Hi All,
It's been a while since I've posted but I've had some challenges along the way.
Currently I'm 6 weeks post operative and appear to be on track ( I think!!)
I tried to go back to work two weeks ago but only lasted a day and have been off work since.
Since then, I developed an infection which appeared to be around my urethra. From what I could see, I thought it was sloughing skin cells and took on a whitish appearance. Unfortunately that wasn't the case and was indeed the by product of the infection.
So a trip to the Urgent Care Clinic to have it assessed was the next step. The nurse who triaged me was lovely and assessed my situation for the Dr on duty.
The Dr who came in to assess and examine me was just gorgeous and looked like a young Patrick Dempsey. To say that he could touch me anywhere was an understatement. His beside manner was A1 and he was very gentle when he examined me a took a swab.
When all was said and done, I was prescribed the same antibiotics I was on in Bangkok but on a higher dose. I still have a few days till they're finished but the whitish appearance on my urethra and the infection seems to have gone.
Tomorrow I will be going in to work as I've made progression comfort wise and the swelling has subsided more.
The great thing is I'm not walking around like John Wayne. Still some swelling but no where near as bad as two weeks ago.
Friday night I went out with some friends from work to an outdoor event and it was quite cool.
I had only been out 2.5 hours and it became very cold. Sitting on a plastic chair and being exposed to the elements did not do me any favours even though I thought I was adequately dressed for warmth and comfort.
When I got home, I turned on the heat and had a very warm shower to bring my body temperature back up.
The unfortunate thing was when I was ready to dilate, the cold had created more swelling than I was aware of and prevented insertion of the dilator. I unfortunately created surface tears and a little light bleeding from applying the normal pressure to get it in and became futile.
It was then I asked AI what the cause could have been and it gave me the answer that the cold and the elements caused the excess swelling and would be temporary.
After I got that answer, I decided to wait 24 hours for the swelling and the micro bleeds to subside.
This morning I resumed the dilation routine and lost half an inch of depth, clearly indicating that there is still some residual swelling from Friday night. When doing my routine tonight, I will take some Panadol and Ibuprofen an hour before dilation to help reduce the swelling further
Did I panic? no. I knew there would be a reasonable explanation for this setback.
It's still all a learning curve. The sensation of some superficial internal stiches popping is surreal but know it's part of the healing process and the connective tissues reforming.
I can feel there are deep anchor stiches still not dissolving as yet and will take another couple of weeks or so before they do their thing.
All in all I'm doing well. There is still so much more I can share with you but that will come with time.
At this point in time all I can say is, if you are about to have surgery or have just done so, Listen To Your Body!!! Don't rush anything and don't feel obligated to go back to work when you know you're not feeling up to it.
You only get one chance at it and you don't want to be fixing things because you're rushing the process of healing. You can't go any faster than your body will allow.
@Tills, I hear you've just had your surgery. Be well my friend and take it nice and slow. xx
If anyone has any questions they would like to ask, please don't hesitate. xx
