We are home, and some things are back to normal. Chase is with us this week, and Mom and Dad arrived Wednesday. I am glad they're here. They feel pretty helpless a lot, because I don't need them to, you know, lift heavy stuff. But it's a comfort that they're here. My folks are DOers and fixers. Honestly, sometimes it's just good to watch Law and Order with them. It's great to walk with dad, and it's awesome that mom's cooking stuff. We're all dealing with this differently.
Tuesday, the travel day home, was almost as hard as first day post op. It wasn't just pain and nausea, it was the inability to rest comfortably anywhere but on the plane. Thank god we got first class seats; they were worth every penny. I didn't sleep, but Mark did, and he needed it. I'm glad we got through the travel, and I was wrecked when I got home. It took me four hours to just separate the laundry and unpack.
Wednesday was much better; sunny, beautiful Colorado spring day. Dad and I walked the track twice, which felt fantastic. Yesterday, it rained, but I walked 1.1 miles on my treadmill. It's something. I'm moving as best I can. I have a 5 lb lifting limit for six weeks. Walking outside obviously feels best, but it is again freezing rain today. I was able to only do 5 minutes on the treadmill so far, just was up all night.
Was still getting up at 6ish, incredibly nauseated. Been experimenting with trying NOT to have Zofran, because it puts me out to sleep, but even if I lay down and try to nap the nausea away, doesn't work so well. But it had only been happening in the morning. I think it's just the pills overnight. They gave me dissolvable Zofran 8mgs, and I seem to be able to manage now with cutting that in half. But I have to take the pain meds through the night, and I wake up with chemicals in my stomach. I suppose I should have crackers by the bed. Never been pregnant, so these tricks don't occur to me.
On the upside, this morning was the very first morning I didn't wake up feeling like I was about to throw up. Was really excited by that. Got through my shower and dressed and everything without the world spinning.
Today, fighting being tired and the pain. No idea why it's worse today. It's not worried-about-something-infected pain...it's maybe I-twisted-yesterday-maybe-and-pissed-off-all-my-muscles-and-nerves kind of thing.
Appetite's not there yet, but Mom is cooking, so I am eating more. Bites. Still craving pineapple, so I'm eating a few handfuls of that every day. Mom cooks healthy, and so I'm doing my best. Haven't checked my weight, and I still may have some extra fluid on board, but my jeans fit fine.
As for tops, I'm choosing big shirts because I can put them on. I think trying to put a bra on would send me through the ceiling, because the strap around my chest is right where the top bars are. The bars do stick out, the right side more than left. It's painful to put my right arm straight at my side. The left side I'm beginning to get used to. Still swollen, too. I thought I might be ready to go bra-shopping this week, but I'm not. Maybe next week. The incisions themseles are where the bra is, too, and there's still some scabs.
So I know these are all microcscopic details. Recovery from injury is, after all, boring. Some days are good with pain and I have great energy and want to go get up and move, and some days I'm exhausted. Recovery from injury isn't linear, and I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it's frustratingly slow.
In the grand scheme of things, I'm post of day eight, and showering and dressing myself, and up and awake most of the day. And this is great. I am making awesome progress. I walked a mile yesterday, and I hope I can do that and maybe a smidge more today. This isn't a vacation, though. It's not just periods of rest, periods of exercise, and popping a bunch of pills every few hours. I am getting better. It's not as fast as I want, but I think in the grand scheme of things, I'm doin pretty darn good.
So. Yeah. I'm getting a little better every day. When I look back on this, I think I'll have the perspective to say that I healed up really fast, and recovered fantastically well. In the moment, however, I get frustrated with the pain and the groggy feeling of the narcs, and having to choose Law and Order episodes over a good book because I can't keep my concentration on the good book....and I don't want to "waste" it by not being able to concentrate.
I'm doin good, though. It would help if it would bloody stop snowing, and I could walk outside, which does wonderful things for my spirit. But. Peh. More damned spring snow. It's all right. Maybe next week.
