TT - Day 14 - Post Op - First Day Back in the Office

I returned to work today.  Walking (still hunched over like a granny) from the car to the building through the lobby to the elevator down the hall to the office was more than I anticipated.  By the time I had made it to my desk I was shaky.  Carrying my purse, lunch and computer bag was probably pushing it a bit too.  A few of my co-workers knew I was having an elective surgery but not knowing what procedure exactly dashed around their cubes to get a look-see, eyeing me up and down, lol. 

It was a very long day and after about 4 or 5 hours into the day, I was thinking to myself “ I should go home, I REALLY should go home”.  But then I’d think, "I’ll just try and stay a little bit longer".  I almost made it the entire day back but about 30 minutes before time to go home, I went and informed my manager (I use that word loosely) that I was going home.  I was very uncomfortable and sitting flexed for so many hours had my abdominal area feeling extremely tight.  I was looking somewhat pale and shaky which she could see for herself and home I went.

I’m thinking I probably should have taken 3 weeks off following surgery instead of two but oh well, it is what it is.  I’m slowly regaining energy each day but still tire easily.  It’ll be a slow process but I’m headed in the right direction.

TT - Day 8 - Post Op - Stitches/Drainage Tube Are Gone

 The following pictures are a couple days after my initial follow-up appointment. My stitches have been removed from the incision site and navel as well as the drainage tube. You can see in the first photo the incision is from hip to hip.  One of my daughter's said it looked like I had been cut in half.  I have to say sometimes it felt like it too.  

TT - Day 7 - Initial Follow-Up Appointment

Today marks the end of week one recovery.  Today was also my initial follow-up appointment.  I once again was very nervous about having to expose the incision.  I seriously contemplated popping a Valium before leaving but I decided against that idea.  My abdominal binder has become my security blanket.  When it's on, I breathe more easily.  When it's not, I don't even know if I hardly breathe at all.   

I still walk a bit hunched over but was informed at the appointment that I can begin walking in a more upright position as my body allows.  I've attempted already and it will definitely be a work in progress because my abdominal muscles are very tight.

My sutures were taken out of the incision sites.  The many from the hip to hip incision were removed as well as the few around my new navel.  That was a very uncomfortable process of pinching and pulling as I experienced very odd sensations as the sutures were removed by the nurse.  I think if I had squeezed the arms on the examining chair any harder, I would have left permanent fingertip prints in them.  

Side View

Drainage Bulb

The surgeon came in to speak with me and see how the incision was healing.  He seemed pleased with his work as am I.  He gave approval to have the drainage tube removed  which automatically had me breathing uneasily.  The nurse snipped snipped as the surgeon distracted me with conversation.  After the snips of the two sutures holding it in, I felt her tug, then tug again and then it was out.  

Whew.  I am so freakin' glad that is over.  In the above pictures you can see a slight pudge which is really the swelling caused from the surgery.  I have now lost 6 lbs. since surgery total.

Drainage Tube That Was Removed

The picture above shows the tubing where it entered my hip covered by the two band-aids.  

I have to continue wearing my compression hose, the picture below, for another week.  Happy happy joy joy.  I despise them.  Being hot natured in combination with the warm Texas weather does not make me like them. At all. BUT I do understand the importance of wearing them still. 

My Sexy T.E.D Hose

I go back the end of next week for a subsequent follow-up appointment.  My binder has been tightened and a new line marked down the length of it so it remains tight. 

Very tight.  

Did I say tight?  

Fresh gauze was placed on the incision area and some placed on the drainage tube opening.  It should heal within 48 hours but until then I'm to keep fresh band-aids on it as well as Polysporin ointment.  Since returning home and prior to this blog, I've already had to take the gauze off and put a fresh band-aid on due to the drainage.  

I've been limited to sponge baths this past week and washing my hair in the sink which hasn't been as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I still have to wait that 48 hours for the site where the tubing was to heal but I am ready to take a shower and just let the warm water trickle down my skin. 

TT - Day 5 - Post Op

Fresh gauze was put on my incision again today.  It still remains to be an overwhelming process.  I feel very anxious and break out in a sweat.  I saw the incision again, still looks nice and is healing well.  I was able to take the time and clean off some of the adhesive left on my skin from the initial bandages from surgery.  My abdomen has areas with varying sensations.  Some places it has no feeling so it feels like I am touching someone else's skin to areas that are hypersensitive.  Once non-stick gauze is put back over the incision, I then have to put on a man's cotton shirt and then wrap my binder on over the shirt.  The shirt helps prevent the binder from agitating the incision area.

I continue to have my drainage tube that enters one side of my hip and I believe that is goes the length of the incision but am not quite sure.  There are two sutures at the entry point holding the tubing in place.  I don't know why but seeing that freaks me out a little.  I have to keep ointment and crisscross band-aids over the area because it's basically an open wound.  The bulb that contains the drainage is attached by Velcro to my binder which is nice.  This prevents it from hanging loosely so less chance for me to get my fingers or anything else entangled in it.

After sponge bathing today and putting fresh gauze and clothes on, I was able to tighten my binder more than it was.  That's good because that means the swelling is going down.

