corrvin | post-op day 3

My surgery was Wednesday morning at 8am. Typically lap hystos take about 2-3 hours; I know I was out and in recovery about 11:30, because they put an estrogen patch on me and they marked it with the date and time.

Someone: Okay we're going to put this patch on you, would you like it... (question goes blurry)
me: Arm! Arm!

Later, I realized the question was whether I'd like it on my belly-- which at the time was taken up with 6 medium-sized bandages and more telemetry stickers-- or somewhere else. I got the upper bicep, which is a little awkward. I'll be putting it on my outer hip when I replace it Wednesday.

I got helped into the famous mesh underwear complete with glamorous absorbent pad, and wheeled into the room I'd be in for the remainder of my hospital time. I got a pain pump thing? stuck on my chest that I could press anytime I was in more pain than I could handle. Of course I hit it immediately to see what it did, which wasn't too much (I wasn't in a lot of pain, though.)

The first day I had two walks, both of which I hit the pain button for, separated by a nice rest in a recliner chair. I remember dozing in and out the entire day. My parents were there in the daytime and my partner came back in the evening to spend the night with me.

After sleeping all day, I woke up about 2am. I remembered that about 4pm someone had given me some ibuprofen, and I kind of thought I wanted some more, but I wanted to get up and move around as well.

Not that I didn't have the balance to get up, more that I had an IV, catheter, telemetry stuff, and all kinds of things attached to me and had no idea how to untangle it. Asked the nurse to come in, and she actually offered to just unhook things. I barely used the pain button, so that came off, and then the telemetry could too; catheter came out easy, IV got capped off, and then I went in to do my very own glorious pee a few minutes later.

At that point, I went ahead and got my own clothes and underwear on, and meandered around the hospital walking for a while. The nurses gave me pudding and ibuprofen, charted that I went pee like a grownup AND passed gas, and were generally super-encouraging.

The one semi-disturbing realization that I had on the day after surgery was this: While I was on the operating table, the doc's team shaved me from navel to upper thigh. I don't mean "trimmed my pubes." I mean they shaved from navel to butt-crack. I had a 2x4 bandage where a landing strip would be... if I had one... covering 3 staples and a 1" incision. I was expecting some trimming but I didn't expect to lose all my glorious hair. Oh well, it'll grow back, right? Certainly by the time anyone's going to see it.

I had 6 incisions, as follows:
1. Navel, staples, indeterminate number
2. Upper left abdomen, in line with my left nipple, about 3" above the navel, 3 staples
3. Upper right abdomen, same location (no staples on this one)
4. Lower left abdomen, slightly below navel, in line with my hipbone, 2 staples
5. Lower right abdomen, same location, 3 staples
6. Pubic mound, about 1-2" above the divide of the labia, 1" incision, 3 staples

The last thing that bothered me was my doc's insistence on laxative/stool softener protocol. I complied as requested to get out of the hospital (no release until you have a BM! nevermind that I haven't eaten anything but a dozen grapes for 2 days), resulting in some very uncomfortable liquid-passing, and then stopped taking any meds the moment I got home. I've had no trouble since then with any bowel movements, since I've taken extra care to drink lots of water, and not push or strain.

As of now, 3 days after surgery, the incisions are closed, with just little pink lines where the cuts were. I have an appointment 2 weeks post-op (on 5/23, my half-birthday!) to have the stitches out and everything evaluated. I should be found to be generally in good health at this point, and hopefully he'll clear me to resume running? If not, there will be another appointment in late June to remove the last of the restrictions on me, notably lifting things over 5 pounds, and clearing me to have things in my vagina if I want to. And running. RUNNING. I miss it so much right now.

Currently I'm on an estrogen patch at a low dosage. I'll discuss with my doctor at the next appointment where we're going with that-- I don't expect to be on estrogen forever, but I'd like to stay on it for six months (until cooler weather) in case of hot flashes.

I feel good. This was the right thing to do. I feel like myself.

post-op day 3

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