Photo-Journal Time

Allrighty, so this isn't going to be as complete or pretty as it could be. 

However, I thought it was time to at least get a rough set of pictures up documenting the week prior to surgery through June! So here you go:

Banking blood prior to surgery.

Trip to Oregon to see cousin Lauren and Aunt Colleen...

...on the Oregon coast for my mom's birthday! One week to surgery.

Weekend before, putt-putt with family and Josh!

A few days before, get together with a few friends...

...could not have come up with a better bunch of people to enjoy my first week of summer with!

Wednesday night, dinner with the Klein family.

Surgery day! 4:30 in the morning, heading to the hospital.

This parking garage has one of the best views of Seattle.

Phone from lobby to nurses station... and a bunch of seashells glued to a bowl. 

They had me change into the patient uniform, complete with great socks!

Hailey arrived just before they took me back to pre-op...

While I was in surgery, my family waited in the main hospital lobby...

...with Hailey for company! She's an incredible friend :)

My family didn't see me from 7am 'til 4pm...

...which allowed them some time to explore the hospital grounds.
James Tower is the wing where I spent most of my time at Swedish.

My parents and Hailey were called back to see me once I had been settled into the ICU. 

I was feeling ridiculously chatty, but didn't say anything funny, which was rather dissappointing. 

My surgeon, Dr. Hanscom, heard I was up for talking, so he stepped in to let me know that everything went well in surgery.

I had two IV lines in my right hand/wrist, so they had it braced to keep me from accidentally bending it.

Jacob came by not long after I woke up.

One night in the ICU was more than enough. So many tubes, monitors beeping,  nurses coming in and out. Sleeping is nearly impossible.

This lovely tag was to remind us that I was the only one allowed to push my morphine pump. 

About 8am the next morning (Saturday) the ICU nurse had me sit up and move to a chair for the first time. It felt about as  awful as my face implies, yes.

She checked my back out... not much to see, though, considering how much tape Dr. Hanscom had on there. 

After a bit of breakfast, a physical therapist stopped in to give me some pointers on moving around safely.

The full view of my ICU room.

Right hand IV line. When they took it out, I was genuinely disturbed by how long the needle was O.o

In case I forget my name.

The lovely hemo-vac contraption that collected the fluid and blood coming out of my incision.

Just a few minutes after the PT guy left, they loaded me up to move out of the ICU.

That chair was the most brilliant thing ever...

The view from my new room; Immaculate Conception Parish, where my parents and I stayed for a Seattle area missions trip two summers ago :)

Catching up on texts from friends.

Still Saturday, my occupational therapist, Stephen came by and took me for a walk, then made me change my socks. At the moment, it felt like he might as well have asked me to climb Everest. But surprisingly, it wasn't that difficult. haha

Beautiful flowers sent by the Newcomb family. Little did they know, those are all of my favorite colors!

Saturday evening I had a visit from my Uncle Doug and Aunt Cindy.

Who wouldn't want to see these people in the hospital?

Cindy left a humorous and inspirational message on my white-board :)

Sunday morning the nurses came in, removed the tape, and took out the hemo-vac line. Quite the process; they gave me extra drugs for it. 

A little later that morning, Stephen came back to take me for another walk...

...he also took me through some range of motion testing.

Just about when we thought I'd get a break and some lunch, another PT guy dropped in, and took me out to try stairs...

...as well as picking things up off the floor. My mom thought that was overkill. 

Sunday afternoon we had special visitors; the Hanley family, in town from Illinois! I was so thrilled to see them :)

My Aunt Jo also came by Sunday afternoon...

...we wrapped up this visiting session with pictures, of course. 

Definitely was ready to get back in bed after people left. This was my night nurse two evenings,  Olga.

Spine before...

...spine after!

Immaculate Conception Parish at sunset :)

Had to include at least one picture of hospital food. 

Monday arrived, and by 9am my dad and Josh had rolled in. Josh hung out with me while my dad went to work, which allowed my mom to go for a much needed walk...

...and by Monday evening, we were packing me up and checking out of the hospital.
Along with some help from Josh :)

...I'm not sure which one of us was more thrilled to be going home early!

My dad picked us up, and then endured my mother's worried backseat driving all the way home from Seattle. Honestly, it wasn't too bad of a drive, though. They gave me extra drugs :P

Went past the church on the way out.

Home, and all settled in with... hmm... 7 or 8 pillows!

A few days after I got back I had my first visitors;  Hailey and Brit :)

Walking to the mailbox was a necessary daily activity.

Two weeks post-op, my mom and I went to walk the Orting Trail!
I completed my goal of making it far enough to see the cows, which we think was about a mile total :)

Father's Day at my grandparent's house was one of my other outings early on...

...Jacob and I with Grandpa :)

19 days post-op we went out for lunch and to the zoo!
Josh and I are standing on Australia, where we will be 7 months from when this picture was taken! :D

Yes, we have proof that my mom was along :)

 That's all for now, folks!