Who took care of you at home? Does your fiancé live with you? (J. Swezler, Vancouver)
A: My mom stayed with me for the first month I was home. She actually slept at my grandparents who live about five minutes away. Her work let her stay as long as she needed to. They were wonderful! No, Jon and I didn't live together until we got married in May. But he'd come most nights after work and take the "night shift" so my mom could go home and sleep.
What is your typical day like? Are you still in a lot of pain? (T. Ziller, Arlington Heights, IL)
A: Unfortunately, yes, I'm still in a lot of pain. It isn't as debilitating as it was when I first came home and I've learned lots of ways to help manage it, but it is still an almost constant part of my day. Some days, for no rhyme or reason, I can't move it hurts so bad. My typical day, I wake up REALLY early...usually around 4:30 or 5...in pain. That's usually when I write, read my bible, pray, check my email, and then watch an episode of Roseanne. LOVE that show. Most days, I go back to bed from about 8-10. Then I get back up and go to PT which is in Elk Grove. PT is an hour of hell, so when I come home from that, I usually have to ice my leg for an hour. Then I have lunch if I'm hungry, but most times I'm nauseous from the pain so I don't eat much, and then when the pain calms down a little, I head to the gym. I usually go in the morning if I don't have PT that day, but if I do have PT, I go in the afternoon. I spend about an hour or sometimes two hours at the gym and then I head home and make dinner for my husband. We watch an episode of Roseanne while we eat (we eat in our TV room because we don't have a kitchen table yet in our new home. It's the only show we both like, haha. I go to bed around 10 with J. So basically right now, my job is rehabbing. It's painful as hell, but it's the only way I'm going to get better. My doctors constantly tell me I'm doing too much, but I am stubborn and I want to be better. I can't wait to be back at work and running marathons again.
How often do you have to see your doctors? (A. Carmene, Salt Lake City, UT)
I see my Burn Unit surgeons (nec fasc doctors) Dr. G and Dr. M every 2-3 weeks now. Initially it was once a week for awhile. When I first got home, a nurse came twice a week too. So it's kinda a lot of traveling back and forth to Loyola, but they know my illness, they know what was done to my body, and understand my recovery. I go to PT 2-3 days a week, depending on the week.
How bad is the scarring? (R. Simony, Schaumburg, IL)
Honestly, it's pretty damn bad. My right leg has a huge divet in it that takes up most of my thigh and my outer right leg has a scar that goes from my knee to my hip. My left leg has a skin graft scar that takes up my whole quad. My abdomen might be the worst. I have a huge divet that goes from my hip up to my rib (about the size of a subway sandwich), a scar that looks like a c-section scar above my pelvis, and a long thick scar that goes from my hip to my rib on the opposite side as the divet. I also have lots of little scars from random incisions during the various surgeries. I will have to have extensive reconstructive surgery to fix the scarring, for both comfort, physical, and cosmetic reasons. It's not really a choice, it has to be done. My doctors want me to wait until about a year out from my initial surgeries, so probably in December-January, it will get done.
Did I read that you lost your hair? What happened?? (J. Macaby, Waco, TX)
Yes, I did. Worst part of my illness. I'll get to that on the blog....Keep reading :)
How was the wedding? Are you gonna post about it? (T. Bailey, Joliet, IL)
It was incredible. Best day of my life. Perfect in every way. Yes, I'm gonna dedicate probably a few posts to it. I'm going to finish the BIG first...or at least, catch the story up to where I am now, and then write about the wedding and honeymoon. As you can guess, it was a very emotional day for J & me....and our families. After everything we'd been through with my illness (as well as 12 years of dating), it was a day full of emotion. We ALL cried. ALOT. :) It was breathtaking and beautiful.
You should have J do a guest post. You talk about him, but not a lot about how it was for him. Do you think he'd do it? (T. Mack, Ashburn, VA)
First off, you're from Ashburn? Do you know my parents? They live in Ashburn. I wonder if you're one of their church friends who prayed for me :) Anyways, I doubt I'd be able to get Husband to write a guest post. What I went through was horribly painful for him, and as he's told me, the worst time in his life. He doesn't like to talk about it, much less write about it. I'll ask him though :)
Ok, that's all for now, guys. Thanks for the questions, and again, feel free to email me at aallbb2231@gmail.com if there's anything else you want to know. If you don't want your email posted in a Q&A, specify that in your email too. Thank you SO MUCH for your constant support and prayers.
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