Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Slow and Steady

Today is 3 weeks post-op and 11 days home.  It has been a slooooowww ride.  As with the everything else since my journey began in February, nothing has really gone as "planned."

Friday's visit to the surgeon to potentially remove the chest tube was a NO go!  There is still an air leak and quite a bit of drainage, so the plan is to go to the surgeon's office weekly until they determine it can be removed.

Overall, I am feeling a bit better.  The first two weeks the pain was horrible!!  But it wasn't just in my back - it is in my chest and upper abdomen as well.  And stomach pains.  I realized last week that the heavy pain meds I was on was probably making the stomach pains worse.  So, Friday night I took my last Dilaudid.  WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!  While I still have surgery/incision/chest tube pain, my stomach is much better.  My appetite has come back a bit - not fully because things still taste very funny to me (not sure why that is).  I take Tylenol Extra Strength and it is just enough to take the edge off.  

My energy level is still virtually absent.  Just getting up to make a cup of tea is exhausting.  They tell me this type of surgery has a long recovery period and that is normal but boy, it's been 3 weeks so I would have thought by now I'd be walking, etc. without needing a nap afterwards :)

Just continuing to take one day at a time - it's all I can do.  Since coming home, I have had someone with me 24/7 each day with the exception of yesterday.  I was home alone from 8am to 5 pm.  I have to admit - I had a bad spell mid-day.  Just laying on the recliner, resting, and thinking and the last few months came crashing down on me.  I had my first "oh pity me, crying spell."  The why-me? and the how can I do this?  I finally pulled myself together and realized I cannot think of what next month holds - I have to think of what today is - how I feel today and what I can do today to make tonight/tomorrow better.  

And tomorrow, Pootie is coming home to visit <3 his momma!!  That is what helps me make it through each minute and each day.  My children and grandson!!  This week will be a busy week as Pootie will be home for a week and this weekend is a Toth family picnic.  Just to spend time with family and feel the love all around me is what makes the world go round.

No comments :

Post a Comment