Keep on Truckin'

 

We are getting back to normal daily life as Terry heals from his prostatectomy. He had sprung a leak a few days ago, and we are waiting for the plumber to come and plug his stomach wall up again. I am kidding, of course. He did spring a leak though. The doctor says it is normal for pockets of fluid to form underneath tissue after this type of surgery. Periodically, the fluid will burst through the incisions and the leaking begins. As long as there is no fever or no blood flow with the fluid, or maybe even redness and swelling around the incision, then we are to just wait and see what happens. It will end on its own. 

Meanwhile, my poor man is walking around looking as though he is lactating, except down by his stomach. Can guys lactate through the belly button? It's a mess for him but he rolls with it all like a trooper. Like he said, "I will accept this and not complain. It's better than having cancer." And he is absolutely, 100% correct in that. Our blessings do overflow. 

The doctor made a feeble attempt to put a large gauze pillow on the incision and tape it up. Nah, that's not going to work. By the time we got home (about 10 minutes later), the gauze was already soaked and so was his shirt. Epic fail there. So, we watch it drain and we keep on truckin'. 

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Yesterday (Friday, July 17), was our monthly wedding anniversary date. Terry never fails in surprising me with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers each and every month on the 17th. This month is no different. I returned from a double run I did and was already very hot. Sitting next to Terry, we began to chat. He got up suddenly and asked me to hang on a second. Within a few seconds, out he came with a bouquet of white lilies, most of which had not bloomed yet. The buds that had not opened yet made this arrangement perfect. That means over the next few days, I will get to see more of them open up and enjoy fresh bloomed lilies for even longer. And the scent of these lilies fills the office with a beautiful reminder of Mother Nature's magic and of how much I truly love my man.

As each bloom opens, more of the wonderful lily aroma floats through our office, making it pleasant to work in the space. That floral arrangement also reminds me of our shared love and companionship, so the longer it lasts, the better. Each day or every other day, there will be another bloom opening up to suggest that sentiment and that makes this bouquet extra special. 

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Terry went outside to smoke a cigar and read his book on Thursday evening. Nothing out of the ordinary there, but what happened next had my jaw hanging open. Togo, our Siberian husky, is a comical guy in personality at times. He can make me laugh but I especially feel a deep sense of love for him. Huskies are pretty amazing pups. But tonight was different. Mr. Comedy put on another show.

I was watching a documentary on Netflix called Inside a Dog's Mind. It was a good watch and I'm very happy I did put it on my list. During the docu, they began talking about communication between dogs and from dogs to humans. It was an interesting topic, and I was listening intently to the opinions of the experts they had on the show. 

As the program continued, there were a few dogs barking. That captured Togo's attention as well. His ears perked up and eyes were focused on the television that he typically ignores. Then, it happened. A group of Siberian huskies appeared on the screen and began their synchronized howl. Togo ran for the TV. I giggled. I had never seen him so interested in the TV before. 

He watched intently as the sled dogs spoke between themselves in howling form. At this point, he was standing with his nose about eight inches from the screen. Suddenly, the song of his people stopped as the huskies disappeared, and a greyhound came into view. The greyhound was barking, followed by another breed who was howling. As the dog was speaking to Togo, it ran to the far side of the screen, and then, oh, no. It left the picture. Togo lost his mind. 

Our curious canine ran to the end of the TV and peered around the backside. Then he stuffed his nose into the crack at the bottom of the office door. Maybe his people had gone in there?

His eyes refocused on the screen, where he saw another greyhound running. But where had his people gone? They were singing the song known to his kind, and now? Nothing. Just a greyhound running across the grassy land in front of him. Once he realized the show had disappointed him by removing his pack, he was done. Stupid show anyway. 

I've seen videos of dogs running to the end of the screen and look behind it but wasn't sure how often that happens. I guess it does and I won't question it again after seeing Togo do it. My heart was filled with joy, observing how cute Togo was while watching that show. I'm just sad because he thought he had found someone to run with, to howl with, and to pull a sleigh in the snow as a member of the pack. His excitement was both fun and sad in a truly bittersweet moment. 

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Terry and I chose to go out to eat the other day. We ended up in one of our memorable eateries in Arby's. It's only memorable because of the hilarious boo-boo Terry pulled one day in the restaurant when we first met. If you don't follow the blog, you'll find the story here. We still giggle each time we go into this fast-food eatery. 

***

Terry was relieved when his appointment came around to have his catheter removed. The bag had followed him throughout his days since his surgery on July 6th, and he was so ready to have it taken out. We arrived at the doctor's office on July 16th, this past Thursday. 

Neither of us had actually witnessed a catheter being removed from a man but both of us felt a bit of fear over the pain it may cause from pulling that long tube from the penis. I was set to bolt into the corner with my face planted into the wall should this get too gruesome. If Terry let out a scream, I was set to go bury my head onto his chest, comforting him from there. I hurt all over when thinking of how the removal must feel. 

It actually was not too bad, and that comes from the man who had it done. He stated, "It didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would." That made me happy. The nurse filled his bladder full of water until Terry had a strong urge to urinate. She then informed him she was going to deflate the balloon inside him by using empty syringes to suck out the air. With that, she asked him to close his eyes and take a deep breath. Easy enough. He didn't get much sleep the night before anyway. 

After deflating the balloon up inside his body, she simply pulled on the tube, and it slid right out quickly, and without any screaming (from me), and without blood, so no fainting (once again, me fainting). We were good.

 My man takes medical stuff like a trooper. It's me that I'm concerned about during these visits. I want to, and will, stand by him during any procedure he wants me to, but I pray there won't be fainting, screaming, or bleeding, falling, or worse yet, vomiting. All from me. Yes, I am a wimp. So, sue me. I'm allowed to be. I still show up but there is a lot of bitching, moaning, and crying. Assuming pain is coming soon is my specialty. At least I don't pass out like some do when getting a shot or having blood drawn. I feel like a boss around that little piece of information. Look at me go. So, if you have any type of medical issues where they have to poke you or prod you, cut you open or remove something, then friend, I love ya and all, but I would not call on me for assurance it will be okay. You will find me huddled in the corner with my teddy bear. 

So now my Terry, my sweet man, is cancer free and is also bag free. I am so happy, and so very grateful to the medical staff, especially Doctor Sherwood in Roseburg for the hard work he did on Terry. He kept our husband, dad, and friend alive and that's all I asked for. Bless them all, including the nurses and the anesthesiologist too. This family cannot thank you all enough for the amazing job you do every day. Thank you. 

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Well, it's good to finally see Terry's damn plugged. Not by any type of stitching of his incisions or glueing them shut. He simply ran out of fluid in the pocket that had been creating the drainage. I'm so happy for him, even though it took this long. He stopped flooding his shirts and shorts on July 21. It's been a long road for him so far. But onward he goes. As the saying goes, "Keep on truckin'." And he has. He is a strong human being, a soul who continues to persevere through the bad times that come up in life. Bless his determined heart. 

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Okay, our friends. It's time to close out yet another blog post. We hope each of you are blessed, loved, and shielded from all harm. Stay positive, as life is a blessing all on its own. With love and light, until our next post, please take care of yourselves!

Terry & Vicki Macrae

Leaky old people who love life.