When you say "I survived" I can't help but think of that meme where the woman wakes up from a coma and texts her friend "I lived b***h". So glad the surgery went well and you are surviving!
I'm so glad you're raising awareness for EDS! You don't really hear about it very often. My mom has it and people don't understand what it is. Slowly but surely we can get the word out!
Oh my gosh, girl, tylenol, after surgery! I'm a recovering opiate addict and it amazes me to see people who are in as intense pain as you refuse narcotics. It's not a bad thing. Just don't let yourself suffer more than you have to. I hope you are recovering as comfortably as possible. It's amazing that you can go through all of this and still stay positive and motivate yourself to create your art. Now I want to get back into crochet! I never had the patience to teach myself patterns.
You must have a high pain tolerance! I had 3 babies naturally, but NO WAY I could have refused pain meds after the surgery you had! I am thankful today that my EDS is less complicated and I can deal with my Pots. You are awesome!
You are AMAZING! I'm waiting to find out if I need a fusion in my neck. It scares me so so much, but watching how you go through everything has truly helped to calm me. You take things as they come and meet every challenge head-on. You give me hope, and for that I am truly grateful.
I usually never comment on things but I feel the need to explain the pre op type and screen test because I love educating people on what I do (Medical Technologist here! Lol). You're right, it does seem silly to recheck your blood type (because that won't change). The screen part is to make sure you haven't developed any new antibodies (sometimes this happens after you receive blood products.) But the main reason you have it done the day before surgery is because that tube of blood is only good for 72 hours and in the rare off chance that you would require a transfusion during/after surgery, they use that tube to crossmatch and find you compatible blood to receive. Hope this helped you understand the reasoning behind it! And I also hope you continue to have a smooth recovery!
Grievousig101 You're not wrong there either about your pre op lasting for 3 months. What it really comes down to is the risk of bleeding during/after surgery. You wouldn't need an active type and screen tube for a procedure where the risk for bleeding is low. But for most major surgeries doctors like to have an active (within 72 hours) type and screen in case the need for blood transfusion does arise. Most of the time it just comes down to either the hospital's blood bank policy or the discretion of the doctor with the timing of that particular test 😊
Christina, you have had a major spinal upgrade! Once you're healed up from this (and your leg surgery), your future PT will strengthen everything - and you can enjoy life with less mobility concerns. :) You're an inspiration. Feel better soon!
Overjoyed to see this. I stopped what I was doing to watch as soon as I saw it. Been praying and so thankful you're coming through this. I know it may be a difficult recovery but just know you're loved and cared for. You are one of the strongest people I've ever seen, absolutely incredible and inspiring! ♡♡♡
Oh, honey, I am so glad you made it thru the surgery, recovery room, your first time walking about. I’ve had several of those spinal surgeries and they are rough. You are handling it much better than I did at your young age. I’ll be praying for you to have a good recovery, knowing how difficult and long it can be. God bless!
You are such a sweet, strong, brave young lady. I accidentally found you as a "recommended" video... Then binge watched a couple more videos. You're an inspiration my dear! Kudos to your family, as well. Hugs from Wisconsin!
Christina- you're super amazing!!! I just got over a pretty big bacterial sinus/bronchitis infection and it totally wiped me out. I can't imagine how you go through everything plus hang in there with the cough like I've had. You really are a brave warrior! I hope you're healing goes really well and you can finally get some relief, after the knee fun of course! Hang in there, you're an amazing and inspiring person!!!
Hi Christina! You are an amazingly strong woman. We are all so relieved to see this video posted. Not surprised that your spine was worse than anticipated... it generally is in these types of scenarios. Very happy to see you in a comfortable home healing now. I hope you can rest and not push yourself to keep up the pace you've been at. This surgery heals best when you give your body a lot of time to rest. I am in Canada and this type of surgery is considered elective here. I need 3-4 levels done, but until I have severe symptoms they won't do it because I have too many complicating health issues. It seems like you do too and yet Dr. H still went ahead. I wish we had coverage for a US consult. Our Neurosurgeons here pick and choose their patients based on success rate. They won't take you on if the job is too complicated. There is no incentive to work on difficult cases - only a down side. They get paid the same amount regardless of the outcome, but if the outcome is negative they can lose their license, or hospital privileges. It is very rare for anyone to sue their health practitioner here too. I am stuck with a degenerating spine, and slowly losing the use of my arms and legs. I send gentle hugs for you and your family, a warm smile of support and a generous helping of pain relief and lastly grace to help you sleep and and heal.
I’m so happy you’re surgery is over and it was successful. I can’t imagine the pain you experience when you cough! Get some rest and let your body heal.
I just had major spine surgery Tuesday and my Neurologist had to revise the initial planned surgery and ended up with a much bigger surgery. I am glad he went ahead and did the complete one and done back fusion.
+Deana Wells I hear ya! I would much rather they do whatever needs to be done while they are in there than having to have another surgery. Best of luck in your recovery! Recovery buddies! 💪💗
I will dedicate my morning Rosary to you. I am Catholic and we pray to Mary so she can ask her son for help. I think you are so strong and have a great uplifting spirit. We are rooting for you!
