Monday, August 25, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Two week update
Well, things have been going fairly normally. I'm at home finishing up the recovery. I got on the bathroom scale the other day (which no doubt is slightly inaccurate) and I am down to about 220. I had hoped for better (especially considering that nothing I eat stays in me for very long). Anyway, that being the case, eating is not fun. I am still trying to stick to pureed foods but now that I'm home it seems to be more difficult. Starting today, I'm going to make a renewed effort at it. I have been introducing some soft foods too. Anyway, nothing too much to report right now.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
I'm leaving Pittsburgh today to finish my recovery at home with daddy. Last night I some how slept on my stomach. I woke up this morning with my face in my pillow. It didn't really hurt. At least not until I got up. Then it wasn't all that pleasant. But truth be told, I am feeling a lot less sore. My muscles must finally be healing up. It still hurts to cough, sneeze, hiccup, and laugh, but all in all, I'm getting better.
Nothing remarkable to report for this posting, so I do believe that I will just sign off for now.
Nothing remarkable to report for this posting, so I do believe that I will just sign off for now.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Ignorance of People in General
Ok. So I went to the doctors today and had my drain removed. When I got to the office, the place was packed. I actually had to go looking for a chair to sit in while I waited. So once I was seated I assumed the relaxed yet impatiently waiting position that most people assume when waiting at a doctors office. A little while later, a older blind couple came in for an appointment. I thought nothing of it and just went on waiting. The couple signed in for their appointment and turned in the direction of the waiting room I was in. I looked around and there were seats to be had, but none of them were actuallly together. So as they got closer I began looking at the other people that were seated. None of them made any kind of motions to get up and offer the couple a seat so that they could sit together. I, the person who less than a week ago had a major surgery and had a drainage bag clearly hanging from my body, was the only one to get up and offer the people a seat together and actually tell them where the seats were (only about 4 steps forward). This irritates me a lot. No, it doesn't irritate me, it plain flat pisses me off. What the hell is wrong with people? These people just sat there! They could obviously see that these people were both blind. Why didn't somebody get up? Did their mothers teach them nothing? When someone who has some sort of a problem such as blindness or some physical disability, I always make accomodations and give them my seat. Even on the bus, if an elderly person gets on and there are no seats, I offer them mine. Why are people so blasted ignorant?!? Grrr!!!!!
Ok, now that the rant is over with. The removal of the drain wasn't painful, just weird. It was kind of like having a whole cut into your size about the diameter of one of those kindergarten crayons and then having your small intestine pulled through that whole. You feel the thing coming out the whole way. In the words of Molly Tighe, "grody to the max!" Anyway, so my incisions look good and I'm allowed to drive as soon as I feel that I'm ready. The most awesome part is that I've moved on to the pureed food part of the diet. Finally!!!! Hello yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, baby food, pudding, cream of wheat, coco wheats, and so on! Immediatley when I got home I ate a jar of baby food. It was not exactly what I expected though. It was a vanilla custard pudding from gerber I think and it was actually quite crappy. I'll probably eat up the remainder of the baby food and not buy that type of thing again unless I'm traveling which is the only time it will come in useful. I took a nap and about an hour after I woke up I had a slice of rye toast with butter and mustard. This was fine, or so I was told by the surgeons nurse, as long as I really take my time eating and chewing it. Each bite supposedly has to be chewed 20 times. That's awfully difficult to do especially when the food is actually pureed already. Oh well, I'll give it a go.
So Jessica and I went to the supermarket tonight. I got the above mentioned foods and I'm super excited that there will now be such a variety of foods in my diet. Stoked baby!!!! Now I'm tired. I'm supposed to do 30 minutes total walking and I did way over that today. I feel good, but I'm ready for a shower and bed. Tomorrow is another day and hopefully a productive one!
