Diana is out of surgery

[JackieOnLine]

oh, man, I'm sorry you had such a bad night. I'm glad you are able to get up and walk.
Q: how often should one use a inspirometer?
A: every time a commercial comes on

 

[DawnNYC]

glad you're up and feeling good!

 

[hilary1617]

Well done being up and walking about!

 

[Mystrys]

So happy you are up and moving. Here's to a smooth and rapid recovery with as little pain (and poop drama) as possible.

I am seriously considering taking a jar of coconut oil and packs of Brain Brew (mct) with me for my surgery in 3 weeks. Full fat dairy has never been an easy find out of the country for me.

Huzzah! To your flat tummy!! You've earned that, Lady! Now chill....heal...SMILE!!

 

[hilary1617]

How are you feeling today DianaCox? Hoping your pain is well-controlled and that your output is moving along comfortably.

 

[JackieOnLine]

yes, I'm hoping last night was better than the one before.

 

[DianaCox]

Thursday morning - much better. Got a decent night’s sleep, got my first mug of my special extra strength coffee, and had my first poop - which didn’t hurt. Opiates + Colace + coffee = good balance.

I still can’t quite get out of the recliner without help. But it’s less painful than getting out of a hospital bed. I just need Charles to stand in front of me and let me pull myself up out of the recliner using my arm muscles and legs.

I’m very grateful for all the advice I got on how to prepare for this ordeal. It’s the little things that make all the difference. I have the recliner set up with a blanket covering the whole chair, an egg sitter cushion under my tailbone, a disposable pad covering the seat so it can sit on that without underwear. I have several sizes of pillows and rolled up towels to use as needed, as my needs change from hour to hour for what feels more comfortable - under my knees, under middle of my back, behind my neck. And a heating pad when needed.

I have a soft cotton sleeveless man’s undershirt under the abdominal binder, so it isn’t touching my uber-sensitive skin, and a sleep bra gently wrangling the boobies. I’m wearing a little get cotton shift making me decent, while also making it easy to go to the bathroom.

Trying to keep my hair wrangled is another issue - I’m growing it out and it’s at an awkward length, and for some reason my scalp is unduly sensitive - pulling it in a ponytail hurts, but it doesn’t feel good hanging loose. I’m ready to take the clippers to it ....

But all in all, I’m feeling pretty positive about this having been the right thing to do.

 

[DianaCox]

Oh, and again - having a Toto washlet is brilliant as well.

 

[JackieOnLine]

an excellent report

 

[DianaCox]

Whew. I just took my first shower. Just preparing for it was a struggle - after I measured and dumped the drains, and took off the bra, undershirt and binder, I was overcome with exhaustion and then my guts decided to cut loose (before the shower, thankfully). I was on the verge of passing out, but sat on the toilet until everything settled down. By the way, not only is the Toto washlet a wonderful accessory for DS patients, so is the Squatty Potty (and for anyone, actually).

Being prepared for the shower was important. My tub width shower has a small corner seat, but it wasn’t really big enough for my behind. I had previously bought a regular shower seat for the stall in the second bedroom, so I had Charles bring that seat in, and used the corner seat as a shelf for the soap, scrubbie, toothbrush and toothpaste. Another important aide is that our showerhead is on a hose, so I could mostly stay seated while I brushed my teeth and soaped up. A grab bar on the wall of the shower would have also been helpful - I think I’m going to order a couple of the heavy duty suction cup type grab bars, especially since my elderly father will be coming to live with us in the near future.

Someone had suggested using an unfolded wire hanger hung over my neck to hold the drains, but it seems we have purged our house of them. But Charles found a stretchy card leash from a casino which has clips on both ends, which worked perfectly - the drains have cloth tabs on them with safety pins through the cloth, so they can be pinned to the binder for support. But without the hanger suggestion, I probably would have just let the drains hang, which wouldn’t have been good.

I don’t know how anyone could do this without a significant amount of help, at least at first. I was able to get out of the recliner by myself today, by grabbing the ends of the arms of the recliner to use my arms to get vertical and then use my legs to stand. But Charles was standing right near me just in case.

I’m currently collapsed in the recliner in my terrycloth bathrobe, trying to get dry and gear up to putting on deodorant, powder, fresh underclothes and a cotton shift dress, and to put the binder back on. I took a pic (not for public consumption) for comparison to the preop pic to remind myself of the improvement.

 

[southernlady]

I don’t know how anyone could do this without a significant amount of help, at least at first. I was able to get out of the recliner by myself today, by grabbing the ends of the arms of the recliner to use my arms to get vertical and then use my legs to stand. But Charles was standing right near me just in case.

I’m currently collapsed in the recliner in my terrycloth bathrobe, trying to get dry and gear up to putting on deodorant, powder, fresh underclothes and a cotton shift dress, and to put the binder back on. I took a pic (not for public consumption) for comparison to the preop pic to remind myself of the improvement.

I do understand. Not from "plastics" or hernia surgery but from my first back surgery. All I could do was sit and have dh wash me/my hair. For 6 weeks, it was the ONLY time I was allowed out of my back brace which was a hard plastic monster. I had to sit will he washed/rinsed/dried and redressed me.

Thank goodness for understanding spouses!

 

[JackieOnLine]

I'm glad you were able to shower and it sounds pretty safe. sitting and hand-held showerheads should be standard for anybody not young anymore, at least as options.

especially since my elderly father will be coming to live with us in the near future.

he was living with you already, wasn't he? I must have missed what happened or I forgot, sorry, he went back to his (we don't like her!) girlfriend?

 

[DianaCox]

Dad has been about to come live with us for several years now. His ladyfriend is the decider (though I have told him it’s up to him too, as he’s always got a place here), but she keeps putting off the decision, as his leaving means she will have to move into assisted living herself. She has managed to find ways to get them additional help to continue to age in place. But I think he’ll be with us by the end of the summer.

 

[galaxygrrl]

Popping in to send support. Hang in there.

 

[DianaCox]

Transition from oxycodone to codeine for pain control seems to have been accomplished. Yesterday was not fun. Just took a shower and washed my hair by myself. Almost finished applying lotion and deodorant and miscellaneous, before powdering up and putting on sleep bra, undershirt, binder and cotton housedress. I will then have to dry my hair and put it up again, make myself something to eat, and crawl back into the recliner for a codeine and nap. Progress, I guess.