I'm writing this on Sunday, August 29
The worst part of the procedure occured on Tuesday, 8/6. On Monday morning nurse Kara called and I mentioned that I hadn't taken a bowel movement since the day before the procedure. She recommended that I take a laxative, and it seemed like it would be no big deal. That evening I took a dose of over-the-counter laxatives that I picked up at Walgreens. I felt well enough to walk over.
I awoke Tuesday morning, and felt I had better get down to business. I then spent from approximately 430am till 11am on the toilet in a close approximation of agony. I was in such pain that I wasn't even able to get to the phone to call the clinic until almost 730am. A nurse suggested that I attempt to 'dig out the blockage' because even if I were to visit the emergency room, this is what they would do. I didn't even know that this was possible, but I was able to clear the blockage with my finger, and finally got things moving. Later I found out that the anesthesia and the procedure itself tends to shut down the colon, and this will make for a severe case of constipation. The exit is blocked by constipation, and the laxative has created some raging, watery stools, and it creates a big problem. This was the most sick that I have ever felt, and I honestly thought that I might have to call for an ambulance. However, by early afternoon, I was feeling not bad at all.
On Thursday, 8/8 I walked downtown to the library, and the next day I went back to FitClub for the first time. I took the Accord since I hadn't driven it since before the operation. I actually was able to do a 30" bike ride, with reduced resistance, One Hour Old Style Cross, 30 Walk on Tread, and 45" Cross. Just a shower with the water aimed away from the incisions. Absolutely no ill effects, but I had taken a few of Dr. Floyd's pain pills for insurance.
On Monday, 8/12 I had a 930am follow-up appointment with the surgeon's assistant, and he said that I really shouldn't begin biking or jogging for another week. But, I could continue the mild FitClub workouts, and all of the walking that I cared to do. From the clinic I stopped at R&M Cycle and bought a flashing light for the bike, did the grocery shopping, and then walked over to FitClub after putting away the groceries. A two hour 'lite/mild' workout.
I really enjoyed walking to the club, and I plan to do this whenever I can. It's really only a ten minute stroll, and unless it's too cold or raining, I should be able to only use the Accord for shopping and the odd trip out and about.
Tuesday, 8/13 I walked downtown and then straight to FitClub for a two hour workout. The doctor had ok'd me to use the pool and whirlpools on Monday at the visit to the Springfield Clinic on 1st and Carpenter.
On Wednesday, 8/14 when I walked to the FitClub I felt some moisture on my left thigh when I got out of the locker room and ready to start the workout. The incision had opened and I was bleeding, but I managed to walk back home with no problem (used a patch of Kleenex to stop the flow). I got on the phone with Kara, and we decided that it would not be an over-reaction to swing by the clinic. I got there in twenty minutes (about 3pm) and she had one of the resident doctors take a look. He said that all of the purple discoloration was merely blood trapped under the skin, and it was seeping out through the cut. It was a tiny bit uncomfortable, but he squeezed a lot of this out, and it really cut down on the discoloration and swelling. They were could not have been nicer, and the nurses gave me a bunch of bandages and band aids. No mention of fee, but the doctor did ban me from the pool and whirlpool until the incision is completely healed.
On Thursday another two hour visit to the FitClub, and on Friday, 8/16 another walk to the library, and then over to the FitClub. The wound seems to be on the mend, and there is really not much blood on the band aid.
(The walks to the library are straight out Monroe and back. The first couple of times I got out in front of Remax, and walked on the grass at the far north side of the street. Then, I experimented with going out through Monroe Gardens, down Gaylord, and then Farragut. This is an area of the city that I had never been, and I plan to incorporate this into some of my running routines. THE WALK IS ALMOST EXACTLY TWO HOURS. A very pleasant waste of time)
On Monday, 8/19 I did the first jog since the procedure. Just 30" and south around the old eye clinic/Lynn/Law/bowling alley. Then I got on the bike for the first ride to the library. The road was closed near Illini Golf Club, and I had to detour a bit, and came home via Monroe.
By this time, I think that it is all pretty much behind me. There are still some stitches of some kind that are kind of like pen marks. The incision is healed over although it is kind of hard, but I no longer even use the band aid.
But, I have elected not to resume the Nautilus workouts until one month has passed. So on October 2nd, I plan to resume some limited weight exercises.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Friday, August 2, 2013
POST-SURGERY
I spoke with Janny yesterday evening, Th 8/1, about the arrival change from 830am to 845am, and that she was authorized to make a pickup at County Market Pharmacy, Fairhills.
She arrived at eight on the dot, and we got to the clinic about 815am. Waited about a half hour in the second floor lobby, and then nearly an hour in the pre-op waiting room. I was dressed in backless dressing gown, booties, and shower cap. A male nurse took the vital signs, and a female nurse set up the intravenous drip. No sedatives yet, just a neutral solution. I downplayed the fact that I had about the equivalent
of two large cups of coffee before 7am, but thiswas OK's by what the clinic's office told me yesterday even though it contradicted what was written in Dr. Ellison's material. It seemed that we were locked in, and had I confessed to having Thanksgiving dinner that morning, I think they would have still been good to go.
They had me walk from the pre-op area to surgery, and I held the drips in my left hand and clenched the gown shut with the right hand. I walked into the room that looked like the scene for a 'lethal injection' drama. The male nurse had picked up some blankets, and these actually had come from some kind of a heated chamber. Felt nice. I was only conscious for a couple of minutes, and didn't wake until the procedure was complete.