I’m so glad this part of the healing process has begun for you! Even though the timing is so crappy with the respiratory infection. Its good that you and the anesthesiologist came to an agreement/place of understanding since last week! Although I’m more glad that you’re not as freaked out by your options for intubation, I’m sure being calm(ish) will make things somewhat easier. Your crocheting is awesome; I wish I had the focus to get the hang of it/my wrists and hands could handle it for long enough to get the hang of it. I absolutely agree with you about feeling better/more comfortable with women doing procedures/as my doctors and whatnot. Women just tend to be more soothing to me, especially when you’re going through or about to go through something difficult or uncomfortable. I haven’t been an inpatient at a hospital since I was very young, but i totally agree with you about it not being a place good for healing, especially not for someone who needs a lot of control over the conditions their body is exposed to. And all the protocols are such a pain in the butt.
So glad you have come out the other side of the surgery with a successful outcome! I was getting worried when there hadn't been an update on Instagram. Take care of yourself and I hope you go from strength to strength in the coming days. X
Glad you are back home and able to rest ! When I was in a psychiatric hospital, there was a girl who was not given her insulin for the first 3 days. She was on injections too, so she was to be taking it several times a day. They also took my cane and forces me to be in a wheel chair when non of the rooms or building was wheelchair accessible. They treated us all horribly and I came out more suicidal than ever and 13 pounds lighter, because they couldn't manage my food allergies so I just didn't eat. My room was disgusting ( the floor was covered in sunflower seeds, clumps of hair and there was a chalk board covered in profanity from the previous patient staying in that room) and wasn't cleaned till the 5th day I was there :( My biggest fear is the hospital, which is a huge problem considering my complicated medical case.
Damn, it's so scary that those in most need of care really are at the mercy of whoever happens to be providing for them. What you described sounds horrific, I'm sorry you had to go through that. :(
It is incredibly scary! Especially considering it frequently happens to people who are not mentally capable of speaking up for themselves and communicating their needs. It's been a few years since then, so thankfully each day it gets further from my mind. When i'm in a not so great situation, I like to remind myself that someday it will all be a faded memory.
I am so happy your surgery went so well. You are such a strong, beautiful person both inside and out. Wishing you nothing but the very best on your recovery journey. Prayers and positive thoughts always.
So glad that they managed to do the surgery this time and I am happy that you are ok after surgery as I have been really worried about how you are doing. I hope that this works for you and that the hardware stays tight,I am sorry that it was a bigger problem than you thought but I hope that this solves the issue you was having. You really help me to keep going on and to be more positive. I really love your video's channel and your family. Take care and God bless you all lot's of love from me kelli xxxxxx
Sometimes we nurses and our PCT’s have 7-9 patients to one. It’s just insane. Trying to get everyone their meds on time, and making sure that many people are getting the care and attention that they need is very difficult. We need more nurses!! I’m glad you’re back home and on the mend dear. Thanks for your insight. I watch you and a couple of other chronically ill youtubers for y’all’s insight on how I can be a better nurse 😊 Thanks for doing these videos.
esbeeloola, From a type 1 diabetic who had a scary hospital situation about 14 years ago-the nurses waited hours to bring me insulin, and I was there already because of DKA; the wait made things worse-I thank you! I believe nursing education has come a long way since then, and T1Ds' being on insulin pump therapy is not as rare as it used to be. Thank you again!
I am so impressed you were able to film and edit this weeks vlog following such radical surgery. And I am so excited you are out of the hospital! After seeing your post surgery story on Instagram I was so worried. Please take care of yourself, rest and recover so you can be cleared to return home. You are an incredibly strong young woman and you inspire me. My thoughts and prayers are with you. I hope you feel surrounded by love.
So relieved and thankful to see your vlog this week. The one handed hairstyling made me smile-your sense of humor continues to survive each surgery fully intact! 😆
Peroxide for the blood in your hair! Ask your nurse... dissolves the blood right up, rinse with saline, ta-da! We use it in the ER all the time to clean dried blood out of hair :)
So happy your surgery went maybe not as planned but perfect!! I hope you have a smooth recovery lovely x its really interesting for me watching your vlogs. I am not chronically ill but am on treatment for an opiate addiction and it really opens my eyes and gives me a new perspective watching your vlogs.
Hey you. I’m glad that you had a good surgery. You and i had surgery on the same day! I was having my seconds hip surgery. Here’s to a safe healthy recovery for the both of us 💜.
sound like got a cold too can not believe it took so long for someone to come when fainted im praying it will all go smoothly from day you left hospital you are so amazing and strong sending hugs from the uk
Hello lovely, I'm new here (coming from Chronically Jaquie) I want to say real quick, your crochet skills are amazing (that shawl was gorgeous and omg, I would love to do one of my own now) I hope that you're starting to feel better after that surgery, it looked like it would send a normal person out of their mind! :( you seem like a wonderful and bright young woman and a total fighter, I'll have to watch more of your videos now and follow your journey and give you as much support as I can :)
I’m so thankful they did your surgery and now you can start to heal! I loved seeing you trying to do your hair one handed that was funny. Sending lots of love your way xxx
I’m so glad you’re healing now but you’re surgery is why I’m so scared to get back surgery. I know I need to get surgery but I’m so scared. But I hope you’re getting the relief that you need and that you continue to get better. You’re incredibly brave and strong. Also, your crocheting looks awesome. I teach crochet, knitting a few other crafts. I am actually embroidering while watching UA-cam because my EDS is being awful today. I love the shawl and the colors you picked it’s great! I hope that you’re on Ravelry.com where there are tons of free patterns for you to try, if you’re looking to learn how to read patterns, with lots of great forums.
You are so incredibly brave! And inspiring!! I'm worried about Facet Injections (Cervical Spine) and look what you just went through! That scar...oh it broke my heart for you. I am praying for a smooth and quick healing process for you. I will be anxiously awaiting your next vlog to see how you are doing!
