I am a week post surgery and still have yet to figure out what all I'm reacting to or have a "smooth" day. It's been a one thing or another for a week now.
Day 1 post opp
Thursday 3/21
I go in like a boss, chin up, robe flapping in the breeze, hanging onto every single time every person had said how much better I would feel. For the first time I’ve had an unknown (to me) procedure I go in without having those uncontrollable shakes. I maintain control and cool the whole time. Yay me.
 |
| Bittersweet: recovery room for a hysterectomy is in the Maternity Ward. OBGYNs & their nurses are already there. |
 |
| I needed that baby in my arms so bad. She made it happen. She's pretty great. It was Joe & I's 1st night apart. |
Then My systems are slow to start up again. It takes my body FOREVER and a ton of fluids to decide I could use the bathroom... which then I am told my first ‘try’ wasn’t good enough. It was less than half the amount needed to be discharged & to ‘try again’ ugggg (I demanded a sticker in true preschool teacher fashion). After another full 1000cc hospital mug of water chugged, they decide some more IV fluids might be best BUUUUT my IV infiltrates into my hand, so that’s a no. Eventually the chug mug catches up & I'm allowed to check out after a belly listen to be sure other systems will work.
 |
| When you pick your persons, pick good ones. |
 |
| When you have a laproscopic procedure, they pump you full of gas to be able to work the instruments & get good visuals. After surgery, this gas settles in weird places.... like your shoulders. OUCH!!! Kpak Heat Pack. |
 |
| Calf Massagers that continuously pump & massage your calves to help reduce DVTs & other clots. |
The first day home, I’m doped up on meds, I feel alright, I’m walking around, eating with the family & functioning good. I get through the night, but I’m THIRSTY. Really thirsty. I mug chug around 3 hospital mugs of fluid & still feel dehydrated. When I wake up my face looks like preeclampsia or Botox gone bad. I’ve also gotten a fever over 100.5 despite hefty doses of ibuprofen.
They want me back in ER. My least favorite place in the entire world.
This is Day 3.
We go to the ER. Wayne forgets where to park so we walk (over drainage gutters) about a block to get inside, skipped the good painkillers to come & am oh so out of it. They put me on a narrow narrow OB break apart bed in a room that’s overly hot. I’m not allowed to drink anything until ruling out certain possibilities so the thirst keeps getting worse. Mixed with mad blood loss this equals SEVERE dehydration & a heart murmur. 
It’s decided I have developed an infection. I get fluids, pain killer, and antibiotics in an IV. The record number of pokes for me is 8. My veins are small, they roll & if I’m dehydrated at all, they are pretty impossible. Let’s not forget I’ve already had a spot infiltrate & blood drawn more than a couple times out of another spot. Poor nurses Michael and Brian both have no luck so they call in Amanda, their proclaimed IV goddess who decides to stab through scar tissue next to my blood draw spots, but gets it in, barely. When my doctor comes in she retapes it. She checks everything over, sends more meds, then I’m able to leave after hours of IV drip. It’s now Saturday at 2pm & the only open pharmacy is Walgreens. We go through their drive through then hit a food drive through for Wayne (they made me eat a tray in the ER -a turkey sandwich- I HATE TURKEY sandwiches, but I ate it.)
Right before we head back to Walgreens to get my meds and head home, the pharmacist calls & says my file (which has to be 4-6 years old) has a note that says I might be pregnant and they have to ask if I am for one of the meds.....
I’m not having the best day. I just got doped up on pain meds & my emotions are a bit questionable in light of what was just removed from my body. My response,
It's funny what makes your house of cards within tumble. What simple, fairly insignificant thing can go wrong that brings it all crashing down. For me it was this stupid post. I know people do read it, but I generally write it for me. It's so stupid. I about didn't recover. I about let it all pour out. I was questioning why I got this surgery, why everything. And everything suddenly hurt. It was crashing down. All of it. Wayne was asking what he could do for me. I was mean. Finally he asked that I not take it out on him. Then I felt bad. I had to put my computer well out of reach, take some medicine & pass out.
Today I'm trying to rewrite it. Whatever.
So here's how it went after the ER......
Day 4:
Sunday 3/24
Over the course of these antibiotics the hives kept spreading. Chest, side, back, arms, sutures, everywhere. Itchy. Annoying. Hives.
Tuesday I had a follow up appointment. I was still having low grade temps, still had hives & was still generally feeling blah. I was also sick of the side affects of my pain meds. My doc gave me a different one to try & said my sutures looked well, the rectangle rash was definitely from the drape and prep and the rest were concerning but we needed to continue the antibiotics. She was also slightly concerned with the description of my prolapse repair area being described as "a continuous feeling of crowning a baby". Thus, stay with the hivey antibiotics.
The CDC currently recommends that only those under 5, over 65 or with certain medical conditions be the only ones who receive Tamilflu. So that meant Lizzy, Joey & I got it. Zach, Andy & Jake are already sick. Wayne thinks he is the chosen one and will not get it. Whatever Wayne.
I'm set to rock a 48 hour sleep into Friday, but this little alarm on my phone says it's time for another appointment. I get sutures out of my abdomen today so I guess I better go. I get stitches out, blood drawn, throat swabbed just in case and they baffle over the still present low grade temps. Whatever.
We couldn't do it without the MEAL TRAIN though. THANK YOU thank you, thank you to Shannon for setting it up, being the go between & for all of you out there who amazingly responded! Thank you for every single meal, snack, gift card & delivery. We are surviving off of them. They have all been delicious & the left overs have carried our lunches. It is tremendously helpful. You will receive paper thank you's as well. When I can move more than 5 steps without a hot flash.
