Comments on the finger light thingie are so funny you have me in stitches.
This is day one post-surgery so I'm still on bed rest. Yesterday was literally a blur - I woke up in the recovery center room with Saha there, and Beth arrived yesterday evening. Almost no pain at all if I didn't move, so I quickly learned what not to move and move carefully. All sorts of gizmos attached everywhere, a pain control button attached to the hospital gown. I spent less time online than I thought I would. I'd read a comment and another, and wanted to reply to each individual but it took a surprising amount of energy to focus - so I just read and didn't type as much. I cannot fully express how grateful I am for all of us here, supporting each other. You are all incredible and so appreciated.
At midnight the pain started to increase and at 1am I realized I needed to push the button for additional medication. I did that and within 10 minutes I was very close to vomiting all over these stylin' hospital clothes and my ears were ringing. Wrong kinda earrings. I held my eyes shut trying my best to not puke - and I didn't puke, but it wasn't easy. Another 5 minutes and the pain completely washed away or I didn't care, I was no longer aware of time. The pain started back up, clock said 2:30am and I'm thinking do I want to press the puke button, I didn't want to, the nausea from that first button press was pretty intense. At 3:30am I realized I was being an idiot, I should have asked a nurse for advice - so I hit the nurse call button. The nurse was so helpful, she added an additional compound to the intravenous drip to reduce nausea and then I pressed the drug button. She asked if any nausea started - a few minutes in I started to feel queasy, she waved an alcohol wipe near my nose and the nausea immediately stopped. She said an odd smell will confuse the brain and distracts from nausea until the anti-nausea medication can kick in. She also said if the nausea continued they can apply a shot in the arm which will definitely stop the nausea but that requires 40 minutes to kick in. I didn't need it - I was able to hit the pain-med button every 60-90 minutes until morning.
I talked to my parents by phone this morning. They are in Thailand until April, we will be spending a week together in Japan in early April and returning to Seattle together. They were both surprised how well I sound.
At 9am the nurses removed all the liquid medications and a couple of the extra gizmos and I took 5 pills. They told me what they are but I don't remember or really care - I'm not a doctor.
Okay I think one pill was Flitzrubpf, one was Gltydrdlx, etc. It's now 13 hours later, there is some pain and discomfort but not a huge amount - it's quite bearable. My queasy stomach is more bothersome than the pain and that's better than the opposite.
Dr. Ley came over today, she was between surgeries. I really like her. We chatted, she said my procedures went as planned without any complications.
A surprise. My electrologist in Seattle had flowers delivered to the hospital with a note of congratulations. Yes I did cry a bit when I saw that - happy tears.
