Kimberly P.

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

 I was able to spend the whole night in my bed last night for the first time since my surgery.  I've been so uncomfortable with this muscle pain that I'd wake up in the middle of the night and move to the couch.  Eventually I got so sick of the couch that I didn't want to go anywhere to sleep.  I would wish I could sleep standing up. 
Last night we decided I'd try my bed and although I woke up to move a couple times in the night I was able to stay and sleep until 8:30!  That's the most sleep I've gotten at one time since the hospital!  I have gotten up, gone to the bathroom, gotten my shake and now been at the computer for 20 minutes and still NO PAIN!!!  I'm thinking it will be there when I get up from the computer but this break has been a godsend for my mental stability!   It's like my body is saying "Just wait, I promise it will go away!!"
We are venturing out to a movie today with the family.  We're going to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D.  Lord give me the strength to not punch the people with movie treats.  I have trained myself for the last year or so that if I do go to a movie I only get a water so it shouldn't be bad as long as I eat my soup beforehand.  Here we gooooo!  

 The muscle pain is still there, mean and angry but we're learning to survive it.  If I get up slowly and move slowly until it stretches out I can stay up and move for a while, which is hard because in my little house there aren't a lot of places to keep moving and since I live up by Seattle, its always raining.  Last night we went to Walmart and it was pouring rain so even though I was hurting soooo bad when I got out of the car I had to book it to the front door or drown.  I stood there "recovering" so that I could move for 5 minutes or so while people got their carts and came and went around me.  I felt very silly but had to stretch that muscle out so I can move. :)
My main problem now is needing to take naps in the day time and not sleeping in the night.  I woke up at 2 and was up watching TV until 7 and then slept another hour until Grandma got up.  If I could stay up all day I could sleep at night, at least more than I am now, but I get so tired after moving.  I also am not doing as much as I normally would so won't sleep as hard.  I think when I get back to work Monday I'll sleep like I baby.  I hope so anyways!!

 I just got on the scale and am down 19.8 lbs since I came home from the hospital last Thursday!!  Of course that includes the water weight from IV's and stuff.  I can't believe its coming off like this.  I know its supposed to be fast but DANG!  I almost want to get a new scale because my head can't believe it could be right.  This is awesome. :)  20 lbs down and 130 to go!!!

So surgery went well Monday.  I just got home from the hospital tonight (Thursday at 10 pm).  We had some trouble with my O2 stats ( I wasn't saturating when breathing) and my heart rate was flying!  I also couldnt pee on my own until tonight and couldnt leave until I could pee.
It was both nice and frustrating to be in the hospital a couple extra days.  It was nice because they were watching over me and I could sleep as much as I wanted, which I really needed (and still need) to do.  It was frustrating because it all came down to one single bodily function that I no longer had any control of!  It drove me nuts that I couldn't pee.  They put 3 different catheters in because I needed "emptying" but when I sat down on the toilet, my body just wouldn't push it out.  Argh.
The docs finally took out the catheter, stopped pumping me full of fluids, stopped my benedryl (which could have been the cause of me not peeing) and I took a nap, woke up having to pee, peed and home we went!
Other than not letting me pee, my body has been angry!  I started my period a day or two (it's all blurred together) after my surgery and with my range of motion, or lack thereof, I couldn't reach to put in a tampon so I spent a few days feeling like I was in diapers (pads and hospital panties).
I also have a huge, yet unrelated, red puffy nasty stye on my right eye...when it rains, it pours!!
BUT, I slept in my own bed and have family staying with me a few days so it's all good now.  There were some times in the hospital that my mind and body both seemed to b yelling "What the hell have you done?!"  I'm sure the end result will be totally rewarding!
I came out of the hospital all puffed up on fluids weighing 280 lbs.  I go back Wednesday to have my drain (OUCH) removed so I'm excited to get on their scale a few days out!!!  Hopefully I'm at least to my pre-puffy weight. :)
I have noticed more and more that I cannot keep my eyes open.  I need naps so bad now.  I just doze off typing or visiting. I don't know how many times I fell asleep talking to a visitor in my room.  I felt bad but they understood!!
Time to doze again. 

Ok, We're off to the hospital in 20 minutes!!!  Last minute dash to make sure everything's packed and I'm ready to go!!  I'm nervous but excited and then nervous..haha!!
Here we gooooo! 

I can't believe this is happening in 2 days!  I've caught a head cold but it's pretty tame and I have no fever so I'm really hoping it doesn't get in the way.  I've arranged so much around this surgery date, I don't want to have to rearrange again.  It would really bumm me out.
Other than that fear, I'm in a really good place now.  I've said goodbye to my favorite cheeseburger (Red Robin) and bought some super cute slippers at Target for the hospital.  Tomorrow we'll go grocery shopping for jello and things like that for post op. 
When I say "we" I mean my sister and I.  Of course hubby dearest is in Afghanistan for the surgery.  Stupid Army.  I take that back, the army has given us so many chances and is giving me this surgery so I still love the army.  I'm bummed that Keith won't be here and he is too.  He is nervous for me and is already having a hard time being so far away so I hope he can keep himself positive!  I love him too much and hate it when he's sad!
Am doing laundry, will de-clutter the house today, shop tomorrow and then get up to MAMC for surgery bright and early Monday!  Have to be there at 6:20 am so looks like I'm the first surgery of the day.  I think that's good; eveyone's nice and fresh!!

I've gone from "having surgery in 2 weeks" to "having surgery in a month" and am now at "holy crap, you moved me to MONDAY?!" 
I found out on Tuesday the 9th that I'd be having my surgery on Monday the 15th!!  I'm in focus mode now, getting leave from work (hopefully paid!!) and getting the shopping done and getting the house clean, arranging care for my animals, getting family to stay with me, etc!
I can't believe that Monday morning they're going to open me up and change my life!  I can't wait to be 1 week out!  This is going to be the most amazing thing I've done/gone through in my life!
One of my main "bummers" with all this is my husband is deployed in Afghanistan and can't be here.  At the same time that it's a bummer its also kind of awesome.  I'll be much smaller and healthier when he comes home and will be well on my way to that smaller healthier woman he married again!  I know I'll miss him terribly because he always makes me feel better but can't wait to see him see me for the first time!
What an adventure we're about to start!!!  Lets goooooo!