Beth Wade I have had those injections myself. I won’t lie to you but they do smart a bit. Try to stay as relaxed as possible while your doctor is placing the needle. It goes faster if your not tensed up. And make sure you have a driver as they will make you dizzy. If your like me the injections are the test fade for a radio frequency oblation procedure. I will say that that part really sucks for the first day or two. After that it’s not bad. I have had 4 levels/8 nerves done in my C-spine and just had T-10 through L-1 done 3 weeks ago.
HI am new to your channel! I know this is a old video but I needed to comment!! I also have EDS classical type and had a spinal fusion in 2012 it is a tough and painful surgery! Before my surgery I had horrendous shoulder pain and all the way down my arm as I believe nerve was being hit, the surgery thank Gosh took that away! I was in the hospital for a week and in the ICU for five days as my lung collapsed. Yes I also had that crazy drug that makes you forget. I have a picture of me going into the OR smiling at the camera with no memory at all, crazy drugs! I was told having a bit of a fever after surgery is normal I had one too and one after my other surgeries, still a unpleasant experience all together. I am wishing you the best in your recovery and I am praying for you, Gentle hugs from a fellow zebra! I am so impressed with how well you handled this surgery! Take care
You are so bright and positive for what you’ve gone through and it truly motivates me for my next spinal surgery next week. Thank you. You are gorgeous and brilliant never give up ♥️ I wish I knew you so we could be friends
You are just an amazing lady!! 💪💪 So glad u had ur surgery finally n fully n that even though it was more involved that it went well! Lots of prayers for full n speedy recovery!! 💜💜 Btw awesome job on your one handed bun!! :)
Awe look at you my friend! So sorry you have had to go through all of this, but sooooo thankful you are on the other side of it all and recovering! I agree getting "home" is where recovering can take place so much easier and better. Thankful they were able to discharge you in a timely manner! I was actually amazed to see you posed up so much for the week due to the surgery! Keep resting and recouping! As always such an encouraging video!
When you want to move or lift your arms make sure to hold your hand so your thumb is pointing forward in the down position and as your arm goes up the thumb will be pointing backwards. After watching the whole video it was surprising how much our stories were and hospital experiences after our similar surgeries.
I am so happy that surgery went great this time. And you are such a champ getting out of the hospital so quickly after such a major surgery. Like I said you are a Superwoman and you are surrounded with amazing women to whom I am greatly grateful that you have them in your life. You will like always be in my prayers so your recovery will be a great one so your next surgery in march will be a successful one as well 💙😘 I send you a lots of love and prayers from my little piece of land here in Costa Rica from one 🦓 to another one 🦓
Loved when you showed your heart doodles. Made me lol. I could not stop. That needs to be a meme. Sorry it's hard right now on you glad you got it done. 6 hours to get a breathing treatment that's crazy!
GOD bless you ! I had this surgery in 1983, fused from C2 thru T12. Then in 1987 I broke my neck again (type II dens fracture. A.k.A internal decapatation).
happy you are doing well and feeling much better and you look amazing your very beautiful well your one tough cookie keep up the smiles and keep shining you are a true miracle take care god bless and keep it up you will be just fine lots of love to you even though I don't know you your story mad me realize how life is how ppl complain for small crazy nonsense things when we should pray for all the sick to get better have a great weekend.....
Your doing so awesome after your surgery. How long was the surgery? Back in 2011 I had my biggest spinal/brain surgery to date. I was fused at c4-5-6 in 2010 , diskotomy an a titanium plate and six screws. In 2011 my Neuro surgeon had to go back in to remove and replace the disks at c2-3-6-7-t1 and anchor them together before they turned me over and removed the Lamina off each vertebrae so that he could widen my spinal canal. He basically rebuilt my upper spine because they looked like a block tower made by a toddler where the blocks go back and forth. Then he put a titanium rod on either side of the vertebrae and attached them with anchors and screws to hold everything in place. There was a complication during surgery. Some how my tongue was injured and there were 2 slits in it that caused it to swell and compromised my airway. After the 10 hour surgery I was taken to level A ICU where I was kept sedated and they were trying to get the swelling down so I could breathe on my own. I spent 4 days there and dropped down to level B before moving to the Neuro unit. I spent a month in the Neuro unit due to the extreme pain and muscle spasms and letting my tongue heal. It had curved around the breathing tube and as it healed that went away making it harder to swallow. Taking my medication took almost 2 hours. I couldn’t move on my own and thankfully my husband stayed with me. Some of the nurses assigned to me were subpar compared to the others which caused some problems with my care. I don’t know about you,but I find that you get very little sleep while in the hospital. During one of the days in the first week in the Neuro unit my husband needed to run to the store and he was worried about leaving me alone. I told him that I was going to sleep so it would be ok. Well when I woke up before he got back I couldn’t find the call button and the suction thing was out of my reach. I couldn’t talk above a whisper. Even though they have a camera in the room to monitor the patient no one came in to check on me. That was so scary because I was in so much pain, couldn’t get help, needed the bathroom, couldn’t move and felt trapped and helpless. After a month there I spent 2 weeks in physical rehabilitation center to relearn every day tasks and walking. The upper part of my incision was having trouble healing after two nurses back in the hospital had covered it with tegraderm to protect it when they helped me shower and didn’t remove it. The doctor on rounds the next day was ticked off when she discovered it. She had to get this special stuff to remove it. Having all of the titanium hardware and staples and stitches on both the front of my neck and down the back of my head and down in between my shoulder blades makes trying to move interesting especially when you start discovering all the different parts of your body that are numb to various different degrees. I think that was one of the most frustrating experiences. I have a short neck so finding a neck brace that fits and making sure to cover and cushion the incision on the back was an experience. Between not being aloud to stand or move without a wheelchair or walker, finally having a pharmacist who switched my meds to liquid since I couldn’t swallow pills and never knowing when or what foods they would send up on my meal tray the rehabilitation center was a much better experience than the hospital. You said that they screwed something to your head to keep your head from moving, it makes me wonder why that wasn’t done to me also.
