RRach
The bad, the ugly, and the good and happy (part 1)
Aug 07, 2014
I have not had the energy to pull my laptop out to type my immediate post op experience until today. :)
I have been post-op now for 2 weeks and 1 day. Some did not have a hard time. And honestly, neither did I, but it was still not a walk in the park. My BIGGEST and most important piece of advice to you is this:
Do not receive discharge instructions without someone present.
My best friend and I had been waiting hours for me to discharge. We kept being told the nurse was coming. I was told to get dressed and everything. This all started around 10a. Well, at 2:00 p.m., my best friend asked if I minded if she ran to the cafeteria to get something to eat. She said I will be right back but I need to eat (she had not eaten breakfast and was famished). I kid you know... she walked out and 5 minutes later the nurse came in. The nurses have doped me up on synthetic morphine. I cannot even see straight and she says, "sign this." I told her I did not feel comfortable signing anything. She said it was just stating that she was there to review the discharge instructions. Against my better judgment (again remember I am out of it), I signed it. She mumbled something and handed me papers. I begged her to wait and explained I needed my friend there and her reply was, "I have a lot of patients. I can't wait."
I understood. But she should have skipped me and come back because I asked her from the moment she walked in to wait on my friend.
Guess what important information I missed?? The day the drain could be removed. Apparently, the dr wanted me there on Tuesday, July 29th. I did not go until my 2 week appt which was August 4th.
Speaking of drains, mine was killing me. Some people it is just a nuisance but for me I developed an infection. I kept the dressings clean and did everything the paper said to do. on August 4th, the doctor said it was in too long. I was running a fever because of an infection.
Some ask if I regret the surgery. Heck no. Were the first two weeks easy? Not for me. But I will tell you what.... I am thankful each and every day that I did not have any complications. *knock on wood* At least thus far. :)
I plan on writing more about the in-home experience later of the 2 weeks post op later. :)