Ok, now that the rant is over with. The removal of the drain wasn't painful, just weird. It was kind of like having a whole cut into your size about the diameter of one of those kindergarten crayons and then having your small intestine pulled through that whole. You feel the thing coming out the whole way. In the words of Molly Tighe, "grody to the max!" Anyway, so my incisions look good and I'm allowed to drive as soon as I feel that I'm ready. The most awesome part is that I've moved on to the pureed food part of the diet. Finally!!!! Hello yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, baby food, pudding, cream of wheat, coco wheats, and so on! Immediatley when I got home I ate a jar of baby food. It was not exactly what I expected though. It was a vanilla custard pudding from gerber I think and it was actually quite crappy. I'll probably eat up the remainder of the baby food and not buy that type of thing again unless I'm traveling which is the only time it will come in useful. I took a nap and about an hour after I woke up I had a slice of rye toast with butter and mustard. This was fine, or so I was told by the surgeons nurse, as long as I really take my time eating and chewing it. Each bite supposedly has to be chewed 20 times. That's awfully difficult to do especially when the food is actually pureed already. Oh well, I'll give it a go.
So Jessica and I went to the supermarket tonight. I got the above mentioned foods and I'm super excited that there will now be such a variety of foods in my diet. Stoked baby!!!! Now I'm tired. I'm supposed to do 30 minutes total walking and I did way over that today. I feel good, but I'm ready for a shower and bed. Tomorrow is another day and hopefully a productive one!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Reflections on Muscles & Clear Liquids
It strikes me as rather odd how muscles you never consciously used before are so imperative for your daily life. The muscles that the surgeon and his staff cut through to do my surgery for example (and you have seen the incisions) are abdominal muscles. While I sort of recognized that I use these muscles on a fairly regular basis, I never realized just how often that regular basis was. I mean these suckers hurt! The muscles around the incisions and the abdominal region in general actually hurt more than the incisions themselves. They burn, ache, and almost feel as if they're stripped of whatever toning might have been present.
I never realized that I used these muscles for so many activities. Laying down in bed, turning over in bed, reaching for the refill rolls of toilet paper stored above my toilet, making tea, walking! Walking! Of all the things I use my abs for walking? I mean these muscles seriously burn like lit match being put out on soft flesh. Oy! I just picked up a cup of tea and that made them flex.
How are these muscles supposed to heal and recover from the trauma if I am constantly using them? This doesn't seem logical.
__________________________________________________________________
So I've been on a clear liquid diet for more than a week now and I am sick of this crap! I want food! I'm tired of peeing all day long! I'm not even taking my water pill and I still pee constantly. If it isn't peeing its the other end. It's really good that I don't really have anything that technically needs to be done, because I'd never get it done.
I'm really looking forward to the pureed food section of this diet, which I hope will arrive on Wednesday. This will mean a whole new variety of happy foods like yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, pudding, the pureed cantelope and white peaches that have been staring me down. I'm really looking forward to the tomato bisque soup, cream of chicken and so forth that is in the cupboard. It's not so much insatiable hunger that is the problem it is the fact that having to consume 30cc's of liquid every half hour can get awfully boring when your food choices are limited to clear liquids alone. I also would like to get more protein in, I know it will help with my healing, but how can I get in more protein when I'm on clear liquid? I know that there are nutritional supplements, but I haven't been able to find them in the stores. I suppose that I could order them from the internet, but at this point I'm not sure its worth it. When I'm on the cusp of the pureed food stage of the diet and I can mix the Cookies and Cream 100% Whey Protein from GNC in with the pudding, cottage cheese, and so on; I just don't see the purpose of buying yet another protein supplement.
Anyway, I should find out by tomorrow if I can move on to pureed foods. Might even be allowed to start driving. In fact, I think that I have taken my last dose of Roxicet. I'm switching to Tylenol to kill the healing pains. That way when they say that I can start driving as soon as I've given up the prescription pain meds, I can start driving immediately. Going stir crazy??? Yes...just a bit. I need to go to the library. I want to go knit with my girls at Natural Stitches. I want out of this self induced prison sentence called an apartment!
Better get going. The home nurse is coming in an hour and half or so. Need to make sure I'm ready.
I never realized that I used these muscles for so many activities. Laying down in bed, turning over in bed, reaching for the refill rolls of toilet paper stored above my toilet, making tea, walking! Walking! Of all the things I use my abs for walking? I mean these muscles seriously burn like lit match being put out on soft flesh. Oy! I just picked up a cup of tea and that made them flex.
