Recovery

So today has been the first day that I've felt competent enough to get my thoughts onto the computer. It's also the first day that I've felt comfortable enough to do so.

I actually got a good night's rest on Sunday figuring it would be the last time I would sleep soundly in a long time. Woke up Monday morning on time, showered, and got dressed. We were only 5 minutes late to Dr. Egrari's office which wasn't so bad. We spent a few minutes in the pre-op room going over my anesthesia, the procedure itself, and recovery. Then the doc marked me up for operating - I looked like a blank paint by numbers palate. Then Dane and I got to spend a few minutes alone before surgery. They gave me a warm blanket to wrap up in, which was nice. When it was time to go to the op room they let me give Dane one last kiss and then led me in to the room. The op bed was warmed over with comfy sheets. I crawled right in and was immediately at ease. They put some funky stuff in my IV and I started feeling silly. They asked me how I felt and I said happy and then looked at the operating lights and listened to the soft music in the background and felt like I was on Nip/Tuck. Minutes later I awoke to applesauce and pills being fed to me. I was in a lot of pain and dazed. I asked for Dane and wasn't sure what happened and why I didn't get the surgery done. The nurses assured me the surgery was done and went well and I was coming out of my daze. I spent the next hour or so in and out lying on the table telling myself that with each minute my pain was less and less. Finally it was time for me to leave and they made me walk to the car which was very painful. Lucky for me HG let me borrow her truck as my car was too low and Dane's truck was too high, but her truck was just right. It hurt to move and go home and I wondered whose idea this was and how I could possibly bear 2 weeks of this.

Once home Dane fed me more pain killers and I went to sleep. I really don't remember much of the first few days except a lot of sleeping, tv, and feeling shitty. My garment got off-kilter so when HG took care of me yesterday we made an impromptu appointment for me to go in and get it fixed since I kept peeing on myself (gross). And Dane accidently grabbed a bag of frozen mushrooms instead of peas to put on my chest and when they thawed out they smelt HORRIBLE!! So bad I almost vomited - not good after abdomnioplasty (sp?). So HG took me to my appointment and they changed my banadages and gave me a bigger garment since the one I had before was too small and I was VERY swollen. I guess because I'm a vegan and can't get as much protein it makes me more suseptible to swollen. I was so disstended you could see that I hadn't had a bowel movement. After that they washed my hair and cleaned me up nice and pretty. I guess Dr. Egrari's office is one of the few, if only, plastic surgeon office that does things like that for their patients which I think is genius. So on the way home HG got me some veggie protein supplement and milk of magnesia. I spent all last night on the toilet refusing to eat or drink till I got rid of the crap in my body. It was a long battle and by the time it was over I just wanted to sleep. Seriously, in all this hack and slash of my body - the worst pain has been the constipation and then the bowel movement.

Today was the first day I've really felt alive enough to complete some thoughts. I've slept a lot today, got my posting done, read through email, and even did this blog. Though I can tell I'm beat. We've transitioned me to my medium weight drugs with 5 hour spreads instead of 4. I still live in my hospital gown and robe. I still have drains attached to my belly, those will probably come out on Tuesday - I'm scared for them to pull those out - that will be hell. Boo has been absolutely adorable!! She will not leave my side. She has slept on my legs since Monday and when Dane tries to take her off so I can get up, she forcibly jumps back into position. She follows me to the bathroom and makes sure I'm okay at all times. Dane has been doing an amazing job too. Our relationship has definitely been taken to the next level. I've asked him to do things I never would have dreamed and he has lovingly obliged. The poor guy - and he's been able to take most of this week to work from home so he can care for me - I'm so lucky. He has apologized several times for acting out before the surgery and been nothing but caring and loving. He even gets up from WOW when I ask him to no matter who he's battling. :-)

My mom is flying in town on Tuesday evening. Dane needs to get back to work and I fear I will still need care at home so we are flying her out here. It will be nice to have her here and I"m sure Dane will love the reprieve.

All in all things are going very well. Every day I get more and more mobile. Every day I hurt less and less. I really have to thank God, my family, and friends for all the wonderful support and blessings I've been given throughout all of this. I'm a lucky gal.

I do have a scar that runs from hip to hip, like all the way across - not just in the middle. But it's low. I also have a flat belly. I've NEVER had a flat belly. And right now my boobs are HUGE!!! Most of it is swelling, but man are they biggens. And they sit straight up in the air. As HG and Dane said - "they are definitely not your old boobs." I'm sure they look all Frankenstein like but that will fade with time.

For now I have a paper to write tomorrow. A team paper to write on Sunday or so and another individual assignment due next week. Those are my biggest challenges. Next I have some work to accomplish for TSA and I want to play around with TH's books and Blackbaud before I go to work there. A lot of stuff going on. My next doc appointment is on Tuesday and then again on Monday the 26th. Wish me luck!

I will post pics soon!