Well, it went as well as could be expected 🙂
It’s 3am but I can’t sleep so I thought I might as well post an update.
This is me waiting to go down to surgery. Please note the fetching hospital gown.
I was in theatre for roughly four hours – which was longer than they expected. I’ve briefly seen my surgeon (I was very out of it) and he confirmed that going through my belly was the correct thing to do – apparently there were many adhesions.
I am not shocked by this.
They didn’t initially give me a support band, and I was in a lot of pain – it’s been a long time since I cried from it, but they gave me a belly block and my band and that helps. I was then moved up to a room on the antenatal ward – all gynae-related surgeries are up here.
The irony of this is not lost on me 😂🤣
Pain free is sadly not an option. They started me off on Percocet 6 hourly but that was not doing it for me, so they’ve split it out into Oxycodone and Tylenol. I’ve just had my Tylenol so am staying awake for the next 20 min so they can do my obs then hopefully I can get some more sleep.
I’m doing better than I expected though. I’ve been up and about – briefly shuffled to the bathroom and back. They will be trying that again in a couple of hours.
I’ve been drinking so well that they’ve unhooked my IV fluids – though it’s still in my wrist. On my dominant hand. Goddamn bad veins!
I ate some dinner:
I had a nibble of the toast (too much for me) but I did eat all my raspberry ice.
I dislike saltines intensely, but my lovely night shift nurse has found me Graham crackers which are infinitely preferable. Also iced apple juice.
They are planning on removing my catheter soon!!!
Coughing hurts like a bitch and it’s amazing how much you use your abdomen.
My middle shift nurse thinks I’ll be home by Thursday. Which is good. Hopefully I will see my doctor man tomorrow and he can give more concrete information.
Mom is holding down the fort (thanks Momma!) and the hus-creature will be staying with me here and utilising hospital wi-Fi to do some work tomorrow and Wednesday.
He’s not staying with me overnight because we both feel the kidlets need to see at least one parent (and poor mom needs a break!)
She sent me a picture of #1 Son being a ninja 💕💕💕
We’ve decided not to bring the kids to visit because I’m in too much pain and the risk of them clambering over me is too high. Also, I don’t want to scare them.
I’m missing them like crazy though.
Right, now I shall attempt more sleep. I might be allowed a shower tomorrow!!!
Darling Fliss,
It is WONDERFUL to read you! If I had to rely on the hus creature for news…
Is your cut vertical or horizontal? The exit door for the hus creature was cut horizontally and below the bikini line, to stop me from showing the scar off to all and sundry.
How come you haven’t got a morphine pump for the pain? I thought it was standard analgesia after major surgery.
It is a good idea to make you walk ASAP after surgery, and as often as poss. After all, if you are discharged on Thursday, you will have to negotiate the stairs to reach your flat. And they are not very nice stairs.
Your meal, with all its little pots, looks like an airline dinner. But I hope it tastes better!
Very sensible not to bring the kidlets to visit, for all the reasons you give. I bet they miss you as much as you miss them.
Enjoy your shower! Back in the days, they used to spray your surgical wound with something that turned into clingfilm on contact with your skin, so that you could enjoy a bath/shower. Does that still exist, or has the 21st century produced something a bit more modern?
Best wishes for a prompt recovery. We love you.
XXX
Well done Fliss. You may want to mention the stairs at home to your doctor so he has all the info to decide on your discharge. It is great that your mom was able to come and stay. There is this Arabic proverb “when God figured out he could not be everywhere he invented mothers…”
Hey Fliss,
Glad you’re doing well!
A little tip for the pain after abdominal surgery;
Take a towel and roll it into a fat, tight sausage shape. Use a bit of medical tape around it to secure. Any time you need to cough, sneeze or even poo 🙈 hold it firmly against your wound.
That time was my God send after gallstone surgery and both CSections.
Hope your recover well!
Xx
You are a genius thank you my lovely I will give that a go 💕
If you can bring your knees up tight to your stomach when you need to sneeze/cough/laugh. And hold it tight like suggested above. Make sure you get lots of rest xx
You get more than paracetamol?!? After my second section all I got after surgery was paracetamol and ibruprofen even after the spinal block was long gone!
Apparently so – I have a small prescription for Motrin and Percocet which needs picking up