How are these muscles supposed to heal and recover from the trauma if I am constantly using them? This doesn't seem logical.
__________________________________________________________________
So I've been on a clear liquid diet for more than a week now and I am sick of this crap! I want food! I'm tired of peeing all day long! I'm not even taking my water pill and I still pee constantly. If it isn't peeing its the other end. It's really good that I don't really have anything that technically needs to be done, because I'd never get it done.
I'm really looking forward to the pureed food section of this diet, which I hope will arrive on Wednesday. This will mean a whole new variety of happy foods like yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, pudding, the pureed cantelope and white peaches that have been staring me down. I'm really looking forward to the tomato bisque soup, cream of chicken and so forth that is in the cupboard. It's not so much insatiable hunger that is the problem it is the fact that having to consume 30cc's of liquid every half hour can get awfully boring when your food choices are limited to clear liquids alone. I also would like to get more protein in, I know it will help with my healing, but how can I get in more protein when I'm on clear liquid? I know that there are nutritional supplements, but I haven't been able to find them in the stores. I suppose that I could order them from the internet, but at this point I'm not sure its worth it. When I'm on the cusp of the pureed food stage of the diet and I can mix the Cookies and Cream 100% Whey Protein from GNC in with the pudding, cottage cheese, and so on; I just don't see the purpose of buying yet another protein supplement.
Anyway, I should find out by tomorrow if I can move on to pureed foods. Might even be allowed to start driving. In fact, I think that I have taken my last dose of Roxicet. I'm switching to Tylenol to kill the healing pains. That way when they say that I can start driving as soon as I've given up the prescription pain meds, I can start driving immediately. Going stir crazy??? Yes...just a bit. I need to go to the library. I want to go knit with my girls at Natural Stitches. I want out of this self induced prison sentence called an apartment!
Better get going. The home nurse is coming in an hour and half or so. Need to make sure I'm ready.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Post Surgery and the accompanying pain
Well I am now 4 days out of surgery. The experience overall hasn't been terrible, but could certainly be better if there were no pain. But you know what they say, no pain no umm...loss? So I ended up with a total of 6 laproscopy sites plus the one drain. Erin came to retrieve my sorry butt from the hospital and stayed with me until about 5:00pm yesterday. I have showered twice and the dressing on the Jackson-Pratt drain has been changed 3 times. Erin did it once, the nurse did it once, then Jessica changed it after she took over last night. I am having a bit of leakage around the drain site, but that is fairly normal so I've been told.
The worst part is the incisions where the actual surgery took place. The incisions themselves are glued together, not stitched. They are all in the same general area, nothing is terribly out of place.
So anyway. The doctors weighed me right before I went in for the surgery itself and I was at 230lbs. Which is about 13 to 14 lbs lighter than at my pre-op visit. Yay me!!!
My Aunt Sally and my grandma came up the day of the surgery and stayed until the evening. I was on a morphine drip so I can't even begin to tell you what went on. I liked the morphine. I slept like a log. The only thing I didn't like about it was the mild itching that it caused on my face. I had two IV's, one in each hand. The one in my left hand infiltrated so when they decided to take it out (since it was causing my hand to burn like mad) all the liquids that they had been trying to get into me began seeping back out the IV hole. The IV in the right hand though was so thoroughly taped down that it was actually cutting off circulation to my hand. At first they said that IV wouldn't come out until just before I was released. It came out sooner because the muscle around the IV got so hard that I could push on it and there was no give at all. So they took it out immediately.
I've found that taking a shower helped to loosen up the glue enough to permit me some more movement. I tried everything I could think of to sleep that night. I tried sleeping with my air travel pillow sitting up in bed, sitting in my reclining office chair. There weren't any positions I didn't think I had neglected. Finally, I chose to use a pillow for my head and one behind my knees. This seems to work the best. Getting out of bed is a really problem though. I can't do it without help and I hate that because I don't want to have to wake my friends up to help me get out of bed half a dozen times per night.
