Once I was fully awake in my room in the ICU Unit, I peeked under my bandage. I had 30 staples running up the length of my abdomen, from my girly parts up and around my belly button. Bye-bye belly ring! 🙁
As I adjusted myself to get more comfortable, I noticed that I wasn’t able to extend my left leg. I thought it was tangled in the sheets, so I lifted the covers and pushed my leg forward. It didn’t move. The top of my thigh was numb and the sides were tingly. I panicked. This became the new focus for me. Forget the 30 staples! Forget cancer! My leg won’t work!!
I alerted the nurses, and anyone else who entered my room, and soon had a consult with a Neurologist, and a team of Physical Therapists. The diagnosis: Nerve damage. The cause: Unknown. The prognosis: Undetermined.
I was given a walker and had daily exercises with the physical therapist. One night in the hospital bathroom, I made the wrong move and ended up on the bathroom floor. It scared me and made me realize how vulnerable I was, and how dependent on others I was going to be. This new challenge became my new focus and I was determined to overcome it!