What I've Been Up To

So, this post isn't so much 'exciting' as informative, but I've run out of things to say because I've been sitting on a couch since Wednesday so here goes:

On Wednesday I went to Holy Cross Hospital for outpatient surgery to clear out my endometriosis. I was having lots of pain again, so after 3 years it was time to address the problem again. This is something I'll likely have to do every couple of years, so we'll call this the second of ___fill in the blank___.

I was scheduled for surgery at 2:40pm, but ended up going back just after 2pm - I've never even heard of a surgeon running ahead of schedule, but maybe that is what makes him one of the best! I think I was rolled back to recovery a little over an hour later. I was pretty sore right away, I remember asking the nurse if I could lay on my left side and taking about 5 minutes to manage that. I think I drifted back off to sleep after that, but it is hard to know what is "sleep" and what is "out of it."

The RNs gave me some pain meds because I kept making faces, and my surgeon came to check on me and tell me that it all went well. Frank and Katie came in some time after that, and my surgeon stopped by again - which is good cause I was doped up and Frank remembers more than I do.

I stayed in recovery for a couple hours I think - I was really sore and really tired. Katie headed off to pick up cupcakes, half because I wanted one and half because she wanted one. Frank stayed and waited as my anesthesia wore off. The nurse was nice, but was obviously charged with emptying the recovery wing so I did my best to get moving. After a little nausea, I managed to get dressed and into the wheelchair to go home. That was the bumpiest ride home I've ever experienced - at no fault of Frank's - the roads were pot-hole ridden and every stinkin' one of those made me ache.

We got home a little after 6 (again, I'm guessing) and I went straight to bed. Not kidding about the "straight" part - I went from the car into the house, up the stairs and into bed. I think I kicked off my shoes but that was all! That afternoon/night/morning/midday, my navy polo dress (no waistband, can you tell I've done this before?) served as my pajamas. It was comfy, too! Next time I have to have abdominal surgery I may go buy a knock off polo dress, one size too big just because.

I've been pretty sore, but things are beginning to get back to normal. The worst part was the gas that they used to inflate my abdomen - that stuff stuck around for days and spent most of its time in my shoulders and around my right lung. Nothing like having sharp gas pains in your shoulders to disinsentivize moving!

There have been ups and downs since Wednesday, but I'm almost back to normal now. The worst of it at this point is the itchy 'new skin' that they used instead of stitches - next time, I want the stitches!