Last night was Jessica's turn. It all went pretty well. My biggest problem was that I must have been up to go to the bathroom 4 maybe 5 times. What a pain! Jessica was up and at it in enough time to go to work.
Roxicet really helps with the pain but doesn't completely knock me for loopier. It just makes me really really sleepy. I'm sitting here falling asleep now. I'm going to start weaning myself off of roxicet and onto Tylenol. Anyway, I have begun feeling changes in my face.
Anywhoo, I think it might just be time for a nice long nap. I can't keep awake so there just comes a time when it is stupid to continue fighting your body. More later.
_________________________________________________________________
So I just took a little cat nap and I'm feeling better now. But I think that I'm going to end this posting for now in favor of some delicious broth! I'm actually hungry for the first time since the surgery. Nonetheless, 60ml of broth and I'll be done with food for a while.
The worst part is the incisions where the actual surgery took place. The incisions themselves are glued together, not stitched. They are all in the same general area, nothing is terribly out of place.
So anyway. The doctors weighed me right before I went in for the surgery itself and I was at 230lbs. Which is about 13 to 14 lbs lighter than at my pre-op visit. Yay me!!!
My Aunt Sally and my grandma came up the day of the surgery and stayed until the evening. I was on a morphine drip so I can't even begin to tell you what went on. I liked the morphine. I slept like a log. The only thing I didn't like about it was the mild itching that it caused on my face. I had two IV's, one in each hand. The one in my left hand infiltrated so when they decided to take it out (since it was causing my hand to burn like mad) all the liquids that they had been trying to get into me began seeping back out the IV hole. The IV in the right hand though was so thoroughly taped down that it was actually cutting off circulation to my hand. At first they said that IV wouldn't come out until just before I was released. It came out sooner because the muscle around the IV got so hard that I could push on it and there was no give at all. So they took it out immediately.
I've found that taking a shower helped to loosen up the glue enough to permit me some more movement. I tried everything I could think of to sleep that night. I tried sleeping with my air travel pillow sitting up in bed, sitting in my reclining office chair. There weren't any positions I didn't think I had neglected. Finally, I chose to use a pillow for my head and one behind my knees. This seems to work the best. Getting out of bed is a really problem though. I can't do it without help and I hate that because I don't want to have to wake my friends up to help me get out of bed half a dozen times per night.
Last night was Jessica's turn. It all went pretty well. My biggest problem was that I must have been up to go to the bathroom 4 maybe 5 times. What a pain! Jessica was up and at it in enough time to go to work.
Roxicet really helps with the pain but doesn't completely knock me for loopier. It just makes me really really sleepy. I'm sitting here falling asleep now. I'm going to start weaning myself off of roxicet and onto Tylenol. Anyway, I have begun feeling changes in my face.
Anywhoo, I think it might just be time for a nice long nap. I can't keep awake so there just comes a time when it is stupid to continue fighting your body. More later.
_________________________________________________________________
So I just took a little cat nap and I'm feeling better now. But I think that I'm going to end this posting for now in favor of some delicious broth! I'm actually hungry for the first time since the surgery. Nonetheless, 60ml of broth and I'll be done with food for a while.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Final Pre-Op Posting and Message to Friends
Thank you to all my friends, colleagues, and family members who have been a major source of support and encouragement throughout my life and throughout the preparation for this life changing event.
Day before surgery
11:00am
One more day until surgery. I'm sitting at home all day today waiting on a phone call from the hospital to tell me when I need to be there. Now that I have purchased all of these vitamins I have found out that liquid vitamins are available. I'm wondering if I have made the wrong purchases. I can probably take them back at some point. I haven't opened them so Wal-Mart will probably take them back.