I had one really great night (Wednesday), where I got four hours of solid sleep, and last night was bad. I did the same medications at the same time. No idea why.
Tuesday, the travel day home, was almost as hard as first day post op. It wasn't just pain and nausea, it was the inability to rest comfortably anywhere but on the plane. Thank god we got first class seats; they were worth every penny. I didn't sleep, but Mark did, and he needed it. I'm glad we got through the travel, and I was wrecked when I got home. It took me four hours to just separate the laundry and unpack.
Wednesday was much better; sunny, beautiful Colorado spring day. Dad and I walked the track twice, which felt fantastic. Yesterday, it rained, but I walked 1.1 miles on my treadmill. It's something. I'm moving as best I can. I have a 5 lb lifting limit for six weeks. Walking outside obviously feels best, but it is again freezing rain today. I was able to only do 5 minutes on the treadmill so far, just was up all night.
Was still getting up at 6ish, incredibly nauseated. Been experimenting with trying NOT to have Zofran, because it puts me out to sleep, but even if I lay down and try to nap the nausea away, doesn't work so well. But it had only been happening in the morning. I think it's just the pills overnight. They gave me dissolvable Zofran 8mgs, and I seem to be able to manage now with cutting that in half. But I have to take the pain meds through the night, and I wake up with chemicals in my stomach. I suppose I should have crackers by the bed. Never been pregnant, so these tricks don't occur to me.
On the upside, this morning was the very first morning I didn't wake up feeling like I was about to throw up. Was really excited by that. Got through my shower and dressed and everything without the world spinning.
Today, fighting being tired and the pain. No idea why it's worse today. It's not worried-about-something-infected pain...it's maybe I-twisted-yesterday-maybe-and-pissed-off-all-my-muscles-and-nerves kind of thing.
Appetite's not there yet, but Mom is cooking, so I am eating more. Bites. Still craving pineapple, so I'm eating a few handfuls of that every day. Mom cooks healthy, and so I'm doing my best. Haven't checked my weight, and I still may have some extra fluid on board, but my jeans fit fine.
As for tops, I'm choosing big shirts because I can put them on. I think trying to put a bra on would send me through the ceiling, because the strap around my chest is right where the top bars are. The bars do stick out, the right side more than left. It's painful to put my right arm straight at my side. The left side I'm beginning to get used to. Still swollen, too. I thought I might be ready to go bra-shopping this week, but I'm not. Maybe next week. The incisions themseles are where the bra is, too, and there's still some scabs.
So I know these are all microcscopic details. Recovery from injury is, after all, boring. Some days are good with pain and I have great energy and want to go get up and move, and some days I'm exhausted. Recovery from injury isn't linear, and I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it's frustratingly slow.
In the grand scheme of things, I'm post of day eight, and showering and dressing myself, and up and awake most of the day. And this is great. I am making awesome progress. I walked a mile yesterday, and I hope I can do that and maybe a smidge more today. This isn't a vacation, though. It's not just periods of rest, periods of exercise, and popping a bunch of pills every few hours. I am getting better. It's not as fast as I want, but I think in the grand scheme of things, I'm doin pretty darn good.
So. Yeah. I'm getting a little better every day. When I look back on this, I think I'll have the perspective to say that I healed up really fast, and recovered fantastically well. In the moment, however, I get frustrated with the pain and the groggy feeling of the narcs, and having to choose Law and Order episodes over a good book because I can't keep my concentration on the good book....and I don't want to "waste" it by not being able to concentrate.
I'm doin good, though. It would help if it would bloody stop snowing, and I could walk outside, which does wonderful things for my spirit. But. Peh. More damned spring snow. It's all right. Maybe next week.
I had one really great night (Wednesday), where I got four hours of solid sleep, and last night was bad. I did the same medications at the same time. No idea why.