Tuesday 19 December 2006: Continued - perhaps photos not everyone will want to see! You have been warned! But see why Sarah is 1.5cms taller!!!!

Sarah says:
Look! I really did grow! I was 169 cms (5.54 feet) before the operation. Now I seem to be 170.5 cms (5.59 feet)! This is cool! The best thing about the operation no doubt!!! I am bionic! It looks like there is a UFO in my spine. In these photos you can see my stitches too. The doctor said he used the largest possible prosthesis disc for the lower spine. He said it was the best one to have. I asked him is it was really necessary for me to have this fake spine disc and he said yes. There was nothing there as a cushion before, maybe since I was born. That explains the pain!

Sarah continues:
The doctor used my C-section scar to cut through rather than create a whole new cut on my belly, which is nice! You can see the stitches in the X-ray above. They look like a mouth. It's a big wound and it really aches. I can't shower because it can't get wet so I sponge bath myself with help. I can never jump again! Seriously. Or arch my spine backwards. The doctor showed me both movements. It's not like I am an avid jumper or anything but I really will have to remind myself not to jump!! I guess jump-roping will never be my sport. Even diving into a pool! Those days are over! (not that they really ever existed in the first place!) My belly is a battlefield! By the way, to do this operation, they open you up and have to move all of the organs in the way of your spine. Can you imagine they have to sort of uncoil your long intestines and put them to the side along with everything else and then put everything back gently and in the right place? It's crazy what they are able to do and it sure explains my aching belly!

Sarah goes on:
Man to a get black and blue easily! All those marks are from their taking blood and feeding me pain killers and liquids through my arm. Now they are yellow. I look like a heroin user. For two days I almost was one in the hospital - but they injected the morphine-like stuff into my legs each time and held it and squeezed. That freaking hurt!! But what came after was amazing to be honest. Smartly, they won't keep giving it to you. If they did, you could easily become addicted fast!

Sarah adds:
I think this photo is so funny! My poor husband! Sitting there under the cross in my hospital room! That cross is what I saw from my bed always! It's so strange. Not for me! But it made me laugh sometimes so...