God bless you ,,u r very strong wow I watch some of your vlogs an I 😢😢u must have gone through a lot of pain .u have a golden heart keep on going.🙇🙇❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Amen to getting respiratory treatments when you need them. At my last hospital stay, once I began getting my nebulizer treatments every 4-6 hours, I was great! Before that, you would have thought they were hooking up wires in outer space, FaceTimeing the International Space Station just to get the orders in for treatments. You would think it would be as simple as a nurse getting the treatment device, albuterol, connecting a tube, and turning on the air?!
The problem with the emergency button is that so many people hit them when it’s not an emergency so they never actually know when it is and they are usually busy with the non emergencies
Im a newer subscriber but I love your channel so much. I have EDS as well, still waiting on official dx though. Thank you for sharing your journey with us through the ups and downs. I think you are really inspirational and you have helped me so much in not feeling alone while being chronically ill. I’m so glad that the surgery went well. I’m sorry it’s gonna be a harder recovery than expected but I know you’ll make it work with all of your support. Love from Oregon.
They need a fresh blood sample - not for the group, but so they have sample that Isn't off (you can only store it for three days). In the event you need a blood transfusion, they mix a bit of that sample with the potential donor blood to see if it reacts badly or if it is safe to give you.
Hi Cristina , hope you are feeling better ? I know how you feel , I had thoracic spine surgery last November I had T 5 to T 12 done ! I didn’t realize how many levels I was having done so it’s been a lot harder to recover from than I thought !! I started out with a benign tumor on my spine and when they removed it they removed a lot of the lamins and seemed to make my spine unstable ,, so I had cervical 3 and 4 fused and was still having terrible pain so they then did the thoracic surgery , I love to know how you are with pain ? Well I hope you have none !!! I am 55 so much older than you ! , you really manage to look gorgeous throughout the vlogs ! I have only just come across you so don’t know too much about your case ! Wishing you well Cristina , love debs xx
+Deborah Craven Wow, that must have been a difficult series of events! It’s definitely painful. I suspect it always will be. I know you know how painful the thoracic area is. Its very different than cervical surgeries. But im healing. Hope you are well and things are going. Bit better for you 💗
Hey soo glad the surgery went well! I'm happy you had an anesthesiologist you were more comfortable with this time. My mom recently had surgery and the one she had made her even more nervous than she already was going into surgery. Luckly everything went well for her.I wanted to know if you have a p.o. box? I didn't see anything on here or IG.
When you say "I survived" I can't help but think of that meme where the woman wakes up from a coma and texts her friend "I lived b***h". So glad the surgery went well and you are surviving!
I'm so glad you're raising awareness for EDS! You don't really hear about it very often. My mom has it and people don't understand what it is. Slowly but surely we can get the word out!
+Chelsea319 We sure can! Its so under recognized and so much more than just a joint condition. ❤️ All the best to your Mom!!!
Oh my gosh, girl, tylenol, after surgery! I'm a recovering opiate addict and it amazes me to see people who are in as intense pain as you refuse narcotics. It's not a bad thing. Just don't let yourself suffer more than you have to. I hope you are recovering as comfortably as possible. It's amazing that you can go through all of this and still stay positive and motivate yourself to create your art. Now I want to get back into crochet! I never had the patience to teach myself patterns.
You must have a high pain tolerance! I had 3 babies naturally, but NO WAY I could have refused pain meds after the surgery you had! I am thankful today that my EDS is less complicated and I can deal with my Pots. You are awesome!
You are AMAZING! I'm waiting to find out if I need a fusion in my neck. It scares me so so much, but watching how you go through everything has truly helped to calm me. You take things as they come and meet every challenge head-on. You give me hope, and for that I am truly grateful.
I usually never comment on things but I feel the need to explain the pre op type and screen test because I love educating people on what I do (Medical Technologist here! Lol). You're right, it does seem silly to recheck your blood type (because that won't change). The screen part is to make sure you haven't developed any new antibodies (sometimes this happens after you receive blood products.) But the main reason you have it done the day before surgery is because that tube of blood is only good for 72 hours and in the rare off chance that you would require a transfusion during/after surgery, they use that tube to crossmatch and find you compatible blood to receive. Hope this helped you understand the reasoning behind it! And I also hope you continue to have a smooth recovery!
+Erika Tase you heard it here folks! Thank you for taking the time the explain that out. Thats really interesting actually 💜
Cool! Thanks for explaining!
Grievousig101 You're not wrong there either about your pre op lasting for 3 months. What it really comes down to is the risk of bleeding during/after surgery. You wouldn't need an active type and screen tube for a procedure where the risk for bleeding is low. But for most major surgeries doctors like to have an active (within 72 hours) type and screen in case the need for blood transfusion does arise. Most of the time it just comes down to either the hospital's blood bank policy or the discretion of the doctor with the timing of that particular test 😊
Erika Tase tY! Great to know!
Christina Doherty YOU ARE MY HERO! Your GRACE is unbelievable! Sending you healing prayers from Georgia!
