(Is there another word for update?)

Circusfaerie's recovery continues brilliantly. Both incisions are healing well, she seems to be in less pain, and what movement she is allowed (No bending, twisting or lifting until the bone graft takes) appears much easier for her. It's hard to imagine a more drastic change in a single month - her big challenge now is avoiding both boredom and the temptation to overdo it. Reading isn't easy because of the painkillers she takes, so we're relying heavily on netflix, the internet (limited - borrowed laptop), basic cable, art supplies, playing cards, cat tv, friends and modest field trips.* Any other entertainment ideas will be happily considered.

In other news, I can't believe I haven't posted since the 14th. The days (weeks?) have started to blur together in similarity. Time is doing that weird slow/fast thing; I can't believe it's only 9 pm, but somehow it's already the end of March. Writer's block isn't helping much either - my focus has narrowed to the point that I little to say, no time to say it, and no creativity with which to express it. Anybody want to catch me up on news of the world at large for the last month or so?

*The little carts at Target are more entertainment than you'd suspect.

posted by Space Kitty at 8:58 PM|| Comments (1)

quick update...

1st post-surgery follow up today, both incision sites are healing beautifully and the doctor is thrilled with her progress. Yay!

Meanwhile, the recovery compound/day spa has relocated to Koreatown - where, evidently, the LAPD just lives to give parking tickets.

Joy.

posted by Space Kitty at 11:05 PM|| Comments (2)

Insult + Injury

To everyone I've managed to alienate in the past week, my apologies. Apparently, it was PMS.

Thanks, Mother Nature. Nice timing, that. (Bitch.)

posted by Space Kitty at 5:15 PM|| Comments (1)

Why, thank you

Mimi Smartypants, that's exactly what I've been thinking.

posted by Space Kitty at 11:00 AM|| Comments (0)

An update...

Greetings from the Valley Village MoFiLa Chapter Headquarters, recovery compound and day spa!

After two consecutive nights of sleep, uninterrupted by blood tests, IV alarms, panic attacks, physical therapists, coughing fits, freezing hospital temperatures, assisted bathroom treks, profoundly unhelpful relatives and difficulties caused by under/over medicated states - I can report that both circusfaerie and I are feeling much, much better.

She was originally scheduled to have her surgery (lumbar microdissection/laminectomy with anterior and posterior spinal fusion at L4 and S1) on Monday the 27th and spend four days in the hospital.

It turns out that the vertebra were much smaller and the work more detailed than the surgeon anticipated. They also wanted to test nerve function and reduce swelling before completing the fusion, so her doctor chose to do the anterior and posterior fusion on two separate days. The second surgery was Wednesday, March 1st and she was in the hospital for a total of 9 days. The worst part was breaking the news when she woke up that she wasn't finished with the surgery. Even so, I can't thank everyone at St. John's enough for their amazing work - I simply can't imagine how they do it.

So, recovery. Since she has incisions healing on both her stomach and back, she can only walk for limited amounts of time, sit up for 30-45 minutes a day, and can't twist, bend, stoop or carry anything. (Yay, memory foam bed!) She has a snazzy medical corset which deeply appeals to her goth nature. The doctors were necessarily vague because everyone's recovery period is different, but it looks like mostly bedrest for another 2-4 weeks, then depending on how she progresses we'll go from there. She doesn't start physical therapy until the spine is completely fused at 4-6 months.

Throughout all this, circusfaerie has shown incredible strength, grace and courage which makes me ashamed to even admit to being tired and cranky, which of course, I am. It's not easy for me to ask for help at my age, and at 22? Asking your mom to move in and help out has got to be almost as bad as the surgery itself, but she's been remarkable and has already cracked me up more times than I can count.

Unlike my mother (THAT. WOMAN!*) our friends have all been amazing, supportive, and more help than I'll ever know how to repay. I'd also like to take a moment to express my gratitude for online grocery shopping, take-out food, the drugstore down the street, bed bath and bankruptcy and the entire internet in general. (OH, HOW I MISSED YOU INTERNETS! I had to subsist without you for eight whole days!)

Now, does anybody know:

• Where can we get a good recliner?
• How do I install a damn hand-held shower? *Stupid waterpik*
  
• How do you take a shower without soaking the dressings?! Saran Wrap is beyond useless.
  
• What are your best recommendations for keeping busy/happy during recovery?
  

posted by Space Kitty at 2:45 PM|| Comments (2)

There's no place like home...

Circusfaerie's home! After the longest eight days of either of our lives, circusfaerie is at home*, in her own bed and her recovery is well under way. St. John's Health Center, The Spine Institute and believe it or not, Blue Cross rock my world.

Thanks to everyone who sent out well wishes - it means so much to both of us. There's so much more to be told, but I'm beat.

More later.

*I'm camping out at her place, until further notice. Recovery, while going well, is more complicated than either of us expected and hands-on help is necessary right now. Send drugs, will you? It would be cruel to steal from our patient.

posted by Space Kitty at 9:49 PM|| Comments (0)

Circusfaerie update

This is Bone, posting under the Space Kitty name (with her permission, of course) to bring everyone an update about her daughter circusfaerie.

Circusfaerie had back surgery on Monday for Grade 4 spondylolisthesis, a condition in which a vertebra has slipped forward relative to rest of the spine. It's serious, and the surgery was necessary.

The initial surgery on Monday lasted several hours, and they weren't able to complete all of it that day (something about the vertebra being smaller than they expected, which made it necessary to go slower. SK can elaborate when she's back online). They went back in today, and in a few hours were able to complete the job. Circusfaerie is pretty zoned out right now, but she's doing very well and the surgery was successful. Recovery is going to take a while (months), but this will ultimately result in a very positive change in quality-of-life for circusfaerie.

SK is fine, if frazzled. She's been at the hospital non-stop since Monday, so she's not checking email and probably won't be able to do so until at least Friday.

Happy thoughts and crossed fingers are still appreciated. Thanks to everyone who has emailed, called, sent funny and obscene text messages or whatever. Y'all are her doggs.

posted by Space Kitty at 10:10 PM|| Comments (2)