Recouperation Update

Today (Wednesday) is exactly one week post surgery.

Yesterday was the first day with no serious drugs - all Tylenol. All day. Pretty good!

Last Wednesday: that was surgery day. I woke from it groggy and remember being very concerned at how bad the need to urinate was. I was told to relax - I had a catheter - ffyewff. I spent the night in the hospital after Bryan ran around trying to find some ice cream for me (Ben and Jerry Smores is very good, by the way). I could tell that though this was a major surgery, this was already better than a c-section. And I had two of those.

Last Thursday: I got the catheter out and peed for the first time. It took some patience, but I peed without having to press like a mad woman on my abdomen. Yay. Going to the bathroom got better as the day went on. I was told by my doctor that scar tissue from the c-sections had cause my uterus to suck up tight around my bladder...it was no wonder I had become a Detrol LA kind of girl. I arrived home from hospital around 3:00.

Friday: Sweet husband had a weekend engagement that had been planned prior to surgery so the kids and I moved to Mom's for weekend. I Realized 1/4 of the way to her house that I was uncomfortable riding in her car, and that even though I had gone to the bathroom immediately prior to leaving the house, I had to go again. I was quite uncomfortable sitting up. Since we were in the middle of the connector and there was no place around, I told mom to go to the Jr. League office (which was right around the corner) Having volunteered with them for 11 years paid off when the office manager met us at the car to help get me in to the bathroom before I peed on myself and in Mom's car. I felt much better after that! After arriving at Mom's I began to realize I was "going potty" every 10 minutes. This is for the birds. I started making myself wait 5 before I allowed myself to go each time and by the end of the day I was going every hour on the hour. Clock work, baby! I had also tried to take Tylenol in the middle of the day instead of Percocet because I was feeling pretty good (I had taken Percocet after all) and I ended up sitting around all day... ***ALERT REFERENCES TO FEMALE PARTS COMING- TO AVOID READING THIS SKIP TO NEXT PARAGRAPH. NOW!!!*** ... I said I sat around ALL DAY feeling as if I had been a participant in a marathon dry sexual experience with a really large member of the opposite sex. Very Dry. Very Large. I was raw feeling. It was not good! I was back to the percocet at bedtime.

Saturday: I decided to continue with Percocet on Saturday; the feeling in the private region from Friday went away - YAY! Peeing was getting longer than 1 hour at a time too. All in all, a pretty good day.

Sunday: We moved back home on Sunday. My poor children had only spent Thursday nights in their beds since the previous Tuesday and were ready to be home. Julia didn't even stay in her bed that night because she was bunking with her brother while Mom and Dad were with us. We had the 4th in a line of fantastic meals Momma fixed for us and since we were at my house now and Bryan was home, he got to partake too. Up until now, I have been waking every morning knowing I had had surgery and taking proper pain meds for this.
I had great advice from a friend prior to the surgery; she told me to stay in a nightgown until I was ready to be back to normal. This keeps my brain and the brain of those around me in "Anne is still recovering" mode. So far this has been fantastic advice. At some point I have, however, moved to more of a beach cover up type of gown. And since it will need washing soon, Julia and Mom run out to try to find something for a "change" with no luck (our Wal Mart sucks - Belk finally delivers).

Monday: Julia starts volleyball camp, Mom and my sweet Mother In Law (MIL) have passed the baton and now MIL has the reins. Unfortunately, there was a death in the family over the weekend and she has to leave me for a little over an hour. But she returns with glorious Andolini's pizza for lunch for everyone. I spend the rest of the day in my gown on the couch with MIL, FIL and BIL. It was a nice, relaxing day and wonderful meal followed (I've certainly been fed well). Today I would say I was feeling pretty good! I didn't even take a nap. I started the day with pain meds and the Tylenol really did keep the edge off this time for the remainder of the day.

Back to Yesterday - Tuesday: It's officially 7 days post surgery. I woke feeling a tad uncomfortable but Tylenol was all I needed. All day. Yay! Just before lunch time I had a crazy dizzy spell and really thought I was going to pass out. MIL said my color was bad enough she was afraid I was going to pass out too. I kept a bit of a dizzy feeling for the next few hours, but this passed and I continued on the path of recovery. I decided (with the help of husband and MIL) to forgo the kid's swim meet because of the dizzies (Julia placed 2nd in IM and swam up in the 11-12 relay for a 1st place, and got another ribbon or two but I can't remember which stroke - Legare placed 1st in his relay and would have been 1st in his freestyle heat had it not been an exhibition heat).

And now, here I am on the brink of Wednesday up at 5:00 because of the pant-y, scared dog (thunderstorm). My stomach has one place on it that has an odd feeling. I know it must be where some of the scope or tools went in, but it feels very odd. I have the ugliest bruises you ever did see from one hip bone to the next. Luckily they just look like bruises, they don't feel like bruises. Over all I'd say I'm feeling pretty good. Dad says he's amazed at how well I've recovered and how quickly. He remembers Mom's 12 day hospital stay when she had her hysterectomy. thinking to self: does anyone really stay in the hospital for 12 days anymore? short of being a premature birth or terminal? hhhmmm?

I am, however, very hungry and craving doughnuts for some reason. I guess that's my body's way of saying I need to boost my blood sugar. Maybe that will keep me from getting dizzy. Think I'll have to try that!