It’s finally Tuesday … Going home day! I confess I was really scared, I didn’t know what it was going to be like at home, if I’d be able to adapt and the kids and all that noise… and then there were those stairs and Josh needing to go back to work. Here I was stressing and I wasn’t even home yet! There was still so much to do before we could even leave, maybe … just maybe I should take it one thing at a time.
Josh headed back to the cottage to pack up, shower and get my meds from the pharmacy. The wonderful Emma, my RN in training, would help me shower and wash my hair … Finally. I was so excited to get the gunk out and my hair wet. It had been four days since surgery and I still hadn’t seen my incision, I was a little nervous at the reality of it all. I was so used to seeing the bandage on my head, it seems so not a big deal. Kate, my nurse navigator, showed up right at this time so she took off the bandage. Her first response was “Oh Wendi, it is looking really good! Go look in the mirror.” My heart kind of jumped, not knowing what good means when you are talking about an incision in your scalp and staples holding your skin together. So I went into the bathroom and started my inspection… to be honest it scared me! I was thinking this really happened … I have the war scar to prove it. By this time, Emma was ready to wash my hair so I had to move on, no over-thinking this was going to help anything!
I’ve got to tell you that the warm water over my scalp was heavenly, yes my incision spot was tender but I couldn’t really feel anything, the nerves where they cut in were totally dead by the time Dr. Park sewed me back up. As I write this almost 7 weeks later I still don’t have much feeling … a brush over my head feels weird, like I have the pins and needles and it doesn’t feel like I’m actually touching it. Will that come back? I’m not sure!! Emma was ever so careful when she brushed out my hair, revealing this crazy, almost Lord of the Rings scar you would see on an orc’s skull. She was so funny … almost impressed as she finished and said, “That is so bad-ass! I wouldn’t mess with you!”
If you look carefully, I have 13 staples … I didn’t realize this until I was home when my mom was washing my hair and I asked her how many there were, just out of curiosity. If you didn’t catch it before … 13 is my birthday and favorite number and was my Daddy’s sports number and mine too. My surgery was on day 13 of this blog and now 13 staples … God loves math and numbers, did you know that? For me He has turned the unlucky, rejected number 13 into such an amazing reminder. God is in control of it all, even down to how many staples would be put in my scalp. I’m blown away seeing how He is in all the details, while holding the universe in His hands. Coincidence some may say … I think not! It is unthinkable to not recognize His handiwork and divine plan. I know there are some of you reading who don’t believe in this amazing God, I so wish you would reconsider.
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