the drain.

Happily, on Friday, he poked and prodded me with needles and decided no drain was required. I was still building up fluid, but not enough that a drain would help. He re-opened the incision about 1.5 cm and some fluid drained on its own. Likewise, he stuck the needle directly into my belly in a few places and drew out some fluid. I was numbed up, of course. :)

Tomorrow I'm back to work full-time and I'm pretty sure it will be fine. I'll do a bit of schedule re-arranging and take my shower at night for awhile. I am still trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey under my clothes! Compression garment, silicone strips over the scars held in place with maxi-pads...an elastic binder around my waist...ooooo, mama feeling sexy, haha. N-O-T.

Although I did see Lance Armstrong after my doctor appointment on Friday - he lives close by my doctor's and we strolled REI together. He's still smoking and biking, and now he's frenetically hiking every nearby mountain on the weekends. Remind me not to see Lance Armstrong in 2013, will you please? He's just so darn cute. Like. to. touch. And as we said about last year's holiday boyfriend, #funbutnottheone. And truthfully, LA isn't even all that fun. He is silly texts and a couple phone conversations a week, and stolen moments when he's not working swing shift or scaling mountains.

I told my daughter this afternoon that I turned myself into an exercise addict and then cut myself off cold turkey with this surgery and now I am depressed. Plus, I live in Seattle. I need to just spring for the $40 and buy the "Happy Light" from Costco. I am as Seasonally-Affected-Disorder as they come. Bah.

Oh, Seattle, how I love thee. And loathe thee.

Let's see...I've been out of the blogging mindset for a bit so how shall I catch up? I am very, very happy with my post-op tummy. The scars are a mess but will fade and they won't bother me. It will definitely be a battle to avoid the "if I could only fix this next" syndrome. However, I bought myself a couple of great bras while I was on leave and look like I got a boob job, too, haha.

I am burned out on the recovery period. Bah. And it's not even that bad. :) I am just a whiner. I'm not in much pain, I am nearly fully-functional, etc. Nothing to complain about. But tired of it. Oh! I'll see the doctor next Monday and he will start ultra-sound treatments on my belly to soften the scar tissue. This is extra-special treatment stemming from the fluid build-up, which he says will make my belly much harder than it ought be.

My bikey-bikey friend asked me out via text today, followed up by a phone call. I knew he was going to sometime. And I am happy, but also...hmm, don't fruck up my biking time, buddy. He leads a lot of the rides, and will likely lead the training group I'm in next spring for the Seattle to Portland ride, or the one I'm actually interested in, the Seattle to Vancouver BC ride. So this is dicey territory we're stepping into here.

He's very cool. Last week he came over and put fenders on my bike, as well as installing my new super-bright light. I had him bring the bike into the living room and he sat and worked on it and hung out with me and the kids. I made us a lame dinner (I had stocked up on frozen foods in preparation for my surgery) and he sat and ate and chatted with all of us for hours. Very nice man. My age - actually a year or so younger, he graduated high school a year behind me. No kids of his own, but he wished he had. Divorced. He was great, the way he chatted up the kids comfortably but without being weird or overly interested, if you know what I mean.

So let's see, so far he's carpooled me home, did all sorts of tinkering and such on my bike, replaced a couple light bulbs in the garage (oops - see, I was thinking we'd have to work on the bike in the garage, but it was soooooo cold, I decided there was no reason not to bring it inside. Hardwood floors. So it was cute when he texted me today. When he was over last, Alli was reading The Outsiders. I said that I had seen the movie 100+ times when it came out in 1983, when I was her age. Bikey-bikey (he'll get a nickname soon) said he had missed this phenomenom. I told him I'd have him over when we watched the movie. However, last night Alli and I found it On Demand and watched it.

He said, "I thought you were going to let me watch the Outsiders with you - maybe next time? What's our next adventure? I can install a bunch of CFL bulbs [oops, I had regular ole incandescents in the garage], or will you let me take you to a movie instead?"

I said yes, but that I wanted to get back to work and see how I did with long full big-girl grownup days. We'll have fun. Just please don't screw up my biking. :) It's like dating someone you work with, so fraught with peril, except I like biking so much more than work, haha.