Brazilnut2
Three Weeks' Post Op...continued
Sep 06, 2011
The end of the drainage tube was really irritating my insides. I couldn't wait to have it removed.
Two weeks after my surgery, I went back to the surgeon's office and met with the nurse practictioner--a lady my husband and I know pretty well from our former neighborhood. She asked me how I was doing, took some notes, then had the nurse come in to remove the staples and tube. The instrument the nurse used to remove the staples looked like a cuticle cutter but did a great job of removing them. Really, there was no pain or pinch involved. There was also no blood. (I had already removed a couple of the staples myself at home because they were almost falling out....but I wouldn't recommend trying it.) When the time for the drain to be removed came, she asked me to take a big breath, then blow it out. As I was blowing out, she quickly pulled the tube out. It didn't hurt and I actually didn't feel a thing! There was no bleeding. The only weird thing I saw was a blood-soaked piece of thread that was dangling from the end of the tube. This thread had been one of the inside stitches holding the end of the tube in place inside of me, on my left side. It really felt wonderful to have the drain out and I felt like a free woman. Taking a shower was so much easier without the drain.
The hole from where the drain was quickly scabbed over and there never was any pain. None of the incisions hurt but I was still dealing with a literal pain in my left side that felt very much like the same pain you get in your side if you run and can't run another step--side stitch. I found that wearing the binder I came home with from the hospital was helpful with the side pain. That, coupled with a dose of hydrocodone helped to knock out the pain. Really, the pain was annoying and uncomfortable. I felt as if I'd been in a boxing ring and someone had pummeled me in the side. (One month post-op, that pain subsided, thank goodness!)
Now, I was getting more and more comfortable with my routine of supplementation and each soft/pureed foods. I made it a point to be sure to start my day with a full 1/2 liter bottle of water and end my day the same way.
No regrets. Some pain. Some weight loss. No regrets. Plenty of rest. No regrets.
