Home

I am home.  I was told the surgery went excellently with no complications.  I'm tired and in pain, but happy it is done.  The incisions hurt, and my abdomen above and below the incisions hurt.  I am also having back pain just below my shoulder blades.  I was told this is due to the air they pumped in me to make the surgery safer.  It definitely hurts more when I cough, but I am doing that less and less.

I am doing well with clear liquids.  There is no nausea when I drink and I am able to drink about 3 ounces at a meal.  Tomorrow, I am supposed to have 4 protein shakes.

My mouth was horribly dry the day of surgery and I had to use mouth swabs to moisten my mouth since I was not allowed to drink at all.  But I was sooo out of it, I pretty much slept through the entire time people visited.  Then I was up all night.  The bed was comfortable for about an hour and then whatever I was laying on (tailbone or hips) would start hurting something awful and I had to switch positions.  So sleeping a full night was out of the question.  I spent a lot of the night peeing which I finally managed to do at midnight.  The catheter was removed about 4 PM but I just had no urge to go until midnight.  Then it was every two hours, much to the night nurse's annoyance I am sure, since I was using a urine hat she had to keep emptying.  I also walked the halls a lot, a very slow shuffle walk.  I caught a marathon of American Pickers.

Before Surgery

After Surgery

Video of the morning the day after surgery.