“Well I hope not. I just got my uterus removed 2 days ago, so if so, that would be some whacked out shit.”
-My husband is dying in the driver’s seat. He tells me I’m a bitch for saying that & that a ‘no’ would have worked. “it’s not in me, besides, that’s bad taste to ask someone who just got their uterus removed if they’re pregnant”. I know she didn’t know, but I’m me & that's my response.
---the rest of my post has disappeared, I can't even begin to rewrite it---
--might throw computer across room--
well anyhow..... I had the post exactly how I wanted it, went to hit publish and the evil asshole technology deleted it. I've tried every suggestion on the internet. It is gone. I am seething. Every sound in my room is making me want to rage all the emotions of a week and 3 days worth of depleted hormones, emotions, pent up anger and general feeling of frustration and unwellness. If you could have read the nicely written rest of the post, you'd know it's been a week from hell....--might throw computer across room--
Day 10:
Saturday 3/30
It's funny what makes your house of cards within tumble. What simple, fairly insignificant thing can go wrong that brings it all crashing down. For me it was this stupid post. I know people do read it, but I generally write it for me. It's so stupid. I about didn't recover. I about let it all pour out. I was questioning why I got this surgery, why everything. And everything suddenly hurt. It was crashing down. All of it. Wayne was asking what he could do for me. I was mean. Finally he asked that I not take it out on him. Then I felt bad. I had to put my computer well out of reach, take some medicine & pass out.
Today I'm trying to rewrite it. Whatever.
LET's BACK UP.....
So here's how it went after the ER......
Day 4:
Sunday 3/24
Hives. Hives that started in the shape of a rectangle. Those I knew came from the drape and surgery prep. But why on day 4 did they show up? They then got worse by the day.
Tuesday I had a follow up appointment. I was still having low grade temps, still had hives & was still generally feeling blah. I was also sick of the side affects of my pain meds. My doc gave me a different one to try & said my sutures looked well, the rectangle rash was definitely from the drape and prep and the rest were concerning but we needed to continue the antibiotics. She was also slightly concerned with the description of my prolapse repair area being described as "a continuous feeling of crowning a baby". Thus, stay with the hivey antibiotics.
Oh, Oh did you want to see suture pics? Proclamation: I've made 6 babies from scratch in this beast, it's been stretched, molded & squished to the beautiful site that it currently is, I'll share....
Gnarly Huh?
Next we took Andy to Urgent Care where he was confirmed positive with Influenza A. Damn it. That's not what we went in there for. I can not get that one. She just said stay away from coughers, coughing for me would be counterproductive to my healing. Tamiflu. Tamiflu for most.
The CDC currently recommends that only those under 5, over 65 or with certain medical conditions be the only ones who receive Tamilflu. So that meant Lizzy, Joey & I got it. Zach, Andy & Jake are already sick. Wayne thinks he is the chosen one and will not get it. Whatever Wayne. 
Luke comes home sick from school and they decide to call it in for him too. Soooo, Tamiflu for most.
Day 7
3/27
2 doses into new meds, I wake up to swollen botox lips again, such nausea and dizziness I cannot leave the bathroom & ANGRY HIVES. I feel so so wretched. My body cannot do all these meds, or all these meds together, despite having the nurses, doctors and pharmacists all check that they are compatible. They all technically are. However when trying to pinpoint which I look up the generic name of the Tamiflu that's on the box and it says that those allergic to the cillins can react to it. Well, hand to the sky, that's me. That paired with taking another antibiotic that I am slightly allergic to has set my body off. I'm in rough shape. I stop everything but the essentials. I'm so frustrated.
Thursday....I slept ALL DAY, I'm not even sure there was a Thursday last week. You couldn't prove it by me.
I'm set to rock a 48 hour sleep into Friday, but this little alarm on my phone says it's time for another appointment. I get sutures out of my abdomen today so I guess I better go. I get stitches out, blood drawn, throat swabbed just in case and they baffle over the still present low grade temps. Whatever.
It's a perfect Spring day of thick fog and heavy mist. It's awesome. I just want to sit outside.
Saturday I am determined to finish this post and I do, I go to hit publish and...... well you already read about that. Here we are...
Let's give credit where credit is due:
 |
| no but really, he's our rock, but maybe don't tell him, his head is big enough already |
My Husband. He does alright. The house got this messy:
 |
| This is nothing, 6 kids, 2 dogs & a manchild live here. |
Then today he decided he couldn't handle it & it had to be cleaned & I mean move the couches, vacuum under them & tin snip the hanging mechanics snagging the carpet, clean. Go Wayne.
He doesn't do Honey Do lists though. Those hit the garbage before being read. They insult him. (rolling my eyes). But he does alright.
Thank you to my girl for never leaving my side....
....and to the boys for their ornery spirit lifting ways. Zach likes to make sure I bathe regularly....with a spray bottle of water......when I least expect it....in my recliner I cannot get out of like a turtle on its back....then his dad backs him. Thank you. Asshats.
 |
| Trooper broke Luke's computer screen while we were at the doctor, so instead of taking the computer downstairs, he brings a tv up. |
 |
| Influenza A |
 |
| 8 months on 3/27 |
 |
| The Onreries. |
We couldn't do it without the MEAL TRAIN though. THANK YOU thank you, thank you to Shannon for setting it up, being the go between & for all of you out there who amazingly responded! Thank you for every single meal, snack, gift card & delivery. We are surviving off of them. They have all been delicious & the left overs have carried our lunches. It is tremendously helpful. You will receive paper thank you's as well. When I can move more than 5 steps without a hot flash. 
Thank you also for your support & well wishes!
If you're going to have to go through recovery, do it with a baby in your arms & a dog on your legs....
No comments :
Post a Comment