Christina, you have had a major spinal upgrade! Once you're healed up from this (and your leg surgery), your future PT will strengthen everything - and you can enjoy life with less mobility concerns. :) You're an inspiration. Feel better soon!
Overjoyed to see this. I stopped what I was doing to watch as soon as I saw it. Been praying and so thankful you're coming through this. I know it may be a difficult recovery but just know you're loved and cared for. You are one of the strongest people I've ever seen, absolutely incredible and inspiring! ♡♡♡
Oh, honey, I am so glad you made it thru the surgery, recovery room, your first time walking about. I’ve had several of those spinal surgeries and they are rough. You are handling it much better than I did at your young age. I’ll be praying for you to have a good recovery, knowing how difficult and long it can be. God bless!
You are such a sweet, strong, brave young lady. I accidentally found you as a "recommended" video... Then binge watched a couple more videos. You're an inspiration my dear! Kudos to your family, as well. Hugs from Wisconsin!
Christina- you're super amazing!!! I just got over a pretty big bacterial sinus/bronchitis infection and it totally wiped me out. I can't imagine how you go through everything plus hang in there with the cough like I've had. You really are a brave warrior! I hope you're healing goes really well and you can finally get some relief, after the knee fun of course! Hang in there, you're an amazing and inspiring person!!!
Wow Christina! You're really impressive!! I know it's super hard work. Sending you lots of love hope you heal quickly!
You need to report that they didn't come for that button. I was a CNA and they usually have 7 minutes max to answer a call bell.
I have been praying for you. I kept waiting on this vlog after I saw the update on your page
Hi Christina! You are an amazingly strong woman. We are all so relieved to see this video posted. Not surprised that your spine was worse than anticipated... it generally is in these types of scenarios. Very happy to see you in a comfortable home healing now. I hope you can rest and not push yourself to keep up the pace you've been at. This surgery heals best when you give your body a lot of time to rest. I am in Canada and this type of surgery is considered elective here. I need 3-4 levels done, but until I have severe symptoms they won't do it because I have too many complicating health issues. It seems like you do too and yet Dr. H still went ahead. I wish we had coverage for a US consult. Our Neurosurgeons here pick and choose their patients based on success rate. They won't take you on if the job is too complicated. There is no incentive to work on difficult cases - only a down side. They get paid the same amount regardless of the outcome, but if the outcome is negative they can lose their license, or hospital privileges. It is very rare for anyone to sue their health practitioner here too. I am stuck with a degenerating spine, and slowly losing the use of my arms and legs. I send gentle hugs for you and your family, a warm smile of support and a generous helping of pain relief and lastly grace to help you sleep and and heal.
So happy to see you out of the hospital and in your recovery mode. You are such a sweetheart.
I’m so happy you’re surgery is over and it was successful. I can’t imagine the pain you experience when you cough! Get some rest and let your body heal.
I just had major spine surgery Tuesday and my Neurologist had to revise the initial planned surgery and ended up with a much bigger surgery. I am glad he went ahead and did the complete one and done back fusion.
+Deana Wells I hear ya! I would much rather they do whatever needs to be done while they are in there than having to have another surgery. Best of luck in your recovery! Recovery buddies! 💪💗
I will dedicate my morning Rosary to you. I am Catholic and we pray to Mary so she can ask her son for help. I think you are so strong and have a great uplifting spirit. We are rooting for you!
I’m so glad this part of the healing process has begun for you! Even though the timing is so crappy with the respiratory infection.
Its good that you and the anesthesiologist came to an agreement/place of understanding since last week! Although I’m more glad that you’re not as freaked out by your options for intubation, I’m sure being calm(ish) will make things somewhat easier. Your crocheting is awesome; I wish I had the focus to get the hang of it/my wrists and hands could handle it for long enough to get the hang of it.
I absolutely agree with you about feeling better/more comfortable with women doing procedures/as my doctors and whatnot. Women just tend to be more soothing to me, especially when you’re going through or about to go through something difficult or uncomfortable.
I haven’t been an inpatient at a hospital since I was very young, but i totally agree with you about it not being a place good for healing, especially not for someone who needs a lot of control over the conditions their body is exposed to. And all the protocols are such a pain in the butt.
So glad you have come out the other side of the surgery with a successful outcome! I was getting worried when there hadn't been an update on Instagram. Take care of yourself and I hope you go from strength to strength in the coming days. X
Continuing to pray for an uneventful recovery with less and less pain each day!!!💜🙏💜
Glad you are back home and able to rest ! When I was in a psychiatric hospital, there was a girl who was not given her insulin for the first 3 days. She was on injections too, so she was to be taking it several times a day. They also took my cane and forces me to be in a wheel chair when non of the rooms or building was wheelchair accessible. They treated us all horribly and I came out more suicidal than ever and 13 pounds lighter, because they couldn't manage my food allergies so I just didn't eat. My room was disgusting ( the floor was covered in sunflower seeds, clumps of hair and there was a chalk board covered in profanity from the previous patient staying in that room) and wasn't cleaned till the 5th day I was there :( My biggest fear is the hospital, which is a huge problem considering my complicated medical case.
Damn, it's so scary that those in most need of care really are at the mercy of whoever happens to be providing for them.
What you described sounds horrific, I'm sorry you had to go through that. :(
It is incredibly scary! Especially considering it frequently happens to people who are not mentally capable of speaking up for themselves and communicating their needs. It's been a few years since then, so thankfully each day it gets further from my mind. When i'm in a not so great situation, I like to remind myself that someday it will all be a faded memory.
