Gross

Oh, my gosh. My belly button scar is so gross. Laynie took a picture--I'll blog it later.

I'm so bored, and so frustrated. Everything makes me tired! Yesterday afternoon Laynie took me to Best Buy, which is right up the street. After 10 minutes, I just wanted to crawl into bed. My stomach hurt and I was exhausted. I am such a wimp!

Today my big outing will be to my family practitioner, Dr. C. She will fill out some paperwork for short-term disability for me, since I basically have no sick time. There are things I like about working for a contract agency, but the amount of sick time is not one of them.

But on the positive side of things, my swallow is just about back to normal. Yaaaayyyyy.....

Update

Laynie took me on a field trip to the mall today. I shuffled the length of the Towson mall and back. With breaks, of course. We also went to the grocery store, to get a fibrous cereal and more Prilosec. I was already exhausted and in pain by the time we got to the grocery store. Actually, Laynie was exhausted, too. But I needed that Prilosec! When I got home, I was in so much pain. I took more oxy and took a nap. I woke up kind of hallucinating.. haha.

So I definitely overdid it today. I had been doing pretty well, but now not so much.

Tomorrow my big plan is to go to the apartment office to get a box from UPS. Ummm... maybe I'll wait for Laynie, in case it weighs more than 10 pounds. I have no idea what it is. I can't remember what I've ordered. I can't remember much that didn't happen today. My other big plan is to play a computer game and take a nap.

Oh! Yesterday I talked to my best friend of 14 years, Jennie. That was so nice. Jennie is the kind of friend that not only will discuss bowel movements but can give useful advice. She has seven kids (and one on the way), so not much fazes her. Unfortunately, we only talk maybe once or twice a year... probably because she has seven kids and one on the way. But I still consider her one of my two best friends, the other being Laynie.

Two Days In

I guess not quite two days since surgery finished... but almost.

I was doing well most of yesterday, but in the evening I got more bloated (common problem after laparoscopic procedures) and was in a lot of pain. Ibuprofen didn't help at all. I hadn't taken oxycodone, because it hadn't helped that morning, when I was in less pain. Why would it help with more pain? I was slowly pacing the apartment, like a mental patient, because walking is supposed to help the bloating go down. It wasn't. Maybe I didn't walk long enough.

The discharge instructions had a list of things to call the hospital for, an example being a fever over 100 degrees. One was increased bloating, and another was severe abdominal pain lasting more than 24 hours. Um, check, check. I walked for a while more and finally called. The doctor on call said to take two oxycodone (so 10 mg) and see how it goes. He said I could go to the ER if I wanted, because it was hard for him to examine me over the phone. Whatever.

Taking two oxycodone did help, and lying down helped a lot with the pain, but not the bloating. I'm just as bloated today, but at least it's not worse. I've been drinking ginger ale, because burping is supposed to help. It hasn't. But I haven't burped all that much. And I have passed no gas. I want to fart! Sorry if that's TMI. ;)

I hate taking oxycodone, because it makes me tired and dizzy. No vertigo, though, and very little nausea, hooray!

Gosh, I still have the rash on my face from whatever they taped on during surgery. I keep putting Aquaphor on, so it doesn't bother me too much. I love Aquaphor. I'm pretty sure I have discussed my Aquaphor addiction before.

Katie had left Friday night to go to deaf happy hour in Washington, DC. She's crazy, because it was at like 11:00 pm or something. I think she got home at 5:00. But, despite the snow, she came back to see me yesterday (Saturday) evening. I put on the new Star Trek blu ray, because Katie hasn't seen it, and Laynie and I hadn't seen it since it was in the theaters. But I was in a lot of pain and wandering around, and Katie was on facebook and not paying attention, so Laynie ended up playing a computer game. I don't know why we didn't just stop the movie.

After I took the medicine and was settling down in bed, Katie and Laynie both came in to hang out with me. Same thing this morning. That was fun, just chatting.

I'm still aspirating. It's so frustrating, because coughing hurts SO MUCH. I think that was definitely contributing to my pain yesterday, because I coughed so much with dinner. When the hospital nurse called to check on me (not the doctor I spoke to about the pain and bloating but the regular next day check), she asked me to call the doctor on call about it. But I don't see the point of doing that on the weekend. I don't know. I might call today and just let them know. Maybe it's getting a little better? I'll wait until after lunch.

Last night we ended up watching an old Ellen comedy special that Katie had recommended. Of course laughing hurt! But it was good.

Gosh, this oxycodone is making my eyes heavy and giving me the creepy crawlies. I don't like it one bit. But I guess it's helping somewhat with the pain.

I want to go for a walk today. As in OUTSIDE. If the sidewalks aren't too icy.

I can't take a shower until Wednesday! Isn't that crazy? And I can't soak in a tub for four weeks, but that makes sense.