Your Spin, Renee

Just two short weeks until the next trip north to the Mistake by the Lake, our dear sister city, Cleveland, Ohio.

Renee’s energy level has been pretty low for the last few weeks. Maybe it’s due to allergies or a mild case of the flu or anxiety over the next phase of this crazy game of slice and dice. Or maybe it’s just her family moving to town that’s wearing her out. She is spending a lot of time running back and forth between houses. It sure as heck couldn’t have anything to do with me.

Another thing wearing her out is the big post-Surgery Two frustration. Renee has not gotten used to the new stoma and how it drains. The site is still raw and constantly reminds her it is there. Going from the highly complimented and easy to deal with stoma that she had following Surgery One to this evil looking sewage snake that refuses to heal has been quite maddening. She’s looking forward to the reversal of the temporary ileostomy and getting her plumbing re-connected.

Renee’s gastro-doc has warned her of some of the drawbacks of the new set-up. She’s got to re-train all of those muscles in her behind to work like they should. She is supposed to be doing kegel exercises. Are you Renee?

One of the strange side effects the doctor did not warn us about has taken complete hold of Renee. It seems that the temporary need to holster her rump in incontinence catchers has pushed her psyche higher up into the AARP range. Her new favorite TV show is Wheel Of Fortune. I’m thinking of dropping her off at the Senior Center every evening at 7:00 so she has some like minded folks to enjoy Pat and Vanna with. If I catch her watching Murder, She Wrote, Quincy, M.E. or Matlock, I’m just dropping her at the dog track with a note pinned to her sweater. I think her new curls are wound a little too tight. Hopefully, like her hair loss this is a temporary malady.

As we’ve found out with the previous surgeries, the future is all a mystery. You can read all about what may happen but every patient handles their own set up differently. It works great for some and fails for others. After all Renee’s been through we’re hoping the third surgery's a charm. Whatever the final level of success, I can guarantee you that there will be plenty of sh** to talk about.

[That's the second post in a row I've used that same dirty word. You'd never hear that kind of language on any of those shows mentioned above. That salty tone has no place here either so don't get used to it. Oh never mind, anyone who was offended stopped reading at the Wheel of Fortune paragraph. Have a great day!]