9 Days Post Op

So yesterday I found myself standing in the shower inside a sliced open garbage bag taped to my rib cage with an additional piece of stretchy silver Christmas ribbon tied around the top to prevent the leaking of water on my binder and healing incisions.  Now technically, I was not SUPPOSED to be in the shower but my hair was driving me crazy and the last time my mother washed it in the kitchen sink for me…. was it Tuesday?… was a really painful and awkward experience.   (Lower back pain continues to be an issue.  I suffered from a bulged disc in my lumbar spine in my 20s and I have had to be careful with my lower back ever since that, so my present lower back pain may well be more than somebody else’s pain)

There I was, taped into a garbage bag in the shower.  Of course, soon after we entered the shower I began to feel water sluicing down the small of my back and we had to turn the water off and retape me because the fold in the garbage bag around my back had gapped – perhaps duct tape would have been a better choice than the surgical tape.  Which meant that after I had washed and conditioned my hair – sheer bliss the feeling of cleansed hair – my binder was pretty much soaked all down my back.  Not too big a deal because it’s my back and there are no incisions there, but that meant I needed to take my hair dryer and dry the binder so that it didn’t get all stinky and gross.  Managed to get most of the dampness out and by later that night it was completely dry.  Can’t tell if it’s stinky yet. 

I walked around the block twice yesterday.  Once in the morning and once in the afternoon.  Each time took me approximately 8 minutes.  This morning I was the first one up and I managed to walk two small blocks in the early morning sunshine.  I think that I might have been gone 15 minutes or so.  I was crossing Division Street with what I thought was plenty of time to make it (two cars coming from either side) but realized upon starting that I can’t move quite as quickly as I usually can.  So there I am in the middle of the street, two cars getting closer and closer and I can’t run.  I can barely shuffle, so I probably resembled a scuttling beetle in my half bent travels across the street. And again I looked like a crazy bag lady.  I was wearing my black culottey type ballet pants, a black 3/4 length coat that is fashioned purposely to have a tattered look to its hem and sleeves, black ankle socks (showing off my iridescent and now REALLY hairy legs) quaint mary-janes and a chartreuse scarf.  I just needed to be muttering madly to myself and you wouldn’t know the difference between me and Crazy Suzy who lives on the corner with her shopping cart and pet parrot.  The good news is that as I will be playing the part of the Beggar Woman in the local production of Sweeney Todd – I’ve already discovered my character.

Had the brilliant idea to go out for breakfast this morning, but thankfully came to my senses before leaving the house.  We would probably be sitting at the restaurant for at least 45 minutes  and in that 45 minutes I would not really be able to lounge in my 45 degree lounging position which is best for me right now.  So instead I enjoyed a home made breakfast courtesy of David and Rissa.

The dressings continue to almost disintegrate underneath the binder.  Every time the binder is shifted I think they tear a little bit more.  I’m wondering if we should grab some more so that I don’t completely tear the originals which have hardened congealed blood on them that causes a titch of a hurling reaction in me.  Lower abdomen is still swollen - to what extent I really will have no idea until I see the surgeon on Tuesday at Day 12.

Sneezed twice last night and wondered if I might have given myself a hernia in doing so – the right side is more painful than the left to the touch now.  Colby, our 16.5 pound cat was desperate to sit on me today and I just couldn’t let him – he’s still too heavy and is not a lap sitter but rather chest lounger which means that most of his weight is placed from hip to chin on whichever human he wishes to get close to.

Haven’t had to take any pain meds yet this morning – well, afternoon now.  I feel stretching and a slight throbbing at the hip incision, but right now things are good (touch wood).  By the end of the day I am usually much more sore and bent over to a greater degree, but I am pleased to report that the terrible terrible pain – seems to have dissipated – unless I cough, sneeze or guffaw – but I’m trying my best to avoid those things.

Cheers!

Heather