Well, it's been just about 48 hrs since I awoke from surgery. Here's how it went down...(and please forgive any typos or incoherence, as I'm still drowsy and on narcotics.. lol)
I arrived about 1 hr 1/2 before my scheduled time to get checked in and set up with the IV and such. Got to meet with the anesthesia doc when it dawned on me that they'll need to intubate me and I have a jaw that easily dislocates and locks open. So, we had a little discussion about that. (luckily, when I woke up, my jaw was where it belonged. lol) I then met with the anesthesia assistant...I was not so confident with him. First of all, as soon as he came into my room, he got dizzy and almost passed out. Then, when going over my allergies, he neglected to read that I'm allergic to penicillin. No points for this guy. But, I was in capable hands with the rest of the surgical team.
When I woke up, I was in a fair amount of pain and I'd have to say that MOST of it was in my chest/shoulders from the CO2 they used to expand my belly during surgery. 48 hrs later and that is still my chief complaint...but it's slowly easing up. I have 5 lovely incisions on my upper abdomen...they don't bother me too much, except the one all the way to my left. Not sure what was accomplished through that particular incision, but it's the one I'm most aware of. I have some numbness around another...not sure if that's temporary or if maybe a little nerve damage occurred there.
When I took my first sips of liquid, I thought for sure that I'd feel it...as in once it hit the spot where the hernia was repaired and my stomach was wrapped around my esophagus, I thought I'd really notice things passing, but to my surprise, I don't. (which can be dangerous...If I wasn't on a strict clear liquid diet, I think I'd be tempted to try regular food!). I do notice a lot of gurgling as things pass down my throat, which in turn sends a bit of air back up...I'm hoping that will pass as I heal up, as it's quite an unpleasant sound to be around. I've had to cough a bit and burp at bit, and with the gas still stuck in my chest and shoulders, it hurts like a son of a, you-know-what. I've been monitoring my temp as I've been running a consistent 99.5 or so degrees F. As long as I don't jump up to 101, I'm in good shape. I guess pneumonia is a risk and I was told to keep trying to take some deep, long breaths. Easier said than done, but I can't imagine the pain of pneumonia coughing!
They've got me on Vicodin...1 or 2 every four hours as needed. I brought myself down to 1 last night and went quite a while overnight with no meds...but as I try to be more active today, I've kicked it back up to 2. I've been keeping a warm wrap on my shoulders and drank a cup of hot tea to try to get rid of this remaining CO2...I'm hoping by tomorrow it will no longer be an issue.
So, lots of sleeping, resting, and trying to stay hydrated. I haven't felt hungry once, so convincing myself to drink something is a challenge, but frozen ice pops and that cup of tea have helped.
Ok..I'm not sure how much of this has made sense, so I'll stop rambling. Catch you all in a bit when I have more to update.
Oh..and my beautiful 18 yr old niece has just been dx'd with Type 1 Diabetes. So, if you're the praying kind, an energy sender, or just have some positive thoughts to send out, I'd greatly appreciate it. <3
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