I am so glad you are on the other side of the neck/back surgery. Wishing you good and speedy recovery. My thoughts are with you.
Much love ❤
I am so happy your surgery went so well. You are such a strong, beautiful person both inside and out.
Wishing you nothing but the very best on your recovery journey.
Prayers and positive thoughts always.
So glad that they managed to do the surgery this time and I am happy that you are ok after surgery as I have been really worried about how you are doing. I hope that this works for you and that the hardware stays tight,I am sorry that it was a bigger problem than you thought but I hope that this solves the issue you was having. You really help me to keep going on and to be more positive. I really love your video's channel and your family. Take care and God bless you all lot's of love from me kelli xxxxxx
It’s insane how well you take a neck surgery. I get nervous about sneezing.
Right? I panic over EVERYTHING! Literally!
I'm so glad the surgery went well. I was worried about you. I hope your recovery goes super well. You are strong!
Sometimes we nurses and our PCT’s have 7-9 patients to one. It’s just insane. Trying to get everyone their meds on time, and making sure that many people are getting the care and attention that they need is very difficult. We need more nurses!! I’m glad you’re back home and on the mend dear. Thanks for your insight. I watch you and a couple of other chronically ill youtubers for y’all’s insight on how I can be a better nurse 😊 Thanks for doing these videos.
esbeeloola,
From a type 1 diabetic who had a scary hospital situation about 14 years ago-the nurses waited hours to bring me insulin, and I was there already because of DKA; the wait made things worse-I thank you!
I believe nursing education has come a long way since then, and T1Ds' being on insulin pump therapy is not as rare as it used to be.
Thank you again!
esbeeloola yes there is a need for more caring nurses.
You amaze me!!!!!! I've been trying to get out of a funk and seeing you inspires me to just try harder. Thank you. You are always in my prayers.
I am so impressed you were able to film and edit this weeks vlog following such radical surgery. And I am so excited you are out of the hospital! After seeing your post surgery story on Instagram I was so worried. Please take care of yourself, rest and recover so you can be cleared to return home. You are an incredibly strong young woman and you inspire me. My thoughts and prayers are with you. I hope you feel surrounded by love.
So relieved and thankful to see your vlog this week. The one handed hairstyling made me smile-your sense of humor continues to survive each surgery fully intact! 😆
DarkBlue Matter d
Peroxide for the blood in your hair! Ask your nurse... dissolves the blood right up, rinse with saline, ta-da! We use it in the ER all the time to clean dried blood out of hair :)
So happy your surgery went maybe not as planned but perfect!! I hope you have a smooth recovery lovely x its really interesting for me watching your vlogs. I am not chronically ill but am on treatment for an opiate addiction and it really opens my eyes and gives me a new perspective watching your vlogs.
Hey you. I’m glad that you had a good surgery. You and i had surgery on the same day! I was having my seconds hip surgery. Here’s to a safe healthy recovery for the both of us 💜.
That shawl is gorgeous!! Love the leg warmers too
+Raraviel1979 Thank you very much! 💕
Hope you are doing OK
sound like got a cold too can not believe it took so long for someone to come when fainted im praying it will all go smoothly from day you left hospital you are so amazing and strong sending hugs from the uk
Hello lovely, I'm new here (coming from Chronically Jaquie) I want to say real quick, your crochet skills are amazing (that shawl was gorgeous and omg, I would love to do one of my own now) I hope that you're starting to feel better after that surgery, it looked like it would send a normal person out of their mind! :( you seem like a wonderful and bright young woman and a total fighter, I'll have to watch more of your videos now and follow your journey and give you as much support as I can :)
I’m so thankful they did your surgery and now you can start to heal! I loved seeing you trying to do your hair one handed that was funny. Sending lots of love your way xxx
I’m so glad you’re healing now but you’re surgery is why I’m so scared to get back surgery. I know I need to get surgery but I’m so scared. But I hope you’re getting the relief that you need and that you continue to get better. You’re incredibly brave and strong.
Also, your crocheting looks awesome. I teach crochet, knitting a few other crafts. I am actually embroidering while watching UA-cam because my EDS is being awful today. I love the shawl and the colors you picked it’s great! I hope that you’re on Ravelry.com where there are tons of free patterns for you to try, if you’re looking to learn how to read patterns, with lots of great forums.
I hope that you have a smooth and quick recovery. I was thinking about you all week. Happy late valentines Day to you and your Mom!
Sending so much love. Glad it went okay and you are on the road to recovery
Yeahhhhhh Christina looking great. Wow i'm so happy that your walking.
Your style is very unique and cool :)
Hope you're recovering well
Thank you so much for taking the time to edit this! Really hope that you continue to feel better, you so deserve a break x
Such a lovely scarf! Very pretty yarns. Do you have a Ravelry where you put up info on your projects?
So so glad You had surgery and that it went well been praying and will continue to pray that the healing process goes well
Oh my gosh your crochet is so lovely.
Awe I hope you feel better soon.
You are so incredibly brave! And inspiring!! I'm worried about Facet Injections (Cervical Spine) and look what you just went through! That scar...oh it broke my heart for you. I am praying for a smooth and quick healing process for you. I will be anxiously awaiting your next vlog to see how you are doing!
Beth Wade I have had those injections myself. I won’t lie to you but they do smart a bit. Try to stay as relaxed as possible while your doctor is placing the needle. It goes faster if your not tensed up. And make sure you have a driver as they will make you dizzy. If your like me the injections are the test fade for a radio frequency oblation procedure. I will say that that part really sucks for the first day or two. After that it’s not bad. I have had 4 levels/8 nerves done in my C-spine and just had T-10 through L-1 done 3 weeks ago.
