Saturday, December 06, 2008

Recovery

Let me tell ya, it's tough recovering from surgery. I'm tired all. the. time. I walked out to the chicken coop this morning which helped my mood but left me sweaty and exhausted. All in all I'm doing really well. I can't eat much so I'm guessing over the next month I will lose some of this extra weight. ;0) That's something to look forward to. This surgery is very similar to some one getting their stomach stapled. So, I can eat a tablespoon or two at a time. Then I'm stuffed and have to wait a couple of hours to eat again. I'm eating like 6 to 8 times a day. But I'm eating an 1/8 to 1/16 of what I ate before.

I've learned a couple of things so far about myself: 1. I have a really hard time waking from anesthesia, when I had my appy 6 years ago, I don't remember having such a difficult time, but I wasn't under as long either. 2. Me and narcotics don't mix, I knew I didn't like codeine and always refuse it when offered by the Dr. but now I know vicodin isn't good either, and morphine makes me want to scratch my face off. So, they gave me ultram which I guess is just a step up from Tylenol but sure did the trick for me. No crazy completely relaxed body and hyperactive brain, no crazy hallucinations, no crazy psychotic dreams. Just pain relief and sleep.

I've also learned how much I show affection towards my boys and how difficult it is to do that right now. I guess I hug them A LOT! Because I can't do that very easily right now and they keep trying. LOL K, I'm off to rest, maybe knit a little and catch up on t.v. Cause I can't do much else.

7 comments:

frugalmom said...

That whole shoulder pain that you mentioned earlier....yeah, thats no good. That was one of the harder parts that I had to endure when I had my surgery last year. Every time you moved....I found that heat helped....try one of your rice bags, maybe?

Keep resting. The boys can manage just fine.

Lori Stewart Weidert said...

I remember that shoulder and "body cavity" pain from anesthesia, years ago too--it was much worse than the surgical after-effects.

With my recent tooth pain, I got an Rx for vicodin. I was leery, because most pain relievers/muscle relaxants have made me feel like yuck in the past, but this time around I'm loving it. I can't say it does a lot for the pain, but it makes me feel so relaxed that the pain doesn't bother me as much.

I've become hyperaware of how little I do relax, and want to work a little peacefulness back into my life.

Take care of yourself, knit, nap, get better.

WhiteStone said...

I have psychodelic visions on night-time cold meds...so I generally stay away from all if possible. GET WELL SOON!

Danni said...

Oh wow...I'm like you....codeine makes me really sick, as in vomiting sick and the one time I had vicodin (for gallbladder surgery), I wound up having to stay in the hospital for an extra day just because of my body's reaction to it (sweats, shakes, etc). It was AWFUL. So glad the ultram works for you. My mom takes that and swears by it.

Anonymous said...

I'm with you, on the shoulder pain and the bad reactions to pain med (for me, the really bad one was morphine, they gave it to me after both C-sections. UGH. Misery.)Glad you're doing well though considering. Take Care!! :)

Mim said...

Marcee: I did use my rice bags A LOT! And they helped.

Lori: Try to make time for yourself. If Mama's not happy nobodies happy!

White Stone: Yuck! I get sleepy on ibuprofen. LOL Thank you, I'm trying.

Danni: Isn't it funny how we all react to to drugs. I'm off of them now. ;0)

Ang: I'm workin on getting better everyday!

Naisy said...

Rice bags...? Did you make? How?