.3.

Surgery day! I woke up around 7 when the nerves kicked in, to the point where I felt like I was going to be sick. I was hungry too, but of course I couldn’t eat anything. I put on Jon’s Fighting Sioux sweats; I stole them because they are the most comfortable sweats I’ve ever worn.  Time comes around and we head to Northwestern.

“Good morning guys! How are you?” Dr. Johnson asks

“Good, she’s been tossing and turning all night,” Jon says

“I’ve been up since 7 because I’m nervous,” I say

“Well you have nothing to worry about, you are in great hands, Dr. Green and I will take good care of you,”

A few hours later, I wake up in the recovery room pretty groggy and still tired. 

“Hey baby, how you feelin’?” Jon asks, walking towards me

“Ok…my leg hurts” I say ask he kisses my forehead

“Dr. Johnson said you may need a new IV by the time you wake up, I’ll call her in,”

“Hi Jamie, how are you feeling?” Dr. Johnson asks, walking in

“My leg hurts, but I’m good” I respond, sitting up

“Well, good news is your surgery went very well, and your healing time will be 8-10 weeks,”

“Ok, do I need a cast?”

“No, we will change your bandage once more before you leave, then put the brace back on your leg to keep it stabilized, & you’ll need to come in once a week to get the bandages changed,”
“Ok,”
“It’s one that will fit over your jeans too, but I would recommend that you wear sweats for as long as you can, they will be more comfortable,”
“Ok, I have a pair somewhere,”
“Ok, great. Now, Jon will need to help you, or somebody will. Do you have someone to help you when he goes out of town?”
“Yeah, some of the girls offered to help,”
“Perfect!”

So Dr. Johnson shows Jon and I how to put the brace on right, it even has a post type thing behind my knee to keep it from bending.  Once I’m discharged, we leave and head straight to Walgreens to fill the prescriptions for pain medicine.

Our kitchen counter is full of flowers and cards, it makes me so thankful for the family I have surrounding me.  Jon helps me get situated on the bed so I can lay there the majority of the time.

He throws in The OC in the DVD…yeah, I love this man, and he knows my favorites.  I end up falling asleep at some point, and Jon goes to get my medicine and some food.  I’m pretty thankful that I didn’t get sick after the surgery, or from any of the medicine, so I wasn’t limited to what I could eat.

Thanksgiving was around the corner, I was progressing with the healing, and the team’s 10-day road trip was a few days away; I wasn’t a happy camper knowing that I couldn’t go, at least to California, like planned. It was one of their longest road trips of the season. Plus it was breaking our “4 day rule” that we made shortly after we got engaged.  We had gotten the idea from Patrick and Abby, who has said that it’s helped them through so much.

Since the girls and I were staying back, I asked Dayna if she wouldn’t mind staying at the house to help me around while the boys were gone, she didn’t mind at all, so she and Brent came by with a trunk full of stuff, before we went and dropped off the boys at the UC.

“Baby, if you need anything, just call me,” Jon tells me

“Ok, D will help me with stuff, so I think I’ll be fine” I say, reassuring him

“Ok, we will be home before you know it,”

“Behave, and don’t get in any fights please!”

“I’ll try not to,”

“AHEM. Tazer! Step away from the wife & walk towards the bus,” Kane yells

“Oh shut up Kaner, you’re just jealous you don’t have a beautiful wife to kiss goodbye & see you off” Jon fires back

 “Yeah, yeah. Let’s get this show on the road,” He says, getting on the bus

“Guess that’s my que. I love you babe, I’ll call you when we land,”
“I love you too, talk to you soon,”

I’m actually crying. What the heck? I guess I just hate him being gone this long…what am I going to do with myself?

“You ready, girl?” Dayna asks, rubbing my back

“Yeah, lets go,” I respond, hobbling to the car

“It gets easier, I promise,”

“I know, I guess I’m just homesick, I hate when he’s gone,”
“How about some lunch?” she says with a smile

“Sounds fabulous,”

Abby and Madelyn end up joining us. It was a good group for lunch and I always love spending time with the girls, especially since we get caught up in our own lives. But the guys being gone for 10 days meant plenty of girl time.

