33 hours post surgery

I can’t believe I just had surgery yesterday. It feels like I’ve been in this hospital for a week.

Did I tell you about the rainbow this morning? I got up super early and sat by the window. Eventually there was a rainbow and it stayed for a super long time, maybe 1/2 an hour? For a little while it looked like a double rainbow was going to happen. It got me thinking about the rainbow we saw after my mother’s funeral. I dunno. Either everything is a coincidence or everything is a sign. I like to think sign. It gives me comfort.

I told everyone on staff about my shoulder pain until the surgeon came in and knew exactly what it was. I guess the drain snakes up my back and probably irritated a nerve there. Ugh. Irritated is putting it lightly. It’s the reason I’m taking the painkillers. They said everything that was draining was in such small amounts and looked so good (I’ll spare you the details) that they could take the drain out. I was happy about that because the hole in my side was feeling a bit irritated after I walked the halls and then I realized that the drain almost felt like a stand in for Edgar. I wanted both of them off of me! And I want Edgar to be a distant memory leaving no representative behind. Just for the record the doctor also said that everything he saw on the inside of me other than Edgar looked totally healthy and fine. So fingers crossed that the biopsy confirms that for me.

The PA came back this afternoon and did the drain removal. I was super nervous about the removal because I was expecting some tugging and friction but it just slid out so fast I didn’t even feel it. Thank goodness! There was more tube inside of me than i thought there would be. Ick.

The shoulder pain did not resolve right away but I did get right into bed to see how much better I’d feel without the drain and took a little nap. I really want to go home! I might be able to go tomorrow if everything looks good on an xray they are taking in the morning.

I am so very happy and relieved to be on this end of the surgery that it must show on my face. All the nurses and aides have been telling me how great I’m doing and that I don’t look like someone who just had surgery yesterday. Also, I’m so glad that I pushed myself to keep walking sweet pea right up to the day before surgery because I don’t feel weak and depleted right now. I walked the halls a couple of times today and after the drain was out I kind of felt like a normal (but sore) person walking around in a hospital gown. Truth is that outside my shoulder pain I just kind of feel sore. I feel
like I’ve been beaten up and all the punches landed on my torso. I was fantasizing about calling the Chiro and begging him to come visit me in the hospital. This shoulder is another story.

I really wanted to go home before, as in all day long ever since it was mentioned as a possibility, but now I REALLY want to go home because I just got a roommate who is guaranteed to keep me up all night. Grrrr. It’s not her fault that the hospital put her in my room but still… grrrrr. The worst part was when they were talking to this woman about what to expect after her surgery and the husband started talking about his own experience with surgery. I wanted to reach through the curtain and punch him in the face. Men! Oh my god. Even the nurses aide rolled her eyes at them when she was on my side of the curtain taking my blood pressure.