67 Hours Post-Op

So it is now 5:40 a.m. and I have been awake since about 4:30. My shoulder blades were complaining about my position in bed and I could no longer ignore them. No more codeine for me this morning, instead I have popped a couple of back pills with an extra strength Advil. I have noticed that the usual prominent veins in my hands have all but disappeared. I think that might be due to slight dehydration on my part. I'm going to do my best to drink more water today.

Last night right before bed, I was squirming around by myself to try and get comfortable in doing so had some fairly intense pain in my tummy. Of course I was imagining that I had ripped the stitches in my muscle tissue. Although I thought I had more mobility, it appears I was misinformed. My lower back is unhappy with its new situation - I would kill to be able to do some decent pelvic tilts.

We closed our bedroom door last night to keep the cats out. Colby, the 16.5 lb beast is not happy that he can't climb all over me. He's a lumbering part Maincoone who steps rather indelicately. I love him to pieces, but the weight of him on my abdomen might just kill me. Poor David was up with a coughing jag last night and left for hours - during which time Colby managed to break into our room and snuggled up to my side - happier than he'd been in days. Our other cat, Minuit (a mere 8 lbs) can manage to sit on my legs without causing too much discomfort, if I need to push her off, I don't strain in lifting her, but Colby? He's a monster and I can't move him easily. So basically that means that somewhere between 8 and 16.5 lbs is my limit. I remember after having my first 9 lb baby via c-section I really couldn't hold her for the first few days for more than a few minutes. I was in the hospital after the c-section for three days after I had her. I'm coming up to that 72 hour mark now and I know that from now on I will be feeling better.

But may I just say? HOLY CRAP!! Not only did I decide to do this to my own body, but I paid lots of money to be in this amount of pain. Crazy lady. I am a crazy lady. The phrase "I've changed my mind!" is careening through my head. I haven't really looked at my stomach underneath the binder apart from getting David to re-arrange it down over my hips the 2nd evening home and ensuring that the drain line doesn't give me permanent dermatographia (the lines that appear on your body when you've been lying on something or wearing tight clothing). I saw the dressings over the incision at my hip line and the incision for my "new" belly button. I have dressings by my hips as well because I had some liposuction at my hips done at the same time. "Hey what the heck? I'm already out, might as well do that at the same time since I'll already be in pain." See that? Again, opting for MORE pain. Clearly not my most logical of thinking. I know that the surgeon took off about 3 lbs of extra skin and fat during the operation. This was confirmed yesterday when I did my Body Test on the Wii Fit. "Are you fidgeting? I can't seem to analyze you?" Didn't opt for trying to do any of the balance exercises to give my Wii Fit age - figured that David would have a coronary if he saw me trying to do that, and even I am not that stupid.

Sharon, the other nurse supreme at the clinic? Gave me a stern "It really is important that you do wear the binder all the time. I know that it's not the most comfortable, but it will better in the long run for you," right before I left the clinic. Me, being the rule follower that I am - I am going to wear the binder. Why would I go to all this trouble and pain and inconvenience to NOT do everything in my power to make this the best stomach possible? I don't want to be the gal who complains about the final results because she didn't follow instructions.

We had a snuggly movie night in bed last night. I forced Rissa to watch the Keira Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice - such a beautiful film. It's like going to the National Gallery and seeing beautiful painting after beautiful painting. Nowhere close to as detailed as the BBC version with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, but at over 2 hours running time it at least will get her ready for the 6 hour marathon when I force her to sit through the BBC version. Rissa snuggled to my side and quietly said "I'm not ever going to have a tummy tuck," as she held my hand and looked at me with her wide brown eyes. To which I replied, "Good plan." I have no doubt that I will provide her with many wonderful anecdotes through her life - this just being one of my more lurid crazier moments.

So here I sit at now... 6:26 a.m. with plate of toast with honey and jam and glass of prune and apple juice courtesy of my amazing husband. (Good news yesterday - in the TMI category, I finally had a bowel movement! Whoo-Hoo!) My back is finally feeling a little bit more relaxed thanks to the back meds, I'm a little dopey once more and maybe I'll be able to crash for another couple of hours. It's all good.

Cheers!
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