I get sedation for injections and epiudurals!!! Makes it easier to deal with.
I take Ativan for my facet injections and have someone drive me there and back. Much easier to deal with it then.
You’re amazing. Take care of yourself sweet girl.
I'm so glad that the surgery went well. Here's to a speedy recovery! Love and spoons
Hey Girl❤️. I’ve been thinking about you all week, so glad to see you on the other side of surgery. You continue to amaze me. Love you!
This is the episode that I initially watched and got so much info from. Thanks for sharing!!!!
Been thinking of you all , Christina!!
HI am new to your channel! I know this is a old video but I needed to comment!! I also have EDS classical type and had a spinal fusion in 2012 it is a tough and painful surgery! Before my surgery I had horrendous shoulder pain and all the way down my arm as I believe nerve was being hit, the surgery thank Gosh took that away! I was in the hospital for a week and in the ICU for five days as my lung collapsed. Yes I also had that crazy drug that makes you forget. I have a picture of me going into the OR smiling at the camera with no memory at all, crazy drugs! I was told having a bit of a fever after surgery is normal I had one too and one after my other surgeries, still a unpleasant experience all together. I am wishing you the best in your recovery and I am praying for you, Gentle hugs from a fellow zebra! I am so impressed with how well you handled this surgery! Take care
You're a champion! So proud of you! Rest well. Prayers coming your way💕
I'm so glad things went okay this time! I'm sorry the recovery is tougher than you first thought. Hope things improve soon!
Randomly ended up here! You are so cute and positive despite what you're going through. I wish you all the best!
You are so bright and positive for what you’ve gone through and it truly motivates me for my next spinal surgery next week. Thank you. You are gorgeous and brilliant never give up ♥️ I wish I knew you so we could be friends
I hope you are recovering smoothly Christina ♡
❤️❤️❤️ the body of a zebra, the heart of a lion!
I'm so glad you can start your healing journey!! Buy I'm so sorry it's rougher than anticipated
You are just an amazing lady!! 💪💪 So glad u had ur surgery finally n fully n that even though it was more involved that it went well! Lots of prayers for full n speedy recovery!! 💜💜
Btw awesome job on your one handed bun!! :)
What an ordeal! I hope you get better and better every day. Happy Belated Valentine's Day.
My prayers are with you. Gentle hugs xxxxx
I have EDS type 3 and was warned i might get bad. You are a inspiration to me
Praying for you!
Prayers for your fast recovery! 🙏🙏🙏♥️
Awe look at you my friend! So sorry you have had to go through all of this, but sooooo thankful you are on the other side of it all and recovering! I agree getting "home" is where recovering can take place so much easier and better. Thankful they were able to discharge you in a timely manner! I was actually amazed to see you posed up so much for the week due to the surgery! Keep resting and recouping! As always such an encouraging video!
When you want to move or lift your arms make sure to hold your hand so your thumb is pointing forward in the down position and as your arm goes up the thumb will be pointing backwards. After watching the whole video it was surprising how much our stories were and hospital experiences after our similar surgeries.
I am so happy that surgery went great this time. And you are such a champ getting out of the hospital so quickly after such a major surgery. Like I said you are a Superwoman and you are surrounded with amazing women to whom I am greatly grateful that you have them in your life. You will like always be in my prayers so your recovery will be a great one so your next surgery in march will be a successful one as well 💙😘
I send you a lots of love and prayers from my little piece of land here in Costa Rica from one 🦓 to another one 🦓
I'm glad you're doing well :)
Beautiful crochet work!
You are amazing Christina!
I wish you the best in your recovery!! Stay strong girl!
You’ve done an awesome job! I hope you liked the photos I sent you xxxxxxx
Tuesday 3-13-18....Praying you are feeling much better. I love your spirit, sweet soul. Spectacular day to you and your loved ones :D
You are so talented!!!
I'm allergic to lidocaine too. They use Septocaine on me and it works great! I had scoliosis surgery, fused T2-L3 with instrumentation.
Loved when you showed your heart doodles. Made me lol. I could not stop. That needs to be a meme. Sorry it's hard right now on you glad you got it done. 6 hours to get a breathing treatment that's crazy!
GOD bless you ! I had this surgery in 1983, fused from C2 thru T12. Then in 1987 I broke my neck again (type II dens fracture. A.k.A internal decapatation).
You are so brave ❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏
happy you are doing well and feeling much better and you look amazing your very beautiful well your one tough cookie keep up the smiles and keep shining you are a true miracle take care god bless and keep it up you will be just fine lots of love to you even though I don't know you your story mad me realize how life is how ppl complain for small crazy nonsense things when we should pray for all the sick to get better have a great weekend.....
