Hospital Experience - Post Op

The following entry includes a frank explanations of some of my cancer recovery experiences. If you are at all squeamish about pain, bruising, bodily fluids, or possibly even blood, you should probably give this and related entries a pass.

I obviously don't remember the surgery itself. I was unconscious moments after I was told they were giving me something [in my IV] to help me relax. But after I woke in the recovery room ... well that's a different story.

Almost immediately upon regaining consciousness, I started feeling pain from my surgical areas. My recovery nurse gave me fentanyl. Almost as soon as it was in, my nose started itching. I asked her if she had given me hydrocodone (which always has that effect for me). When she told me she had given me the fentanyl, she also said I had been given morphine (that I've never had any adverse effects from) in surgery.
The itching spread quickly around my face and then to the rest of my body. I rubbed and scratched my nose and parts of my face to the point where there is some damage. Though I don't expect it to be permanent. Finally the nurse gave me an epi dose of Benadryl.

I was already dehydrated from surgery and not being able to drink for most of the previous 24 hours. After the epi, I was so desiccated that I could barely breathe. And then suddenly it was all just too much. Between the lingering reaction to the drugs and the results of the epi, I began to have a full-on panic attack.

Such as I was barely even able to talk, I begged the nurse to get me water. She was trying to explain to me that crying and shallow breathing would only cause me pain. Unfortunately that tactic was not about to calm me. I'm not even sure how, but I did manage to finally get her to understand that I needed water now!

Once I calmed down and the allergic reaction subsided, a lot of the pain returned as well. Anyway, I told the nurse that I didn't want to request Dilauded ... but that was what came to mind first.
But before I finished my sentence, she had already given it to me, in my IV. Well, at least that helped.

The details are pretty fuzzy. After all, I was really drugged up and dizzy. But they did finally get me into a regular hospital room. I'm not sure of my perception of time, but it seemed like moments later that my visitor arrived. Unfortunately I wasn't in much condition to be good company. And he couldn't stay long anyway.

After my friend left, I requested my possessions, and especially my prepared food and drink mix from security. Plain water never really "does it" for me. I'd already had at least a full 16 oz of plain water and I was still croaking like a frog. Once I was able to get proper food and drinks going, I had no problem eating or drinking, except that I couldn't get fluid in me fast enough. Not even considering I already had an IV.

I took a look at my incisions. All 4 are between 1.5 and 2 inches long and neatly stitched.  I've been assured that all the stainless steel wire has been removed, as have at least 2 of my lymph nodes (one on each side, under the arms). And everything was neatly packed up in a 'lucky, special, magic' bra, with Velcro shoulder closures and about a dozen hook-and-eye front closures. It's far from sexy, but it keeps everything where it needs to be. And I'm supposed to wear it for 2 full days, after I leave the hospital.

There's LOTS of really ugly bruising. Some of it is so inflamed or swollen that it's hard. The  incisions look a bit worse than they really are. They're actually protected by a dark purple, water proof 'glue'.

I managed to get some sleep, but not a lot. Even leaving a music channel on, it wasn't enough to cover all the hospital noises. But at least the bed was more comfortable than the last one I remember.

The next morning I was still feeling the symptoms of dehydration. Even so, apparently I'd had enough fluid to begin to remind my body about using the bathroom.

The first time, I kind of had to force myself to urinate, but I mostly filled the "sample container" with green "contrast" tinted urine. And the second time yielded pretty much the same result, with a bit less force required.

The first time I attempted to evacuate my bowels, I was only able to dispose of about an ounce, even though I'd had plenty of maltitol sweetened chocolate and candies (sufficient quantities produce a laxative effect) with my latter two meals the evening before.

Apparently it just took time for the maltitol to do its job. Not much later, I evacuated a lot more, if significantly wetter, bowel content. I did so again, a short while later.

Some time in the late morning, I spoke with my surgeon. She said that it looked like they had gotten all of both tumors. Testing is required, of course. It will be days before I get those results.

After her visit, when they were actually talking about discharging me, I had some bloody urine! Obviously this causes me great concern, though the staff didn't seem to be too anxious about it. I did get them to send some for testing. The last time I went to the bathroom, before leaving, there did not appear to be significant extra color to my urine. Thank goodness!

When I was finally able to go home, I was extremely grateful to be able to be taken home by a very good friend. That was ever so much better than my trip to the hospital. (see previous related post)

 

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