A Shout Out To My Mom

I know I've written about my mother before but I just wanted to give another shout out to my mom again for all that she has done, put up with, and sacrificed for.

She is practically a nurse anymore and could go back to school to be a nurse and pass with flying colors if she wanted to because of her practice with me. I mean, just yesterday she removed a Jackson Pratt (JP) Drain from my leg and let me tell you, those are not always the easiest things to remove because they are so far down into the skin and wound. The tube isn't just barely stuck in there, it probably went 8 inches down into my wound so she had to keep pulling and pulling and she did it wonderfully. She was gentle and it didn't hurt too bad. What an amazing mom!

And on top of that she has to decide what topical medicines to apply on to any breakdowns that cause open wounds in my grafts. She reminds me to take my blood sugar before every meal. She also gives me all my medicine, how much and when they should be taken. I mean she really is practically a nurse. And she is always there when I have my surgeries and always there at the hospital during my time there. She usually gets to the hospital around 10am when visiting hours open and leaves around 8:30 when visiting hours are over. So she sacrifices her job to be there and she sacrifices good rest in order to be there all day with me, even if i'm just sleeping.

So here's a big, loving shout out to you mom for all your sacrifices and neverending love. I love you with all my heart and i thank you from the bottom of my soul for all that you do for me.

Feverishly Cross Stitching

Well it's 5 more days until my next surgery, Round 2 of this procedure. I'm starting to get those nervous and anxious feelings again. Everything just went so well this last surgery that I fear everything's going to go wrong on this next one to even things out.

so to pass my time I have been feverishly cross stitching because 1) it's calming and 2) i gotta get things ready for the bazaar in November and I'm not near ready. Here a just a couple recently completed projects (these are christmas ornaments):

I've completed quite a bit more but those are just a few. Right now I've switched things up a bit and instead of working on christmas ornaments, i'm working on book marks. I think they're going to turn out really cute. And they seem to go by pretty fast so I think I will get a lot done before I go back into surgery.

Successful Number 23!

Round 1 Success!!! Everything went smoothly, which is just unheard of with me. So I'm very happy. I just hope Round 2 of this procuedure goes just as smoothly if not better, if that's possible. So now i'm laid up with a JP drain coming out of my leg:

Looks like it hurts, eh? well yes it does. it's pretty sore.

Here is the actual flap of skin that the doc cut out, thinned out and stitched back down. Doesn't look like a lot but it really is. this piece of skin will then be completely cut off and placed on my neck next week for the second round of this procedure.

I had quite the welcoming when I made it to the Burn Center. Everyone was like, "Hey Sarah! We've been waiting for you!" I had several of the old nurses who originally took care of me come in to say hello so that was really cool. They made me feel like the princess of the burn center :)

And it was quite the surprise when the doctor came in to see me the next morning and said, "How do you feel about going home today?" I was like, "umm...okay!" One of the nurses, Wendy (she calls me her sweet pea) was not very happy about it though cause she had me as her patient for that day and there I was, leaving already!

Well, 7 more days till the second surgery of this procedure. I'm feeling pretty good rightnow, except for being sore and in a little bit of pain.

Hallelujiah for a successful surgery!

The Eve of Surgery

Well, it is the eve before my first of two surgeries. I am goin' ta be in lotsa pain tomorrow and i'm not looking forward to it. I just wanted to say good night to you all before i turn in and won't be able to blog for a few days, until I get home. Then I'll just turn right back around to make the drive back down and go for another round of surgery. But I am scared right now and very nervous. I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight. I don't know how I have ever slept in the past before surgery. Oh sweet sleep, please come to me....and my dear followers, I will write again as soon as I come home. Wish me luck and I'll need all the prayers I can get.

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with My victorious right hand.

After 22 Surgeries, It All Still Gets To Me.

well I went OUT last night and it was really good for me, especially during this stressful time right before surgery. I went out to dinner and a movie with a girlfriend that works with my dad actually. We went to chinese, had great conversation and some laughs and then went to go see The Other Guys at the movie theater where we had some more great laughs. it was really a great movie. But most of all, it made me laugh which was really good for my soul right now. To just not worry about anything for 3 hours. It was really great.

But here I am, the very next day and my stomach is all upset filled with nervousness, stress, anxiety and excitement. I've gone through 22 surgeries and I still get these feelings everytime! See, I'm all used to all the prep stuff but it's when the nurses and anesthiologist comes into my room to take me away to the operating room that my tummy turns upside down. Of course, the anesthiologist gives me some nice drugs to calm me down before we head out and that helps a lot. But then suddenly it's like all those calming drugs he gives me beforehand like disappear cause when they lay me down on the operating table and put th eoxygen mask over my face that I really start to get nervous and my heart races. And then the infamous words..."Now some happy juice Sarah and we'll see you in a few hours." oh God, when am i gonna....and i'm gone before I can even finish my sentence which is intended to be "when am i gonna fall asleep?" But I'm out like a light before I can hardly get the sentence out in my head. I absolutely HATE the anticipation of falling asleep. Not knowing exactly when you fall asleep gives me the great anxiety. Oh and then waking up in such pain! AND usually finding out that there was some kind of complication or something or other. For once, I just want to go to the operating room with a calm tummy and heart and just let myself fall asleep and wake up with minimal pain and to hear these words, "the surgery was an absolute success Sarah dear."

A letter to Jack White

Dear Jack,

My name is Sarah Watterson and I am, I swear to you, your biggest fan....#1. I'm crazy about you and your music. I've been crazy about you and your music for 10 years now. I think you're just incedibly amazing and inspiring. It was because of you, you know, that I went vinyl. I hope you're proud of me for that :)

You have always been the constant in my life. Through a terrible break-up, both my grandparents dying, the scariness of moving to NYC, when i brokedown and had to come home and now this accident, where I was burned terribly and almost died. You have been there, always. Whenever I go into surgery I always listen to you beforehand to calm me down. true story. but you have never left me like others have in my life. you've always been there with your music to help me through whatever situation. And I want to thank you for that.

but mostly, in my writing this, I want to tell you that i want you to come visit me in the hospital. I'd rather you come to la Grande so I can fix myself up and look nice for you :) but when i really think about it, I think I would most benefit from your visit if you came to the hospital one of these times. You know Taylor Lautner visited Nienie Nielson, another burn victim? So i think it's time for you to pay your dues to your number 1 fan. As my friend Carly has said, I think it would be good for your Karma if you did :) I would absolutely die if you visited me. I'd be semi-upset that i would look so terrible for my first meeting with you (cause you don't always look your best in a hospital) but i would soon get over that. Just to be in your private presence I would never forget it and always be grateful for it.

So if you have the time, i know you're done touring right now, I would be eternally thankful if you came to the hospital to see me. BTW, I'm the one you sent your drumsticks and guitar picks to. yup, that's me! I will be in the hospital for a few days starting Aug 20, 2010 and then will return Aug 30th to be in the hospital for at least 5 days. Any one of those times is fine :)

Once again, I love you jack and i love your music. You're absolutely incredible in my eyes.

All my love, Sarahbeth Watterson

Dixie Mountain Camping

Here are some pictures from when we went camping at Dixie Mountain Campground. it was so nice to get out of town and just be free of any stress or anxiety. It was just chill and relaxed. it was a good rest up before my surgery.



our campground....nothing's set up yet.

picking hucklberries

cooking hotdogs for dinner