One Week Post-Op

It took about a half hour from the surgeon's office to get to the hotel. I had originally booked the hotel for 4-5 days post-op but since I was in the hospital for 6 days, I didn't make it there on time. I had my husband call to let them know I would be late as I was still in the hospital. So, when I showed up after just being released from the hospital, still in my fashionable yellow hospital socks, I thought I was getting my jacuzzi suite. But as it turns out, they had cancelled our reservation and gave it to someone else, despite calling to let them know we were still showing but were late due to the hospital.

Being an emotional basket-case from surgery, I may have overreacted. I remember shouting from my wheelchair how I was just released from the hospital and that's why I was late, in front of everyone else waiting in the lobby. I got some strange looks and a man even stepped back away from me. I was freaking out as I thought we didn't have a place to stay. All of the hotels in the city were booked from a conference. But they said they could still accommodate us. While it was no jacuzzi suite, we had an ocean view room.

At one week post-op I was still sipping and walking. Also, I was still having a difficult time emotionally. Every other day I'd have a crying fit about something.

While I was adjusting to my new life, the first night in the hotel, my husband had italian food delivered. It smelled so good. I used to eat that kind of stuff all of the time pre-op. While he ate his pizza and pasta smothered in cheese with a smirk grin of bliss on his face, I sat there drooling, droopy eyed at the food. I felt ravenous. I knew it was only head hunger but it felt like hell. I missed the old food.

And food was everywhere. When I'd open the window up to smell some fresh ocean air, instead I'd get a whiff of fried potatoes. :(

I tried to not run and hide from the food everywhere but instead deal with it head on. I was here in the first place because I never dealt with my emotional problems so I wanted to deal and tackle this food addiction. In fact, I was so crazy, the day I was released from the hospital, I walked into a Dennys to order a scrambled egg. I sat and waited for my food. The smells were intoxicating but I knew I had to stick to the plan. It wasn't so hard to deal with because I didn't feel hungry. I was thankful for that. And while I ordered 1 egg, my husband ordered his fried fish and chips.

As far as other food I tried in the hotel, egg drop soup seemed to be the best. Not only does soup count towards your 64 ounces of liquid a day but it has some protein in it and we could get it delivered. I tried to add some protein powder to it once but it made it way too creamy so I just ate it how it was. I also had lots of sugar free Popsicles and jell-o. I tried the graape isopure, which I enjoyed before surgery but it seemed to make my mouth feel funny so I didn't drink too much of it. I tried some tomato basil soup but it turned out to be too thick.

I got some mashed potatoes that seemed to go down but ended up spitting out the onions and chunks. Sometimes it gave me a tummy ache so I went back and forth on it.

 I wasn't able to drink water unless it was really iced or it would make me nauseous for some reason. But having a cool water bottle helped get my fluids in :)

Food was trial and error. I could only eat 2-3 spoonfuls of food during this soft food stage before I would get full. And getting full never really gave me a full feeling, just a reflux feeling.

I ended up having my monthly visitor twice since surgery which made recovery even more fun. :/

I tried to sit in the chairs in the hotel room but it seemed like they were made for people who don't eat. So, I ended up pushing them around to walk about the room. Sometimes I'd venture out into the hallway to walk with my rollator. There were couches out there if i needed to stop and have a break.

I often woke up at night in pain and had to have my husband help me get my medication. I surrounded myself in pillows so he wouldn't accidentally roll over on me. Only problem was there was barely any room for him on the king-sized bed! I also sometimes had to wake him up at night to use the restroom. I barely had any warning myself but he often woke up to me saying, "it's happening." I couldn't wipe myself on the toilet, either, which was beyond mortifying. Luckily there were gloves and baby wipes. My husband became my nurse whether he wanted to or not.

I didn't end up weighing myself as I was afraid of the scale from being so swollen.

NSVs

When they released me from the hospital, they informed me that I was no longer a diabetic and I could discontinue all diabetes medication. Yay!

I also was told to discontinue my blood pressure meds. The only reason I was on the other one was due to the palpitations in the hospital.

I can shake my own inhalers now. Before surgery, I couldn't shake my own inhalers because it would make me too out of breath. Now, I didn't get out of breath.

Walking. I used to be in a wheelchair and dream of walking or even running on the beach. Such a far away dream. Now it was happening. I wasn't running or anything crazy but I was walking. I had back pain but so what? My legs were moving and it felt amazing.

For the first time in a long time, I was living. And I felt so thankful to be alive.