Maria Hawkins 5th surgery of 6 this year

Hey there thank you for checking in, I made it with my voice intact after six surgeries with no more in the forseeable future. I'm definately done in and exhausted but oh so grateful and thankful for all the sacrifices so many have made over this last year through six difficult surgeries three to ensure no cancer in bowels, then the removal of my uterus and all, replace portion of my cornea with transplant and now full hip replacement. top of my femur had not only a hole in it but also further down the bone was swiss cheese in consistancy. My legs wheren't even the same length anymore. I can't earn money right now and I need some help please. My hip replacement was Dec 20th and I'm medicated so on Pregabalin 75 mg twice a day and Tramadol/ACET 37.5/325 mg every 4 hours. 2 ASA perday as well, and I don't overdo.

I see surgeon Chris Raynor Jan 10 for surgery follow-up and to remove staples from my hip. He is a legend for the anterior approach to total hip replacement and also has thousands of youtube and fb and instagram followers for his thousands of video's. I hope you check him out. Although I have exercises to do - I dont start actual physio till after that. ASA effects my mood and makes me sad. Been teary and blessed to have people checking in on me. Apparently it takes a few people to get you back together after major surgery.

My sister Monica took me to surgery and waited the 5 hours for me and brought me home. Sadly she suffered a fall in the hospital outside the staff elevator due to a puddle of water. (of course hospital say they couldn't see what staff member left that water there or my sister's fall on security cameras). Shame my sister didn't want to pursue at this time. At least she got xrays taken. Kinda ruined the whole experience that my sister got hurt after making such a sacrifice to take me.

I suggested on air on my show Monday Special Blend 93.1FM CKCU that they should get better cameras. Doing community radio doesn't pay but it sure feels good.

I was really well cared for there at the Cornwall Community Hospital. Staff were so kind and professional and attentive.

I sang in the operating room "AMEN" when I found out it would be epidural and not a pipe down my throat. My fear had been an issue with anesthesia that would take away my voice. The staff jumped when I began singing and then laughed. It was a fun moment.

My bladder still hasn't woken up and I'm in depends undergarments. I do not have control so that's a little inconvenient. So glad to have a commode on loan from my dear friend Carolyne because bladder gives me about 30 seconds notice and I'm not moving that fast so sometimes it's not enough time. I do try to make it.

I realized after first couple of days of trying to make it to the actual bathroom that it is cheaper to clean out the commode bag than it is to change my depends underwear every time. The are very expensive. I put paper towel on the plastic bag liner in the commode in case I have a bowel movement. Better to just get rid of the bag than have to clean that out of the pot. I just poor it out when it 's getting full and leave the paper towels in the bottom bag until I eventually throw them out.

I am so thankful to all those people I have encountere this past year of continual surgeries. Cheers to all who helped in my journey to ensure that I made it physically and emotionally. Thank you to those who helped with my gofundme to keep me going. Thank you. I'm going to document below a little of my journey.

So my Monica dropped me at home with my other sister and went home and could barely walk she hit her hip so hard. Taking over was my sister Theresa, who stayed first crucial couple of days. Didn't want to take chances due to how anesthetic can cause issues with breathing especially with my sleep apnea. Theresa cleaned and sprayed the areas of black mold while she was there. She worked hard cleaning out the areas of mold, scrubbed and cleaning while still caring for me. Poor sister. Her back was toast by the time she went home.

Then my friend Sheena stayed with me next 6 days cooking cleaning emptying my commode and cleaning up the black mold we found from apartment flood last August.

Poor woman hurt her back cleaning it up and putting spray to kill and seal mold spores in.

Of course I was helpless and my lungs were affected so the work had to be done. One of my neighbors gave me an air purifier and my dear friend Richard made me a fantastic air purifier using a large box fan and 2 extra filtration furnace filters. These are specific air filters for small particle and mold.

Richard also made sense of the mess that we had made of all the stuff from under the sink, in my storage closet and front hall that had to be out so that we could ensure proper cleaning and spraying of affected areas. At one point I moved to quickly and lost my balance and he had to grab me quickly from going over backwards. He saved me from the fall but the quick jerking motion on his back triggered awful pain for him for a couple of days. I'm so sorry about that.

So that's four people whose backs were hurt helping me and I'm truly grateful for your sacrifice to make me safe and my apartment safe for my recovery. My dear neigbours Bev, Wayne, Jean, and Kathy all have been keeping an eye on me and helping me with anything I need or a couch to sit on to get out of my apartment for a few hours.

I'm in isolation of course because my system is low and I can't risk getting sick now.

As far as the mold goes the only spot I'm worried about right now is under the sink where the effects of the flood were the worst. Even though it is temporarily 'sealed' with the spray ...it is only temporary.

So glad to have help with that. I don't know much but I suffered from black mold in the past and was hospitalized from it's effects and I was genuinly concerned.

The cleaning and the fans has been fantastic and no issues no more headaches and my nose and eyes aren't itchy and running and I'm not coughing so I am glad for the success of all that work.

After surgery I went in to do my show Christmas Day with a wheelchair but have since graduated to a 2 wheel walker. I'm using a 4 wheel walker now because the rubber is missing on the bottom of both legs of the 2 wheel walker making it slippy. Neighbour Louise temporaily loaned me a 4 wheel walker from her church.

When I made it into my show on CKCU 93.1 Monday Special Blend at Carlton University (listen back on demand) this past Monday for New Years Day, I felt like Sylvester Stalon in Rocky when he gets to the top of the stairs!!

Thank you for checking in on me. I would love to have more of my friends on my show to do a tune or two live in studio both on their own and together with me. How fun that would be. So nice to sing and although I can't go out, drive my car or work. I'm sad about that because I do love to sing but I still can't even apply for work for this summer until I have a full recovery so no work for months and months and that why I'n doing this gofundme. To keep me going. Here is link to listen back on demand to one of our shows

https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/43/62686.html.

I would be grateful for any help offered!

Thank you,

Maria