It got alot worse before it got better!

So there I was confidently telling you all I was home and back in business - boy was I wrong - on both counts. I had a bit of an ummmm setback! The Friday before last I started vomiting uncontrollably and was shipped pronto back to hospital - back then I thought that vomiting with a split open chest was pretty bad on the bad stakes but no no no that was just he beginning! So they put me on the drip and I lay comatose for 2 days and then started to feel a weencie bit better - but then it started - the cough - cough cough cough cough cough cough cough. Ouuuuuuuch - it got to the stage that I couldn't even speak without ending up on oxygen. A late night X-ray revealed that my right lung was completely drowned in fluid. Apparently during the original operation one of my lymph glands was damaged on account of the marauding thyroid being wrapped around everything in my chest. It had been sewn up but had obviously split open again. So in went the chest drain again and out came 3.5 litres (almost 15 cups of fluid) - NOT an experience I wish to repeat. And then came the long days on the tube. For 8 days - including Christmas I was hooked up to suction, draining the liquid that kept dripping into my chest cavity. For 8 days I could only move between my bed, my chair and the bathroom. My days passed in very teensie tiny units of time! But finally finally yesterday the tube came out and x-rays so far show I am managing to deal with the little bit of fluid still dripping. As excruciating as it was at times, I could only keep thinking how much worse it could be. At least I knew I was going to get better, at least I knew I would go home and you know I had been hanging out for my break in December and boy did I get a break - 8 days plugged into a wall unable to do anything much but read, watch TV and think think think! I was pretty devastated when I learned I would be spending Christmas day in hospital but the thought was actually much worse than the reality. The kids had their Santa presents at home which I watched later on video and then they, Pete and mum and dad came in an opened all their other presents with me. After that I was pretty much exhausted and ready for a rest and then I spent a quiet evening with Pete. So for the next few days I am just going to take it easy easy easy and hope that I get to stay home now - I leave you with some pictures with our 'memorable' Christmas :)