Out of The PIT

So I have a low grade fever. I have been taking acetaminophen since I got home to deal with the pain so there was a good chance that I have had an actual fever for a few days now. I have noticed huge temperature swings with me feeling cold for an hour, then hot for an hour, etc. This while I was still popping pills. I did have a normal temperature when I got my dressings replaced a couple of days ago so maybe this is a relatively new phenomenon, but I was pretty sure I started feeling temperature swings before then. The chance that I picked something up from the hospital is actually kind of high. When I was coming to and the nurses were wheeling me into my recovery room, I overheard one of them saying that I could not go to that particular bed because the unit was on outbreak. I ended up getting my own room to recover which was nice, and helped with my rest. However, due to my nausea issues, I could not keep my mask on for long periods of time and I did spend a good chunk of time un...

I am looking forward to having a full night's sleep. The pain medication regimen requires me to stagger my two medications such that they don't end up wearing off at the same time. As such, the most time I have in between notifications is four hours and possibly down to one. Even so, it takes a while to fall back asleep after being woken up by the alarm so I have been basically taking 2-3 hour naps throughout the day since Monday. It is allowing me to get some rest, but I am started to get pretty exhausted. One of my pills is running out so I will be getting 6 hour naps tomorrow, and hopefully I can wean myself off of everything this weekend and get back to a regular sleep (and eating) schedule. Then I can really start recovering my strength..

The recovery so far has been a lot faster than the first surgery. A little bit of hindsight has helped a lot and have compounded over the week to allow for a much quicker healing process. A number of things that helped: Excluding any excessive baggage at for the hospital stay. (To make transportation easier.) Bringing an eye mask. (To actually get some rest during the day.) Staying on top of the pain medications at the hospital. (To allow for better sleep and mobility.) Ambling around as much as possible. (To help with healing.) Limiting solid food intake when famished. (To limit nausea.) Utilizing liquid supplements. (Lets me eat less so as not to stuff myself.) Maintaining pain medication schedule while at home. (Lets me sleep better and amble around more.) Having gone through this whole ordeal did prepare me for what was to come and I have been able to definitely improve on the last time. I got a lot more rest from the eye mask and pain medications. I was able to get out of bed more...

This morning I felt quite tired and lethargic, but was told that I'd probably be discharged today. I knew the drill, all the tubes get removed and I need to walk around a bit. I was given more liquids for breakfast and this time it seemed as if the food stayed down. The catheter came out pretty early this time, which meant that I had to get up and walk. Last time was quite the chore, but this time I stayed on top of the pain meds and even though the first walkabout was just as bad as I remembered it. After an hour rest the second walk was.. not bad. Then the third, fourth, soon I was walking about and even going to the washroom on my own. Mobility promotes mobility. The pace of recovery this time was leaps and bounds above what I went through with the first surgery, and I attribute that to the pain meds keeping me in the game. In fact, I was confident enough to walk to the car when we left, which was a far cry from being wheeled out (in serious pain) last time. I was even able to e...

Since I knew what I was getting myself into, I came a little more prepared and with a lot less stiff on hand. Few questions were required and I told the team that I joked that I fell asleep last time but won't be joking this time. Then I woke up. The unit was on outbreak so I was wheeled into a separate room by myself.  This was convenient since I did not have to worry about a roommate, but in it also meant that no visitors were allowed. Still, it mattered little since all I wanted to do was lie down and sleep. This time I made sure to ask for pain meds and used my eye mask which helped immensely since the room was very bright. I got better sleep, although it was still short and fleeting due to the numerous announcements on the PA. I also paced my eating which prevented me from filling my stomach to the point that I could not physically put anything more in my mouth. One major drawback with this session was the nausea. I didn't notice it the first time, but when they have me so...

The plan for today was to wake up early to prepare and arrive at the hospital at 0600. As such, I set the alarm on my phone for 0420. A peculiar time indeed, but a consequence of reusing one of my pain killer reminders from the first surgery. I must have tempted fate for I woke up on my own, with the glow of daylight filtering through the blinds. I searched for my phone, which I had dropped next to me when I finally dozed off and found it buried deep under the blankets, dutifully reminding me that I had missed my alarm. It was 0545. I leapt out bed and woke up MJNL. I had no time to lose. I hoped that my preparations last night were good enough not to require a double check and quickly showered and dressed. The surgery itself was scheduled for 0745 so I still had time, but it required less dilly-dallying and focused action. I guess it helped out in the end, there was less chance of inadvertently falling into old habits and doing something that would complicate the surgery. Apart from b...