Updates 9/16/12

Hi everyone.

So I'm still in pain, but I'm getting better. What happened on Friday and Saturday was this: I went home from the surgery feeling okay, and went to sleep for a bit, due to the anesthesia making me exhausted and such. What they do for a laproscopic surgery is inflate your abdomen with gas, and do what needs to be done. Then, your body naturally absorbs it and pushes the gas out through your intestines, meaning you basically burp or fart to expel the gas. Well, by midnight, I was in enormous pain (even on both Vicodin and percocet), and ended up having to go back to the emergency room. The doctor (and my surgeon, who rushed in at 3 in the morning with an extremely worried look on his face) quickly determined that my body was not getting rid of the gas. Instead, it was pushing up on my lungs and diaphragm, making it difficult to breathe and causing extreme distress. My blood pressure was almost 160/120, which for me is super-strange. Eve

n in lots of pain, it's usually close to normal. I was literally screaming in agony and crying every time I moved or took a breath. (If you know me well, you know I usually don't cry. At all. Ever. I didn't even cry when my kidneys failed, and I was given NO medication for that.) So they decided to admit me, and gave me the strongest pain medication they had (Dilaudid aka Hydromorphone) in order to allow me to move around without screaming. They put me on bedrest with a bathroom exception, and had me sit up and recline repeatedly. Reclining hurt the worst. After a while of this, I began to burp. Every time I did, I felt better. I was in so much pain that I couldn't tell if I needed to use the restroom, so I just went every hour to be safe. Last night about 3 p.m., my pain was finally manageable on just the vicodin/percocet alternation, and they decided I could go home. So now I'm back here, and I'm able to get around by holding a pillow to my tummy. I'm getting better, and finally feel like I'm actually on the road to recovery.

With that said, I am still in lots of pain. Today's news is short, and mostly provided by Charles, who has really been helpful throughout this whole traumatic event.

-- [Charles] Occupy Monsanto came out in droves on the 12th to block the entrances and exits of a seed facility. They were able to block the gates for over 5 hours before being arrested by police.

http://dgrnewsservice.org/2012/09/12/occupy-monsanto-blockades-seminis-seed-distribution-facility-shuts-it-down/

-- [Charles] Blow the whistle on Stop and Frisks in NYC with the help of these people, who give a list of prime locations where people are often harassed by police. Blowing a whistle at police who perform these actions is protected free speech. Join in!

http://www.stopmassincarceration.org/blow-the-whistle.html

-- [Charles] Here is a great discussion piece on why people riot. The video itself is rather long, but watching the first 8-10 minutes or so will provide you with valuable information.

http://occupyamerica.crooksandliars.com/diane-sweet/thom-hartmann-why-people-riot

-- Arrests in NYC are already starting, even though the one year anniversary isn't until tomorrow. Roughly 25 Occupiers were arrested in a march to Washington Square park, where the movement began.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/occupy-wall-street-protesters-gather-washington-square-park-prepare-monday-morning-march-manhattan-article-1.1160598

-- [Charles] Lastly, S17 is tomorrow! Find out what is planned, how you can get informed and involved, and even what's going on online. I signed up to get text alerts, since I can't be near a computer at all times. What's best for you, and how will you join in?

http://occupywallst.org/article/Another-World-S17/

***Solidarity***

Thanks to all of you for sticking by me in the rough times. You don't know how much it means to me. If you need to contact me, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks and love to you all!