I've been on a clear liquid diet for several days now. I can't say that its been enjoyable. My Olive Garden left overs were staring me in the face the whole time. What hell has that been I tell you. My dad made himself a slice of toast yesterday morning and toast never smelled so good. I drove back to Pittsburgh yesterday too and faced food the whole way. I never realized how much of our lives is focused around food. Everywhere I went food was either available or advertised. I was sitting at a traffic light and a truck went by with a pizza on the side of it. I had to go to the grocery store to get sugar-free Popsicle for post-op. Not knowing the layout of the store, as I had not been in this particular store before, I went through the bakery and hot foods section to get to the darn Popsicles. I walked to the gas station this morning to get some crazy glue and the smells from the corner deli just about knocked me over and my mouth started watering. This shit is really really hard.
__________________________________________________________________
12:00pm
Just took some pre-op pictures. One in my bathing suit (which I will not subject you to), two in different outfits (which I post below), and several at different angles in my birthday suit (which I would never even dream of posting. If it traumatizes me, imagine what it'll do to you!). Anyway, they are posted below.
_________________________________________________________________
7:43pm
Okay. So the rest of the day has been used on the phone. I got a phone call from the job offer in Reno. Last night I sent them a message saying I was declining. They have offered to re-negotiate the salary. Joy!!! So, now that re-negotiation is in progress the surgery will also be in progress soon.
The hospital finally called around 5:30. I need to be at the hospital at 11:00am and my surgery will begin at 1:00pm. I can take my own pillow, my teddy bear, and my knitting so I'm all set. Aunt Sally and Gram should be meeting up with me around 10:30am at the front of the hospital. Stoked, excited, and slightly nervous. I just want it to be here and over with already. I'm ready to start my life over again.
I should be home on either Saturday or Sunday. Erin D. will be retrieving me from the hospital and possibly staying with me for a day. Then Jessica B. will take over the reigns, until I feel capable of caring for my own melting carcass. So looking forward to shopping for new clothes without the sobbing and frustration that used to accompany such activity. Yay me!!! Let's get this party started!!!!
One more day until surgery. I'm sitting at home all day today waiting on a phone call from the hospital to tell me when I need to be there. Now that I have purchased all of these vitamins I have found out that liquid vitamins are available. I'm wondering if I have made the wrong purchases. I can probably take them back at some point. I haven't opened them so Wal-Mart will probably take them back.
I've been on a clear liquid diet for several days now. I can't say that its been enjoyable. My Olive Garden left overs were staring me in the face the whole time. What hell has that been I tell you. My dad made himself a slice of toast yesterday morning and toast never smelled so good. I drove back to Pittsburgh yesterday too and faced food the whole way. I never realized how much of our lives is focused around food. Everywhere I went food was either available or advertised. I was sitting at a traffic light and a truck went by with a pizza on the side of it. I had to go to the grocery store to get sugar-free Popsicle for post-op. Not knowing the layout of the store, as I had not been in this particular store before, I went through the bakery and hot foods section to get to the darn Popsicles. I walked to the gas station this morning to get some crazy glue and the smells from the corner deli just about knocked me over and my mouth started watering. This shit is really really hard.
__________________________________________________________________
12:00pm
Just took some pre-op pictures. One in my bathing suit (which I will not subject you to), two in different outfits (which I post below), and several at different angles in my birthday suit (which I would never even dream of posting. If it traumatizes me, imagine what it'll do to you!). Anyway, they are posted below.
_________________________________________________________________
7:43pm
Okay. So the rest of the day has been used on the phone. I got a phone call from the job offer in Reno. Last night I sent them a message saying I was declining. They have offered to re-negotiate the salary. Joy!!! So, now that re-negotiation is in progress the surgery will also be in progress soon.
The hospital finally called around 5:30. I need to be at the hospital at 11:00am and my surgery will begin at 1:00pm. I can take my own pillow, my teddy bear, and my knitting so I'm all set. Aunt Sally and Gram should be meeting up with me around 10:30am at the front of the hospital. Stoked, excited, and slightly nervous. I just want it to be here and over with already. I'm ready to start my life over again.
I should be home on either Saturday or Sunday. Erin D. will be retrieving me from the hospital and possibly staying with me for a day. Then Jessica B. will take over the reigns, until I feel capable of caring for my own melting carcass. So looking forward to shopping for new clothes without the sobbing and frustration that used to accompany such activity. Yay me!!! Let's get this party started!!!!
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