I've been experiencing some muscle spasms randomly.  They're to be expected.  I was prescribed Valium to help relax those muscles if needed but have managed to just breathe through them without the meds. I also am taking an antibiotic to be proactive in prevention of any potential infection.  I take them twice a day so one again tonight and then my last one in the morning.

I've lost 5 lbs since surgery.  My surgeon told me I should lose at least 4 lbs once the excess skin was removed.  I weighed the first day after (on Friday) and had only lost a pound but I also need to keep in mind the IV fluid and swelling may have some way factored into that. 

I have a my first follow-up appointment on Wednesday and hopefully drainage will be down to a minimum so the drain tube can be taken out.

My next to oldest daughter keeps calling me asking for pictures.  A demanding little thing she is.  Given what I've described above with the drain tube, binder, and shirt plus the sexy little compression thigh high stockings I get to wear for two weeks I'm quite a sight to see. Although I've every intention to take some, because of my nervousness and the feat of getting through the bandage changes I haven't paused to take any. 

Not just yet.

Oh yeah, Happy Labor Day too.

TT - Day 3 - Post Op

I got up this morning and washed my hair in the bathroom sink. Moving in a hunched over position helped this process. My back is aching somewhat due to that and probably sitting on my bum so much as I recover. I am not able to shower so I sponge bathed myself.

Today was also the day that the bandages were to be taken off and changed. I was feeling quite anxious about it. The tape was pulled (ouch) and the incision was exposed and I also saw my new navel. It's no longer an outie, but an innie. I still bear some stretch marks from having children but the flap of skin is no longer there and the stretch marks are less. The whole process I found to be quite overwhelming and began to feel light headed and feeling a bit faint.  Although I started out in the bathroom, I ended up laying on the bed to finish the gauze/dressing change.

I have yet to take any pain medication today but will probably take one tonight to help me sleep. I've not been resting well at all.

TT - Day 2 - Post Op - Flowers from Work

Not only are they pretty but their scent is nice too.

Thanks co-workers!

TT - Day 1 - Surgery

At the time I am typing this up, I am about 10 hours post-op.

I was quite anxious when going into surgery although I didn't do as poorly as I thought I would when they took pre-op pictures. Stand this way.  Turn that way.  Sit here.

I had to take a concoction of pills along with an anti-acid drink to aid during and after the surgery. It was to help prevent nausea from the anesthesia. The nurse suggested, "Put the pills in your mouth and wash them down with the anti-acid drink. You know, like a shot".  That made me laugh on the inside.  I can't do shots, the liquid gets stuck in my mouth.  I momentarily forget how to swallow.  Needless to say, I got it down after holding it in my jaws and breaking it up into two swallows. After that, I was marked like a piece of meat, a line drawn here, a line drawn there and another and another.

I continued to feel anxious as I walked into the surgery room only dressed in a robe and some tacky little paperish thong panties still being worn from the pictures taken. I climbed up on the surgical table/gurney, disrobed and was then draped with a heated blanket.  Two nurses were busy with their duties hooking me up to the blood pressure machine, placing the air pump machine between my calves to help with circulation and prevention of blood clots (along with my TED hose I was already wearing).

The anesthesiologist inserted an IV as he asked a few questions, probably to see how aware I was so he could measure my responses as he sent me into la la land.  He said as he made friendly conversation "You'll be gone in about a minute".  That was no lie.  I felt the burn of the medicine being administered and remember being gone with what felt like a matter of seconds.

I was pretty groggy following and remained that way on the way home.  I barely remember getting in the car and I don't even remember how or who put my shirt, robe and slippers on.  I vaguely remember a phone call from my daughter checking on me but didn't speak with her because I was still too out of it.

I had a severe case of cotton mouth and presumed it was a side affect from the medicine administered by the anesthesiologist, that or a result of the concoction taken prior to surgery.  I tried to eat some toast after arriving home but it seemed that my mouth got even drier and I had to drink something with each bite so I was able to swallow. I took a pain pill to help with any discomfort that I would soon be feeling and to also help me sleep.

I rested for a bit, then according to schedule (every three hours) I had to get up for a bit to walk around.  After being up for a short while, I was still feeling somewhat groggy and went laid back down.  I actually woke up before time to get up and move around again.  So being the Miss Independent that I am, I tried to get up by myself and was unsuccessful.  So I asked for help.

I've been up for nearly two hours now.  I got on Skype with my oldest daughter (she wanted to check on me) who lives in Canada and I have eaten a little bit of chicken and a few bites of potatoes that my mom brought over.  She'll be staying the night to help too.  Although, the best help from her is just her company rather than her actually helping.

Now after being up for a bit longer, I'm not feeling a whole lot of pain, not really a whole lot of discomfort. Yet. I think I may take a half of a pain pill as it has been almost 8 hours since the first one.  I'm not a fan of pain medication but also know that I need to take it to prevent being uncomfortable unnecessarily.

Surgery done.  Let the recovery phase begins.

On a side note, I had hoped to post this last night but felt that I probably should go lay down and review it again later.  Good thing for spell check because there were several misspellings.  It really let me know how I was a tad bit loopy last night.