Tuesday, June 15, 2010

My Kingdom for A Bike

A couple weeks ago, we made an exciting purchase.

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Walmart was having a sale and we got these for just $85 each. I have always loved to ride bike but I haven’t owned one in over ten years.

Happily, Manteo is a bike town. It is almost a requirement that you have a bike here. You are not even allowed to buy a home, or shop in the local stores, or even breathe the Manteo air unless you have a bike. And I’m not even kidding!

So my love for bikes and moving to a town that love bikes all conspired together to bring about the result you see above: His and Hers bikes.

As I’ve mentioned before, we live about a block from the town’s biking/walking trail which is a lovely place to ride.

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We can stay on the trail and ride for a very long time or . . .

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. . . we can turn off the trail about three blocks from our house, ride a couple more blocks and then find this.

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Lovely scenery to admire. Wonderful company to share. Multitudinous calories to burn. Invigorating fresh air to breathe. God’s creation to appreciate.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

___________________________________________

To follow up on my (pitiful) post from last night, I am still in some pain today from the saline fill yesterday. I spent the whole morning in bed, knocked out by a pain killer. I’m finally awake and semi coherent but not yet feeling real zippy.

And since I’m on the subject, let me answer a couple “saline fill” questions that were asked yesterday.

Q. Amy said: OUCH poor Becky, I must know, are the expanders a permanent "fixture" or do they remove those nasty little painful things? Did I mention OUCH.

A. Amy, if all goes well, I’ll have one more fill next Monday. Then I have to wait for three months for all the needed skin/muscle stretching to take place. Then my plastic surgeon will schedule me for the exchange surgery which means he’ll take out the saline filled expander and, in its place, put in a permanent silicone implant.

Once I recover from that surgery (which sounds like it would take at least a week or more—I might even have drains again!) I should be much more comfortable. The expanders can start to feel very hard and all the stretching and pulling that goes on is not a real comfortable experience. I heard one lady describe the process as, “Wearing a bra six sizes too small with coconuts in them.” Doesn’t that sound like so much fun?

I’m counting down the days till the replacement surgery day arrives. It should be sometime mid September.

Q. Alyssa said, Forgive me if this is a dumb question, or if I missed it before (which I am sure I did), but when they fill the expander, how do they get to it? Do they have to stick the tube into the port or do you have a tube coming out of the port? Either way...OUCH. Hope you are feeling better!

A. Alyssa, there is a port built into the expander and somehow (using a magnet) the nurse finds where the port is and marks that area with an “x.” When the surgeon comes in, he gives me a little deadening shot in another area of my breast and then sticks the HUGE saline syringe into the port to deliver the goods.

He and his nurse are always chatting away amiably (yesterday it was about herb gardens) and I’m lying there thinking, “Ouch, ouch, ouch.”

Can’t you tell that I am a scintillating addition to their conversational thread?

Today I’ll continue to take it a little easy while hoping that tomorrow will be a bit better. I’ve been told that with each successive fill, the discomfort level increases, simply because there’s more stretching and pulling going on.

So that’s my story! Let me know if anyone has any more questions!

17 Had Something To Say (Just click here!):

Anonymous said...

Whew, your last post made me realize what a long drawn out, painful process this is, not fun knowing it has to be repeated. Don't try to overdo, just be gentle with yourself and let Sarah and Steve take care of you for a while longer.

Jean C.

foobs said...

Oh - what a beautiful place! What a gorgeous bike trail! Enjoy!

And yeah, the fills get more "uncomfortable" as you go bigger. :/

foobs said...

Oops - I was logged in with my blogger id (foobs). This is Stefanie in St. Louis. :)

Love Being A Nonny said...

I love your bikes! My husband rides the fancy kind...but I have been thinking about getting a simple one like yours! This inspires me!

Continue taking one day at a time. I still pray for you when I see your name pop up here!

Becky, UK said...

*hugs* to you, it sounds horrible! I guess the doctor and nurse must deal with thsi everyday but to you it must be quite traumatic, especially with everything else that you've been through lately!
Bless Sarah for her housekeeping & taking care of you - she's growing into quite the little adult - don't they grow up far too quick. My godson is 2 going on 20 - he told me off for leaving my shoes on in the house the other day, hehe :)!

No questions - but that description of the saline syringe incurred a mental picture that is not going to go away anytime soon :(!

Anonymous said...

I join with the gals who say OUCH, which you have rightfully said at least 100X's, I am sure. It was hard to visualize and then literally painful when you showed the diagram. I will continue to pray for strength to face each new day and each new medical hurdle. And for your healing! Your dear family is also in my prayers!!! Dorine
Deut. 31:6

Anonymous said...

Hey Stefanie in St. Louis, this is Jean C. from St. Louis too- I live in Wildwood/Chesterfield, work downtown but starting next week our whole law firm is moving to Clayton. Just wondered what area you are from?

Jean C.

Anonymous said...

Hey Stefanie in St. Louis, this is Jean C. from St. Louis too- I live in Wildwood/Chesterfield, work downtown but starting next week our whole law firm is moving to Clayton. Just wondered what area you are from?

Jean C.

Nancy(bratt) said...

Becky
I have a question for you. Actually its about your port. Well, as you know I have had many central lines, both PICCline and Groshong. Right now I still have my Groshong in my chest, and even after 4 dealings with sepsis line infections, we were able to save the line. Well, what I wanted to ask you is, is your port a central line? If it is, do you have the same dangers of line infections like me? Is the port going to be taken out when you are through with Saline? Or will it stay. The reason I ask is very personal, and I just wanted to ask you.
Love and hugs
Nanny

Ann Martin said...

What beautiful pictures of Manteo!! Makes me want to move and get a bike. We don't have any place here to ride safely and with such scenery. Guess there must be a Walmart near by. Take care and enjoy the fresh air.

Karo said...

Ooh I'm envious of those views. :) I've always wanted to live near the coast. I'll be looking all around NC for a teaching position next year so maybe I'll get lucky. ;)

Anonymous said...

I will say it again Becky, OUCH, but at least there is an end in sight to the nasty little expanders, and I hope you don't have to have drains again, even if it is better the next go round those little vices also look not so comfortable, and a lot of OURCH to go along with it. And that is it, after seeing those pictures I think I need a permanent vacation to manteo, it looks so peaceful, soothing and laid back, and did I mention very pretty and peaceful. Oh, I did say peaceful, but that part just needs to be repeated

MaryH said...

Becky, I hope you are feeling better today and in no pain. I am glad that you are getting closer and closer to the end of this ordeal and you have done it with honesty, grace, patience and strength. I have learned much from you once again. You have endured much. Sarah's care for you was so heartwarming. She is such a doll. I hope Snowy did his part also.

Okay, I want to sit in one of those chairs at the end of the pier....that has to be close to Heaven, if not it is certainly part of paradise. What a beautiful and charming town - how lucky you are that God waited for your family to be the one that Manteo needed!

Stefanie in St. Louis said...

JeanC - Hiya! I live in South City in the Bevo area & work downtown. :)

NancyBratt - if I may answer your port question (I'm bad about jumping in...), no it's not a central line. It's just a "port" into the expander.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE your bikes!!!! Kinda more my generation" style ... and the seats actually look comfortable. Beautiful pics - love the chairs on the dock and what are those beautiful red flowers? So sorry about your "discomfort" ( sounds like an understatement!), but HURRAH for pain meds when needed.

Love, Guerrina in Ledyard, CT

Nancy(bratt) said...

To Stefanie
Do they take it out when she's done? Or will sh always have it?

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