Wednesday came and it was time for our viewing party to watch the boys play the Canucks. Tonight it was at Jon & I’s house, since Dayna was staying there anyways, it made it easier. 

The boys beat the Canucks by a score of 5-1 with Jon getting a goal and an assist, before the next few games got a little ugly.  They lost in Calgary before they got the worst of it in Edmonton with a 9-2 loss.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard Jon so angry when he called me after the game, but he kept with his promise that he made, and was sure to leave it in the arena; which I was thankful for, because in situations like that, it was sometimes difficult to make sure you said the right thing.

The next few games got better, after those two losses and losing to the Sharks, they beat the Ducks & Kings.  

.2.

***Here's another short sneak peek! Let me know what yall think :)

~J

Surgery. UGH. I don’t think words explain how scared I am of surgeries. I have no idea why either, the only surgery I’ve had was to remove my wisdom teeth, if that even counts. It’s all to heal though, that’s what I keep telling myself.

After we run by the house so I can change and whatnot, we head to the Apple Store for a new iPhone.  We run into Patrick and Abby, with Madelyn tucked away in her stroller, looking at iPads.  Jon tells them what happened as I’m getting help to get a new phone.

I planned on taking advantage of Dr. Johnson’s advice of going all out for lunch. Jon doesn’t even have to ask anymore, he knows I want Cheesecake Factory, so it’s like we’re programmed to walk that way. What can I say though, a ton of memories have been made at that place. I met the guys and their wives/girlfriends, that was also where us girls had plenty of lunch dates…revealed a baby on the way (Abby) & an upcoming wedding (me), plus countless late nights of drinks & gossiping…what? We’re women, it’s what we do! Yeah, I love that restaurant. 

I was already getting tired from walking around on the crutches, that I had a feeling I’d be taking a nap with Jon when we get home, so I hobble into our bedroom, as he’s getting comfortable in bed,

“Can I join you?” I ask, standing in the doorway

“For a nap?” he responds, confused

“Yes, for a nap dummy,” I say laughing

“Weeeeell. You never know!” he says, with his hands up in defense

“Your cute. I’m tired, and my arms hurt!”

“Just think, you’ll have some killer arm muscles after that”

I don’t know how the guys can take short naps like this; well Jon takes a 2-hour nap. But geez, I would just want to keep sleeping all day.

Jon gets his pregame meal ready while I shower and get ready. All I can say is thank God we have a big shower with a bench inside, that may be my key to survival with whatever I end up with on my leg tomorrow.

Once we arrived at the UC, Jon helped me get out of the back seat and hobble through the parking lot and into the arena.

Dayna, Elina & Abby are all the wives there, and immediately ask what happened, except Abby since she knew. As I’m telling the story, something on Elina’s hand catches the light above

“Is that an engagement ring?” I ask

“OH! Yes! Nik proposed last night!” Elina gushes, as I examine her ring

“Oh my gosh, it’s gorgeous! Congratulations!”

“Thanks! I was going to tell you but then we asked about your leg first,”
“Oh thanks, such a pain,”
“You have surgery in the morning?” Dayna asks

“Yes mam, pre-op is at 9am,”

The girls and I make our way up to the box, thankfully there’s a back way so I don’t have to worry about the crowds.

Tonight’s match up was against the Maple Leafs, who have been hot, currently a 7 game win streak, and one of the best road records in the league. Can we change that? Damn straight.

Being at the game with the girls took my mind off the nerves for my surgery tomorrow.  Especially with having a bouncy baby like Madelyn in my lap, she was such a daddy’s girl.

The win streak continued for the Hawks! We beat the Leafs 4-3 after Jon’s go-ahead goal. It was a good night.  It will probably be the last one for me for a while.  All the girls offered to help around the house when the boys were on the road, which I was so thankful for.