Thoughts Post Op- BMX with immedia

It's been 1 week post Surgery. Yay a milestone met! I thought recording my thoughts and giving feedback while fresh in my mind would be best and may help others. I intently read many forums on getting prepared and what to buy, etc. Because you know 2 firstborn type A's married to each other well let's just say that's how we roll! He's currently not going into the office and will stay here until I say go. We are blessed to have that freedom to be able to do so. I'm the queen of my castle right now. I'm ok with that. 😊 It's usually me ministering to others.

-The weeks before I was like a 'mom to be' nesting. I cleaned everything! Including the fireplace from winter. I have all the graduation cards, Father's Day gifts, bills paid etc. I didn't want to stress anything and it's wonderful right now. I had my to do list for before and have my to do list for after. Things I could do while sitting. Sigh!

-I shopped. Got everything I thought I needed or was told I needed. Yes I'm ALMOST better equipped in my master bath than the surgical unit.

MY ITEMS I PURCHASED- maxi pads and nursing pads cause you know wound care right?! Ah no. Stitches are glued. Ok so I'll save those items I no longer need, as I'm 4 years post menopausal, for others in a Zombie Apocalypse. However since my plastics guy did so well and I currently seem to be the same size I have the whole 'boobies resting on the stomach thing' going on so the nursing pads are folded and UNDER my breasts. Nice clear and dry. Score! Drain sponges. They told me in the office I needed them but after surgery the nurses and team all agree not necessary. So because I did some bad math and ordered triple what they said I needed I now have triple of something I didn't need at all 🙁 Hydrogen peroxide and alcohol not needed. Alcohol wipes are helpful in stripping the drain tubes but I didn't need bottles of the stuff. Pre-op office said I'd need to clean the drain sites but post op they said no cleaning necessary. That sticky cling wrap. No one told me that one but I had it in stock in the kitchen. Needed to cover drain sites for showers. Nurses said don't let that info leak or they will start charging more at the stores! 😂 Front close shirts, sweat shirts, pj's, bras, and very loose waisted sweat pants or lounge pants. All good. They do not have me wearing a bra right now. I'll check at post op. I bought a two pack post surgery waist Fannie pack (Amazon) for my 4 drains. One mesh for shower and one for regular wearing. Inexpensive and good investment. Plastics gave me a Velcro soft cotton vest that has built in drain pockets. So I have two of those. Borrowed my mother's who is now cancer free for 6 years. Love them! Currently wearing them inside out as the drain bulb tops were scratchy against skin so no biggy I'm not going anywhere. Hair scrunchies! I have long hair so I've been sporting a top knot since the day of surgery. Hair conditioner! I don't always wear it but being tangle free is much easier right now. Shower stool! Yes! Shower ‘back scrubby on a stick’ helpful for entire body and reaching far more than back. Currently they want me deodorant free so buying a spray on or roll on not necessary. No stitches under my arm so I'll be back to my stick deodorant after they say it's ok. Electric reclining chair. Borrow, buy or whatever. Love! Small pillows. Nice. Esp one for laptop or iPad. Lemonade. I'm normally a Coke Zero kinda girl (no lectures) but you crave ice chips and lemonade despite the fact that you leave the hospital looking like the Staypuft Marshmallow man after the iv's! Mirolax. Yep! Needed it and then overdid it 🤭 I think that about covers essentials.

Surgery the big day arrived! Blood pressure a tad high until they knocked me out. Yep. 7 1/2 hour DIEP Flap surgery. Just a portion of that was removal and the rest the plastics team. Still waiting on labs. Should hear anytime now since it's been one week. Believing sentinel nodes are clear. Then it all starts and stops with surgery and I avoid all chemo/radiation. This day is easy for you. Not so much family. When your out you feel nothing but sleepy. Catheter takes care of everything so you just exist. We pre’empted my hospital stay with stating “no guests”. Thankful we did that.

Day 2 in hospital. Same ol. Cath still in. Appendages start to puff. Good thing they insist you take off that wedding ring. Pain about a 2 on a scale of 10. Easy peasy. Everyone checks on you every hour but that how hospitals roll. I have this “bear hug" on me nonstop. Like this inflatable disposable puffy air blowing heatblanket 24/7. Supposed to facilitate healing. HATE IT! .

Day 3. Cath out, IV out, peeing every hour!! ☹️ Back hurts. You think everything in front will be raw but really it is all muscular pain in back. Front staying scrunched?! IDK maybe the cause? Front is just numb. I'm hot, sweaty, unbathed, and the heat tube keeps falling out. Cursing the makers of the “Bear Hug". Where is my plastics team? Missed! Oops. Cranky. Mad. Some nausea and meds not part of regiment. Where has all the nursing staff gone? Eight weeks of recovery?! Crap! Pity party of 1 in full mode. I’m sure not my last. Shower finally! , peeing normalizing, bear hug permanently discarded and food that wasn't on the soft diet actually sounded good. Better end to my day and plans for discharge on day 4. Hope!

Day 4

Discharge day. I can taste it. No more roommate that I haven't been married to. Team comes through and says about noon the paperwork should be through. Needless to say I'm showered, packed and ready to walk out the very minute that wheelchair is outside my room. I'm outta here! Very emotional day. I'm not irritable like day three but more like pregnancy hormonal tears 'at the drop of a pin' type emotional. Puke bin in my lap just in case. Made it home safely despite imagined crashes happening along the way and I wouldn't make it there! A bit dramatic perhaps but you don't want to return.

Day 5, 6

Just a day in the life of recovery......It got cold last night. Really cold and my husband slept in the bedroom with the door open all night. So this mornings debate ended with the conclusion that he should shower first and warm it up in there before he helped me. His response....."why? It's not like you're going to nip out in there!" 😂 So I've showered every day. Next day wasn’t as cold. I'm wearing real clothes. Very casual but not some origami snap/tie, one size fits all, a$$ flashing puke green garment. I have a covered back porch with rockers and a sofa. I'm using my own toilets without urine caps in them. Flowers arrive from friends and family. A meal. Fresh cut lilacs from their yards. Someone actually sends ice cream. Multiple pints delivered on dry ice from a service out of Ohio. That makes me cry because they aren't even close current friends but rather old soccer friend parents. I'm eating a real burger off the grill. Walked down the trail in the woods to a bench with hubby and sent double selfie of us to my sister telling her we were on a field trip. LOL. My husband says I look like I was in a shark attack. Good thing I have seen all the before and after pics on the web or my reflection might freak me out but I know this is just temporary. Back does not tolerate much standing so I seem to be sampling many chairs and positions to get some back relief. Getting a bit bored. Remember that post operation list?! Yes I'm crafting at the picnic table. 15 year old tubs of crafts stored from my early MOPS days (Mother's of Preschoolers) Fun fur flip flops! Remember those?! They will go off on the next mission trip. Ha! It's my anniversary. Well this is a bit worse than my colonoscopy Anniversary but still a bit more peaceful. Yes definitely that! Reflecting on the care he's giving me and deciding another 31 years with this man is definitely doable 😊 He's a keeper. He tucks me in my recliner to sleep at night. Makes sure I have everything I need. Turns on a walkie talkie we use, for the church security team he runs, just in case I need anything. He's given up the unrealistic fight of moving the recliner back and forth to the bedroom at night. I remained firm on that one. Now we wait on lab results and take it one day at a time. I'm off for now. Blessings to you all in your process. We will overcome! I pray your support teams are as good as mine. Mine is currently sweeping and vacuuming and I gotta pee! 😘 Kelly