It is rough, though, when I cough.  It feels like I'm gonna split my chest right open again; I am basically wired shut.  I have to hold a big, pillow-soft teddy bear hard to my chest, to absorb some of the shock upon my mutilated breastbone.  It is going to be rough for a while, but I know with God's help I will make it.  

I've made it through the surgery itself; what's some little coughing going to do??  Compared to the trauma my body suffered from my surgery, what I am facing now is nothing: it is all gravy from here on out; the rest of my recovery should be easy street.

I just saw my doctor today.  Dr. Arpad Mahapatra has informed me that I will be going home later today!  He is very pleased at how far I've come since my surgery on Tuesday (it's now Sunday, nearly five days later).  I went into the hospital on Sunday of last week, Tuesday was my surgery, and now, five days later, one week since I came to the hospital, I will be going home!

Home!  What a beautiful word!!

My husband will be coming by to pick me up later this afternoon.  Until then, I can entertain myself and count the hours down until D-day: Discharge Day!  And today is IT!! T-minus six hours (or so) and counting down until I am officially "sprung" from the hospital!!

Yay!!!!!

Before I go, though, Dr. Mahapatra will go with me the instructions he will give me upon release.  I will then sign the discharge papers and get some prescriptions, and then I should be on my merry way!  I won't be doing the 8-minute mile or jogging anytime soon; my recovery period can take as long as up to a year (though quite a few people heal much faster than that).  I will have to take it easy and lay low until my body heals more.

Good thing I'm a pretty patient person.  At least I will have my husband (and our army of cats) to keep me company and nurse me back to health!  I will also have the company of my family from church and friends and neighbors who will probably stop by and offer to help out, to take some of the load off my husband!

I just thank God I survived the surgery; heart surgery is major business and so many things could have gone wrong; yet I sailed through the period beautifully.  Although I was in Intensve Care for several days, my vital signs behaved themselves, and I was able to be placed into a regular room on the cardiac (heart patient) floor three days later and spent two and a half days here on the regular adult/medical floor, in a regular hospital room with no machines or tubes to bother me (other than the IV, of course, which still resides in my hand, until the nurse takes it out prior to my discharge later today).

I thank God for the miracle he has granted me: a second chance at life!  I am so happy right now I could just cry!!

~To be continued.~