I'm warning you now, if you're squeamish, don't read any further.
In the interests of propriety, Im linking to this pic instead of posting it:
Link
That's my belly 5 days post-op. The surgeon said her steri-stripped me instead of stapling me for a few reasons: staples can weaken tissue, they'd catch against my back brace and aggrivate the crap out of me, they make for less scarring, and he could user fewer steri-strips (12) as opposed to staples (said it would have been over 20).
It sucked, JU. Friday wasn't so bad, mainly because I was sleepy from the anesthesia, but Saturday.....that sucked ass. First, the pain pump meds thay had me on were making me puke. I don't know if any of you have ever thrown up repeatedly with a fresh 7" cut on your belly, but I can tell you it's not fun. Then, the nurse that I had that day was a bitch. All of the other staff I did really well, with, but this one....man, she was horrid. No empathy, no feeling...nothing.Her bedside manner wasn't bad....she simply didn't have any bedside manner. Her english wasn't the greatest either, which didn't help. I asked for different pain relief, so she stopped the pain pump...then made me wait 4 hours with no pain relief at all. The demerol that I was on metabolises pretty fast, that's why you can self-administer via the pump every 15 mins or so....so going 4 hours with no pain meds at all was horrid. I eventually asked for a different nurse....and 5 mins after I had done so, she came in with an IM shot of narcotics for me. I talked to my night nurse, LaVonne, about her that eveining, and as it turns out she was a 'bank' nurse who only fills in here and there. Can't imagine why....
Anyway, I'm home now, and I'm feeling surprisingly well. Wearing the 'instrument of torture' brace is a bit uncomfortable because it puts a lot of pressure right on my incision, and I'm having to relearn how to walk and turn and move...but it's not so bad anymore.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, I felt like I had almost every faith and denomination praying for me! I had christians, buddhists, hindus, chaotes, wiccans...there were a lot of people asking their god to help me, which was not only surprising but very touching too.
I have to give props to LifeHappens and Hypoborean Wanderer here.....I had just come out of surgery, and was getting settled in my room when the nurse walked in with this beautiful yellow flower arrangement in her hand. D asked who it was from, and she said "life happens and hypo.....somebody". I was so touched, I cried. How sweet and thoughtful was that? That's one of the nicest things anyone's ever done for me.
Well, my 'upright' time is at an end for now. I'm not supposed to be upright for more than 20 mins at a time this week, so I'm going to end this and go lay down for an hour. Thanks again for you thoughts and prayers, JU.....
"