Turning a Corner

I am starting to recognize these patterns.  I wake up with a belly full of bubbles, go to the bathroom, and begin to heave a little. Nothing comes up. That's a good sign. No more vomiting, just the retching. This will start to subside...it'll take some time, but like last time, the reflex faded away and life proceeded like normal. I eased into some solid food today because I'm ready to dive right back into life the way it should be, and I even sat outside to collect my daily dose of vitamin D.

I have not been on any pain killers so I feel a bit liberated from everything. I can move with really no pain. I'm still a little sore at one of the entry points, but to be expected. I am still incredibly surprised by how easily I managed after the surgery. I fully expected to be down and out for weeks, and yet this was one of the easiest things I've had to experience so far. The stomach issues have caused me more grief and setbacks than anything. And my previous surgery (lumpectomy) was much harder to recover from, too. I am moving around like nothing happened at all! Magical!

Today I had a follow-up chest x-ray to ensure that my lungs are fully cleared after the surgery. The report showed no evidence of pneumothoraxes. That's great!

Speaking of the surgery, in case you are interested, this is the result of my thymectomy. The surgeon came to see me when I woke up from the anesthesia and he reported that everything went well and that he took a picture of it. I was excited to see what he removed, so I'm sharing it here with you.  Feel free to look away if you're squeamish.