Hope you heal fast
Your doing so awesome after your surgery. How long was the surgery? Back in 2011 I had my biggest spinal/brain surgery to date. I was fused at c4-5-6 in 2010 , diskotomy an a titanium plate and six screws. In 2011 my Neuro surgeon had to go back in to remove and replace the disks at c2-3-6-7-t1 and anchor them together before they turned me over and removed the Lamina off each vertebrae so that he could widen my spinal canal. He basically rebuilt my upper spine because they looked like a block tower made by a toddler where the blocks go back and forth. Then he put a titanium rod on either side of the vertebrae and attached them with anchors and screws to hold everything in place. There was a complication during surgery. Some how my tongue was injured and there were 2 slits in it that caused it to swell and compromised my airway. After the 10 hour surgery I was taken to level A ICU where I was kept sedated and they were trying to get the swelling down so I could breathe on my own. I spent 4 days there and dropped down to level B before moving to the Neuro unit. I spent a month in the Neuro unit due to the extreme pain and muscle spasms and letting my tongue heal. It had curved around the breathing tube and as it healed that went away making it harder to swallow. Taking my medication took almost 2 hours. I couldn’t move on my own and thankfully my husband stayed with me. Some of the nurses assigned to me were subpar compared to the others which caused some problems with my care. I don’t know about you,but I find that you get very little sleep while in the hospital. During one of the days in the first week in the Neuro unit my husband needed to run to the store and he was worried about leaving me alone. I told him that I was going to sleep so it would be ok. Well when I woke up before he got back I couldn’t find the call button and the suction thing was out of my reach. I couldn’t talk above a whisper. Even though they have a camera in the room to monitor the patient no one came in to check on me. That was so scary because I was in so much pain, couldn’t get help, needed the bathroom, couldn’t move and felt trapped and helpless. After a month there I spent 2 weeks in physical rehabilitation center to relearn every day tasks and walking. The upper part of my incision was having trouble healing after two nurses back in the hospital had covered it with tegraderm to protect it when they helped me shower and didn’t remove it. The doctor on rounds the next day was ticked off when she discovered it. She had to get this special stuff to remove it. Having all of the titanium hardware and staples and stitches on both the front of my neck and down the back of my head and down in between my shoulder blades makes trying to move interesting especially when you start discovering all the different parts of your body that are numb to various different degrees. I think that was one of the most frustrating experiences. I have a short neck so finding a neck brace that fits and making sure to cover and cushion the incision on the back was an experience. Between not being aloud to stand or move without a wheelchair or walker, finally having a pharmacist who switched my meds to liquid since I couldn’t swallow pills and never knowing when or what foods they would send up on my meal tray the rehabilitation center was a much better experience than the hospital. You said that they screwed something to your head to keep your head from moving, it makes me wonder why that wasn’t done to me also.
Holy you wrote a. Lot
God bless you ,,u r very strong wow I watch some of your vlogs an I 😢😢u must have gone through a lot of pain .u have a golden heart keep on going.🙇🙇❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Amen to getting respiratory treatments when you need them. At my last hospital stay, once I began getting my nebulizer treatments every 4-6 hours, I was great! Before that, you would have thought they were hooking up wires in outer space, FaceTimeing the International Space Station just to get the orders in for treatments. You would think it would be as simple as a nurse getting the treatment device, albuterol, connecting a tube, and turning on the air?!
+Daniel West Ghis literally just made me laugh out loud in public. 😂
Christina Doherty lol 😂 I’m glad! Laughter is some of the best medicine.
The problem with the emergency button is that so many people hit them when it’s not an emergency so they never actually know when it is and they are usually busy with the non emergencies
Im a newer subscriber but I love your channel so much. I have EDS as well, still waiting on official dx though. Thank you for sharing your journey with us through the ups and downs. I think you are really inspirational and you have helped me so much in not feeling alone while being chronically ill. I’m so glad that the surgery went well. I’m sorry it’s gonna be a harder recovery than expected but I know you’ll make it work with all of your support. Love from Oregon.
That zoom when you talked about beeping, killed me. Lol.
KittyCatCarrie,
I hear ya!!
With my insulin pump's beeping on top of all the machines, a hospital stay for me is a concert of electronic noises! 😜
They need a fresh blood sample - not for the group, but so they have sample that Isn't off (you can only store it for three days). In the event you need a blood transfusion, they mix a bit of that sample with the potential donor blood to see if it reacts badly or if it is safe to give you.
+g r Cool! Thanks for telling me. Its always good to know “why?”
I'm glad the surgery went well. If you find another Russian pattern that you like, please feel free to message me, I can help translate it. :)
Chronically Jacquie mentioned you in a vlog talking about theramu.
You are the coolest bean, holy shit
sending you prayers
Hi Megan, i wish you all the best, andere happy eastern, from Flensburg-Germany.
Hi Cristina , hope you are feeling better ? I know how you feel , I had thoracic spine surgery last November I had T 5 to T 12 done ! I didn’t realize how many levels I was having done so it’s been a lot harder to recover from than I thought !! I started out with a benign tumor on my spine and when they removed it they removed a lot of the lamins and seemed to make my spine unstable ,, so I had cervical 3 and 4 fused and was still having terrible pain so they then did the thoracic surgery , I love to know how you are with pain ? Well I hope you have none !!! I am 55 so much older than you ! , you really manage to look gorgeous throughout the vlogs ! I have only just come across you so don’t know too much about your case ! Wishing you well Cristina , love debs xx
+Deborah Craven Wow, that must have been a difficult series of events! It’s definitely painful. I suspect it always will be. I know you know how painful the thoracic area is. Its very different than cervical surgeries. But im healing. Hope you are well and things are going. Bit better for you 💗
Hey soo glad the surgery went well! I'm happy you had an anesthesiologist you were more comfortable with this time. My mom recently had surgery and the one she had made her even more nervous than she already was going into surgery. Luckly everything went well for her.I wanted to know if you have a p.o. box? I didn't see anything on here or IG.
Hospitals are honestly horrible for healing, it's kinda ridiculous. I just had surgery and leaving the hospital was so amazing
Honestly good to see ya face, that you recovering, hope your lung clear up. Have steady recovery. Hugs