Recovering...

I'm sure all of my readers are dying to know how my surgery went this go 'round.  I have been dying to tell you....it went FLAWLESSLY!  I woke up in the recovery room from the anesthesia feeling BETTER than the day before the surgery....this was AFTER they sliced my head open for a second time and stapled me shut with about 30 staples.  I would have lept out of bed and danced a jig if it weren't for the cannula inserted in the lumbar region of my spinal cord.  I was on strict bed rest for 72 hours...this is as bad as it sounds.   Never used a bed pan before....never want to again.  *sigh*  I walked out of the hospital this time feeling ready to conquer the world.  It was stark contrast to my first surgery.  I'll never forget my husband wheeling me out to the truck as I wondered why I felt so much worse than when I went in.  But enough of that!....life is calling.... 

That is me on day 1 of being back home.  A friend of mine on Facebook joked I should have had them install a zipper.  It made me laugh quite hard...which made me realize that no zipper was required.  After the first surgery, laughing, coughing, sneezing....they all made me feel like my head was being ripped open by tiny mischievous imps.  This time around smiling, laughing...the occasional cough or sneeze, didn't give me a moments pause.  I was on an outing with my Mister by day 3 to pick up some vitamins at the local market and by day 5 we were down in the states grocery shopping.

This is the back of my noggin....day 14.  My but my hair DOES grow quickly doesn't it??

I can't say enough about my surgical team.  I love them like they are my family.  A lot of people challenged my decision to have a second surgery in Canada...citing the fact that I had to have a second surgery at all as reason enough to have it done in the United States instead.  But I knew in my heart that my surgeon and his team were the ones that were going to give me a chance at life.  The cause for a second surgery were complications during the recovery...not the surgery.  My neurosurgical team was made up of 3 of the best surgeons in the whole country of Canada.   

I prayed about the first surgery...I prayed about the second; my path was sure.  Quite frankly, having this whole experience has strengthened my trust in my personal connection with the Spirit of the Lord and my knowledge of there being purpose in life.  I'm not done yet...I knew that back in February before I took my first breath of anesthesia.  I have NO idea what ALL there is to my particular purpose, but...that's half the joy in life.  Finding out!

I am still on lifting restrictions...and exercising restrictions until the middle of July for sure.  I hope to be released from the restrictions after they confirm with a CT scan that everything healed properly during this recovery.  So please keep your fingers crossed, say your prayers or send happy healing vibes...whatever you prefer.  I need them and I appreciate them.  I have felt all of the love and thoughts throughout this year from all of you and I am beyond grateful.

I am SO excited to be able to get back into the kitchen and out into the community and share all the wonderful food with you, my readers.  I have missed the whole of spring and all of the wonderful yumminess that accompanies it, but I plan to rectify that FULLY now that summer is officially here.  I will do my best to bring you the best of Ottawa and the surrounding area and share some of the best homemade recipes I have to offer.  Just to let you in on some of what I have coming up, this year I will be making and canning jams and jellies for the very first time.  Strawberry rhubarb jam, crab apple jelly and raspberry jam....and I can't wait!  I will be doing my best to continue to bring you versatile recipes for those of you that live a dairy free or vegan lifestyle.  I love that most of what I post from home can be made with or without dairy and still turn out perfect.  Its important to me that people know that eating the way that is best for their body doesn't have to mean food looks gross or drab...it can still be beautiful and taste like it was made in a Michelin star restaurant.