It's been a week today since my surgery. I'm down to 2 percocet a day and no other pain killlers. I am back taking all the supplements I was before my surgery, it's an all day thing.
My basic routine over the past few days has been about the same. I wake up after sleeping pretty well, I have had some pretty crazy dreams and I'm not sure why. Maybe just the stress of the past week or the dregs of anesthetic or the painkillers. Anyway, I wake up around 8. I sleep in a pillow fort. I have myself propped up on a wedge and pillows under my legs and arms and I don't move all night. I sleep almost sitting up. There's no snuggling. But the position works and I don't have pain at night.
Jason has to help me get out of bed in the morning, the pain is pretty awful the first move. My right side is so tight, they had to remove so much tissue and all those lymph nodes so it's natural for the skin and muscles to be that way. Also, they had to cut nerves and muscle so the nerves are regenerating and it's a very strange feeling and sometimes painful but I'm getting used to it. It's amazing how the body adapts.
Once I'm up and moving around a little things improve. I have a series of exercises I have to do 5-10 times a day in order to prevent what's called "frozen shoulder". Sometimes when people don't do their exercises they end up with arms they can't move. I couldn't imagine so I do my exercises religiously . I can already lift my arms over my head and out to the sides. I can open and close the oven door, I can put on my shirt, I can lift a glass of water, I can wipe my butt, I can wash my face. I still can't bend over and pick things up off the floor, or pull my pants up or lift anything heavy but I'm getting there.
Usually Jason and I then go for our walk and I have a nap after and then we make dinner and that's the day.
Today we had to drive to Toronto so i could have my tissue and wound healing IV at my naturopath. The car ride is exhausting for me, sitting there with a pillow against my chest. It's amazing how little things I used to do all the time take extra energy now. Here I am at the clinic getting the IV. They have much better chairs than the chemo lab and weighted blankets. It's the little things.
In that bag are a bunch of B vitamins, selenium, Vitamin C, extra zinc and a few other goodies to promote the production of collagen and speed tissue and wound healing in the body. I was pretty tired and zooched when I got there, when I left I felt WAY better. My naturopath says the incisions look amazing and is happy with my progress. I'll go for two more of these infusions and then resume high dose Vitamin C which will continue for years.
We then drove back home. I snapped a pic, because I thought Jason looked handsome driving and was appreciative that he is there for me. It means he has to work late catching up on dozens and dozens of emails and he works when I'm at the clinic remotely but he's there for me and I couldn't do it without him. I tried to fit us both in the picture but I can't extend my arm and hold the phone so this is the best I could do. A true tragedy...no selfies. LOL.
He doesn't love when I post pictures of him but oh well. Life sometimes isn't fair and we don't always get what we want. I want him in the blog. He's such a big part of my everyday and a huge reason I'm able to recover. My mom too, but I know better than to post a pic of the Bapster with her covid ponytail, so just imagine her here helping me in so many ways. Yesterday she had to help me after my shower like I was her 4 year old again, putting my pants on and cream on my arms and back. It was nice to have her there helping me. Sometimes we all need our Mommies. I thought about that and had to fight off the darkness of fearing my girls might not have me someday. I tell myself I'll be around for a long long time and don't give in to those thoughts. They aren't helpful.
So after we got home, I had a scheduled appointment with the home care nurse. He was coming to remove one of the drains that was in my right side. These drains are placed under the skin and pull fluid from the area where I had surgery so it doesn't build up and cause a seroma, or fluid filled area, which could get infected and become and abscess. If the drains are collecting less than 25ml of fluid over a period of 24 hours for 2 days or more they can be pulled out.
When I say "pulled out" that's exactly what they do. If you recall the pictures of the drains coming from the side of my body, there are some stitches holding them in. The nurse comes and removes the stitches and pulls the drain from my body. I wasn't imagining it feeling very good, he told me to take my painkillers before he arrived which didn't make me feel encouraged.
Anyway, he arrived and got right to it. He removed the stitches and told me to lift my arm, look straight ahead....take a big breath in and then blow it out and when I was exhaling he just pulled this huge drain out from my chest. Here is the video. If you're squeamish best to just skip past the video. It's not totally gross but it's not ....not.
So gross right? It didn't hurt one bit. I felt absolutely nothing. When he was done this is what he removed from my chest.
The flat white part was under my skin, the holes collect all the fluid and it drains out into the bulb. Pretty crazy.
After that was done I was shaky and not feeling amazing. Even though it didn't hurt it kind of rattled me, the grossness of it. My side where it came out is pretty tender now that the pain killers are wearing off and this is usually the time of night where I start to worry about everything.
I think tonight I won't bother with the worrying. It doesn't solve anything, it doesn't make me feel better and it doesn't change anything. I think I'll eat a cookie and watch a home reno show and carry on.
One drain down and two to go.
If I keep looking ahead to the small milestones and keep putting them in the rear view mirror this journey will be over and I'll look ahead to a wonderful life.
I will tell myself this story tonight instead of a sad one.
Comentarios