Days 4- The Journey Home

Will you look at that swelling!!!!  Moon face.
 These are taken right before we left the hotel to head to the airport. At this point, I had not had any substantial food since Sunday evening and this was Thursday morning. I needed calories if I were going to make it on this long journey home! Hubby went down to Starbucks and got me a Mango smoothie. YUM. Let me tell you, that was the most delicious smoothie I had ever tasted even though I had to drink the entire thing through a 10 ml syringe!!!
At this point, my face is so numb that I cannot use my lips at all, so I am unable to use a straw. I have some good purple bruising coming on as well.
We made it to the airport with plenty of time to depart since I wasn't moving all that fast. We had to drop off the rental car, walk to a bus, ride the bus to the terminal, then get our tickets. I was wiped out before we even got on the plane. I had my ice packs coddled against my swelling face as I patiently waited for my wheelchair to arrive. I had arranged for this ahead of time and I'm really glad I did. They wheeled me through security and on to my gate.

The plane ride itself wasn't too bad. My ears popped on the way up, but  not on the way down. THAT was painful, but endurable. I just put my ice packs on and my head down and rode it out.
Once on the ground in California, we had to drive 5 hours to get home. Again, we had to get our luggage, ride the shuttle bus to the long term parking, then drive the distance. I guess I just gave in to the fact that this is the way it is.  I knew that I was absolutely miserable the entire trip, though I also knew that we had to get home. These are the plans I made, so this is how it had to be done.

The car ride home was definitely the most miserable thing I have ever done in my life. I have had six babies, gone through Nursing school and yet I would've gladly done all of that again to not make that drive home! Well, maybe not all six births, maybe just one........... (and now that I truly think about it, nursing school was a nightmare I really don't want to relive!!)

I told my husband I felt like we were riding in a stage coach going full throttle down a bumpy road. We stopped every once in a while to refill the ice packs, but other than that, we just drove!
By the time I got home, my pain was the worst it had been since surgery, 10/10. I snuggled up in my bed and passed out!!
My sweet #6 child came in, held my hand and assured me that I would get through this and tomorrow I would be feeling better. He had a gift of comfort that way.
It was good to have all of it behind me now and everything ahead was the road to recovery.