Blueberries, fireworks, and the apartment shuffle...

Wow, American blueberries. I love them so much. Can't get enough of them!!

Wow, fourth of July fireworks, very awesome!
(Robert took me for a 10 minute walk on the FDR drive where we are staying, in the wheelchair, and we had a great view!)

Wow, what a whirlwind this has been.

You'd think that it's enough drama when you have major massive abdominal surgery in a country you don't live in, and need to stay there, leaving your children on another continent, for an entire month. Yeah, well that is a lot of drama.

But what's even more drama? Thinking you have a place for your recovery for the month, and then being told otherwise. We had gotten comfortable there, in the apartment that was set up for us to be in for the month of July. We had it alone, and it was quite comfortable. But then, completely out of the blue, the people who own the apartment, who are away at a summer camp for July, got a message to us (didn't tell us directly) that the man of the family must return to the apartment for his work, and we must vacate. Ugh! It was so shocking, really, you can't imagine. I mean, where are we supposed to go? We have to stay close to the hospital here in the lower east side of New York (NYU), and we don't have hardly any connections like I used to have in my younger days. This was crazy, we had to leave that apartment within a day.

But, as we know, Hashem works in mysterious ways. The woman who made the connection for that apartment for us in the fist place, also lives in the same building. When we told her what happened, she immediately invited us to stay with her and her husband. Her children are away at summer camp, so they have a free room. We called another connection, too, which still might work out, but in the interim we moved all our stuff (not a small amount) into the other couple's place and are all cohabitating easily, B"H. They are going away for the weekend, so we'll have the space to ourselves, which is nice, but it's also really nice to be with these people. Interestingly enough, I knew this woman 25 years ago, back in our single days in Jerusalem! We were friends (through my dear friend Devorah who was there at the time, too), so we are really getting re-acquainted here now, which is very special.

But the --brother-in-law in Brooklyn-hospital-hotel-apartment-different apartment-maybe other apartment (as yet unknown)-- shuffle is draining me and Robert. He's the one who has to do all the shlepping, poor guy. I'm not allowed to use my stomach muscles at all, so that is very limiting. You'd be amazed at how much you use your stomach muscles. But since mine have been all rearranged, we want them to heal. It's been mentally trying, though, more than physically trying, this apartment ordeal. I knew going into this that we didn't have a very secure plan, but then one fell into our laps and we thought we were set. Nope. It's a little chaotic, and hard to be a guest when recovering from surgery, but we're managing.

My recovery is going pretty well, I think. The doctor last week was very happy with it, and I'll see him (I believe he'll be there rather than just his medical assistant) this Thursday. I feel like things are going along OK, though. There are times of more pain and times of less, and I still average one pain pill a day (Oxycodone), which is awesome compared to right after surgery. He did a great job.

When we take off the pressure wraps and bandages for me to shower (yay, drains are out! I can shower!) I barely recognize my body. It looks normal; whatever that means for everyone. But for 12 years it looked (and felt) not at all normal. I can't believe the skin graft is gone and that there is muscle in gapey and my upper thigh. I just can't believe it, honestly. I am not used to this at all. Taking the soap gingerly to my incisions puts my hands over a body that is just totally re-formed. I never thought I'd do this surgery, never thought I'd have a normal body. Hey, now I can go back to my belly dancing career! :) Ya. Moving along....

I am pleased with the result. And feel so much better that the muscles are all rearranged and covering my innards. It will make my life safer for many reasons, and healthier, please G-d. And, in 4-6 months, we'll know if the abdominal pain I have suffered from spanning two years (minus the Mayo clinic steroid shots) might be over forever. If it was from the folded-over mesh, or the clips, that has all been taken care of now. Unbelievable, really. Unbelievable. I found the right surgeon, at the right time. Nobody in Israel was willing to do this. So, here I am. And here you are with me. :)

We are invited out for both meals for Shabbat from people in this building (it's a very heavily Jewish building), so it will be nice to meet new people. But I really need to rest, so we won't stay long.

Shabbat Shalom to all!
(or Shavuah tov to my Israeli friends and family who are reading this after Shabbat!)