Day 2 Update
Oui. That’s all I can really say. Being at home is much harder than having help in the hospital. Whether it’s making sure you stay on top of medicine or just getting up, life at home is hard – especially when you live alone.
My internal alarm clock has been doing a great job at waking up in time for medicine. I set alarms just in case I do sleep through it, which I haven’t yet. It’s a little rough waking up every two hours (about), but I’d rather stay on top of medicine than be in pain.
Binder… I took off my binder last night to “air out” my stomach. I started getting itchy and irritated where the Velcro hit. While I “aired out,” I alternated a heating pad and ice pack. Again, I didn’t feel much relief, but it was still helpful in some ways. I placed the binder back on for bed, as it’s recommended to help ease the movement of internal organs, and gas, and provide support to missing pieces. I woke up several times with the Velcro stabbing and irritating my skin. I took it off around 6:00 am this morning during one of my dosing times. I readjusted it on top of my clothes to see if it would help with the skin irritation. It does, but I can’t seem to get it as tight as I would want it to be. The nurses made it so tight. Maybe it’s because I was more swollen in the hospital than at home.
I also woke up several times itchy. I’m not sure what’s causing it. It’s all over my stomach, sides, and legs. I don’t think it’s a reaction to medicine, because I have it all the time. I have these little raised purple-red dots all over my abdomen. I’m trying not to scratch or touch them.
My brother was extremely helpful today. He went to the store for me for more water (the sports cap Ozarka is a life saver when stuck in bed), ice, real food, and Tylenol. Luckily, I can have solid food. I’m having bowel movements, so there’s no concern about being backed up.
For sleeping, I’ve been holding a pillow to 1) ensure my sweet kitties stay away from my surgery spot and 2) in case I need to sneeze, cough, clear my throat, etc. I’ve also been sleeping with one between my legs (I’m a side sleeper). I underestimated how much this would help. I may not get rid of this when recovery is over!
I still have incredibly painful gas build-up inside of me. Even with passing gas, I feel the movement of gas in me. It is insanely uncomfortable. It is especially so because of the fact that I can’t just “push” like normal. I have to be careful about the pressures I induce on my surgical site. Because of that, I’ve been moving and trying to find other ways to release the gas. Most women who have the surgery complain about the gas being in their shoulders and such. Mine has been all abdominal. I had one day where it was trapped under my rib cage, but that dissipated quickly. I guess that’s why they emphasize that every surgery is different because every body is different.
Speaking of different, I started sweating last night. I can normally tolerate my ac at around 74 degrees. However, my ac was on 68, and I was sweating. I’m not sure if that’s due to the hot flashes and hormonal changes, the pain meds, or something unrelated. The doctor told me the symptoms of menopause could show up in days or not for months. I guess time will tell! I’m off to take some more meds and take another nap until someone can swing by to help a little.
I showered. It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t miserable. It definitely felt uncomfortable and difficult with lifting arms. I’m glad I got the shower, though. It didn’t really help with the itchiness, but it did make me feel cleaner. I have a massive fear of infection, so I want to make sure I am as clean as possible. I barely scrubbed though, as I was in pain. However, I made sure to focus on the abdomen area getting clean.
I stayed awake most of the day, surprisingly. I alternated between a recliner, the couch, and walking. My boredom is definitely getting the best of me. I also alternated between ice and heat. Heat feels way better than ice, but they’re both really helpful.
Day 3 Update
I woke up with some pretty rough pain this morning. I don’t know if I “overdid” it yesterday or if it’s normal to be back and forth in pain. After a couple hours, I felt much better though. Part of me thinks it’s just the “tightness” of first waking up (like being awake awake).
I’m still on all pain meds, and I’m still taking them on schedule. I’m honestly a bit worried about when I run out of pain meds. I’ve been very fortunate in not having the side effects of pain meds (like constipation). I also know I can’t live on pain meds forever. Aside from that, I honestly hate taking medicine unless I absolutely have to.
I had a lot more sweats today. Again, I’m not sure if it’s related to the medicine or if it’s a sign of hot flashes. It could be the heating pad, too. It prompted me to buy a cooling blanket, a fan, and an ice neck thing. I figured, either way, I’m going to get hot flashes eventually and could use all items!
I took a good, deep shower today that included washing my hair. Since I felt like I could almost stand straight, I thought it would be a good time to wash the gross hair. I’m at about 94% straight when I stand. I had to sit a few times during the shower because standing for long periods is exhausting.
I have a lot of bloating, soreness, and tenderness. It still feels incredibly heavy (like a ton of bricks trying to fall out of me). Despite that, I didn’t wear my binder today. I thought maybe it was causing the reaction in my abdomen. I also know I need to work on rebuilding those muscles. I’ll probably wear it later just to help compress some of the internal organs into place.
Internally though, I feel so much energy. I was on the couch thinking about how I wanted to do a full workout. I know better. I’m not going to do it for several reasons, but I just found it interesting that I’m so energized this soon in my recovery. At the same time, I’m completely exhausted. I sleep a lot. Simple things like standing to make food or a drink take so much energy. It’s weird how the body can switch so quickly between tiredness and energetic.
One thing I noticed about myself is I am EATING. I can’t seem to keep my hands off of food. I don’t know what is causing it (pain meds maybe, body needing recovery energy, etc.). It’s weird, and I don’t like it. I’m not even getting sick from overeating. I don’t have to be hungry to want to eat. I don’t like the feeling, especially as someone who lost so much weight in the last 15 months. I almost have a fear of gaining it all back. I’m already bloated from the surgery, so this just freaks me out a bit more. It should be the last thing on my mind, but it’s a reality in my head.
My goal for tomorrow is to get out and walk in the morning outside. It’s so hot in Texas, but I need to work on working on other grounds. I live on a rocky road, so this will help me with making sure I’m not overconfident in my ability to walk around my house. It’s easy to walk around the same flooring all day, ever day once you are used to it. I just have to make sure I stay close to my house (maybe back and forth on my driveway and street). I also need to work on standing longer periods of time. Today really took a lot out of me just to stand. I’ll likely wear my binder tomorrow to help with not feeling so overwhelmed with my body doing those things.
I do have a follow-up hospital discharge appointment tomorrow. Because the doctor does not want me to drive, I did ask to switch to a virtual/telehealth visit. Luckily, they agreed.
I took some photos of my incisions. They look great! One of them is about an inch long, another is about inches long, and the last is in my belly button and I have no idea how big it is. I’m bruised in the area (expected). I have some redness by the bigger incision, but nothing that’s concerning.
I’m so ready to be healed. I’m ready to see how different I’ll feel. I’m ready to see if I’ll maintain the energy. I’m ready to see if I’ll be pain-free, truly. I’m ready for everything. I just have so much to look forward to. Every day that I feel better is a day I get excited about the future.
Angel Boucher 