The day after the big day!

First, thank you all sooo much for the prayers and well wishes! I'm home now, got out at about 11am this morning. Surgery went well, took all of my right lymph nodes and didn't have to take my jugular. I'm cut from behind my right ear to about my thyroid area, but he did a wonderful job and it doesn't look too bad! I don't have stitches or staples, it's glued so I can shower and take baths, just can't soak it. I woke up with one drain which they removed this morning before I left. Pain-wise...lots of swelling, but I'm icing it and that helps lots. Throat is pretty torn up inside, it feels like someone punched me and it's bruised, I have no voice, but doc says thats from the tube and the fact that I still have radiation burns, not the surgery itself. They were giving me Demerol (spelling?) in the hospital but it made me throw up (which was just loads of fun with my neck the way it is) so we're back to Lortab 7.5/500's which I seem to tolerate fine and is controlling the pain quite well. Will probably add some Motrin to that right before bed to help with swelling. Also had planned to get the PEG tube removed while in the hospital but decided against it, I need to suppliment nutrition for the next few days until my throat can tolerate more than soft foods again. Got the phone call from my ENT at about 4:30 today, the initial pathology reports show ALL CLEAR!!!!!!!!!! Of course they still have to do some more detailed screening, but as of right now, I AM CANCER FREE!!! And I cried the whole time I was on the phone with the doc. Happy tears!

So to anyone who reads this that is just starting out or in the middle of it...you CAN do it! And for now, the hard part for me is over.....

Love and hugs to all!
Karen