The next recollection was back in the pre-op room, and I vaguely remember that Janny was present with the male nurse. I told him the I wanted to take a leak, and this probably sped up the process, and I got dressed and then hit the john. A completely normal urination, and no pain or blood, so everything seemed ok. He wheeled me downstairs and Janny brought the car around. He almost loaded me into the wrong vehicle. I remember that his name was Bob, and the first male nurse was Regis. Can't remember name of the female nurse.
Janny drove to Fairhills, and I had to remove the booties and put on the flip-flops in the parking lot. No problem walking into the store, but I stood because the chairs seemed far too low to comfortably sit upon. Got the prescriptions filled with a minimum of hassle, and the stool softeners and downers cost a whopping ten bucks! I'll see if I can check at a later date if my deductible had been met and whether or not the insurance paid and how much.
She dropped me off without coming inside, and I spent the afternoon skimming through books and listening to music. I knew that I would retain very little, so I just looked at an Utne Review, a bio of Marianne Faithful, and TRANSFORMER about Lou Reed.
Janny called about 330pm and told me that Joe and her were out checking out garage sales, and she had neglected to leave my 'post-op instructions' with me. I told her to drop them by whenever it was convenient, and I was reading in the living-room. She showed up about 6pm and Buddy greeted her at the screen door. She didn't come in, and Joe was in the car on the drive.
At 615pm I put CONTEMPT by Jean-Luc Goddard on the Blu-ray, and started watching. I had taken a few of Dr. Floyd's pain pills, and decided that beer might be better than the pills. The downers seem to promote constipation, and this is the last thing I need. So the beers will act as a stool softener, and will keep me hydrated better than diet soda. Part of the prescription was for a stool softener, and I took one when I got back from the pharmacy.
When I finished the first beer, I walked down to the mail box and mailed Jamie's RSVP for the wedding. I wanted to make sure that the beer would not induce any nausea, or any odd symptoms. It did not, so I think that I will save the pills for daytime use for as long as necessary. The beer will also act as a diuretic and give a better relief to the discomfort. However, the only pain seems to be in my shoulders, and no where did I read about this odd complication. I wonder how they went about securing my head and upper body when they inserted the breathing tube for anesthesia. The anesthesia doctor mentioned that later this evening I might feel a tenderness where they inserted the drip for the morphine. I feel nothing so far.
When Janny called about stopping over with the post-op materials, she suggested that I schedule the post-op office visit with Dr. Ellison. I'm booked for Monday, 8/12 at 930am.
She arrived at eight on the dot, and we got to the clinic about 815am. Waited about a half hour in the second floor lobby, and then nearly an hour in the pre-op waiting room. I was dressed in backless dressing gown, booties, and shower cap. A male nurse took the vital signs, and a female nurse set up the intravenous drip. No sedatives yet, just a neutral solution. I downplayed the fact that I had about the equivalent
of two large cups of coffee before 7am, but thiswas OK's by what the clinic's office told me yesterday even though it contradicted what was written in Dr. Ellison's material. It seemed that we were locked in, and had I confessed to having Thanksgiving dinner that morning, I think they would have still been good to go.
They had me walk from the pre-op area to surgery, and I held the drips in my left hand and clenched the gown shut with the right hand. I walked into the room that looked like the scene for a 'lethal injection' drama. The male nurse had picked up some blankets, and these actually had come from some kind of a heated chamber. Felt nice. I was only conscious for a couple of minutes, and didn't wake until the procedure was complete.
The next recollection was back in the pre-op room, and I vaguely remember that Janny was present with the male nurse. I told him the I wanted to take a leak, and this probably sped up the process, and I got dressed and then hit the john. A completely normal urination, and no pain or blood, so everything seemed ok. He wheeled me downstairs and Janny brought the car around. He almost loaded me into the wrong vehicle. I remember that his name was Bob, and the first male nurse was Regis. Can't remember name of the female nurse.
Janny drove to Fairhills, and I had to remove the booties and put on the flip-flops in the parking lot. No problem walking into the store, but I stood because the chairs seemed far too low to comfortably sit upon. Got the prescriptions filled with a minimum of hassle, and the stool softeners and downers cost a whopping ten bucks! I'll see if I can check at a later date if my deductible had been met and whether or not the insurance paid and how much.
She dropped me off without coming inside, and I spent the afternoon skimming through books and listening to music. I knew that I would retain very little, so I just looked at an Utne Review, a bio of Marianne Faithful, and TRANSFORMER about Lou Reed.
Janny called about 330pm and told me that Joe and her were out checking out garage sales, and she had neglected to leave my 'post-op instructions' with me. I told her to drop them by whenever it was convenient, and I was reading in the living-room. She showed up about 6pm and Buddy greeted her at the screen door. She didn't come in, and Joe was in the car on the drive.
At 615pm I put CONTEMPT by Jean-Luc Goddard on the Blu-ray, and started watching. I had taken a few of Dr. Floyd's pain pills, and decided that beer might be better than the pills. The downers seem to promote constipation, and this is the last thing I need. So the beers will act as a stool softener, and will keep me hydrated better than diet soda. Part of the prescription was for a stool softener, and I took one when I got back from the pharmacy.
When I finished the first beer, I walked down to the mail box and mailed Jamie's RSVP for the wedding. I wanted to make sure that the beer would not induce any nausea, or any odd symptoms. It did not, so I think that I will save the pills for daytime use for as long as necessary. The beer will also act as a diuretic and give a better relief to the discomfort. However, the only pain seems to be in my shoulders, and no where did I read about this odd complication. I wonder how they went about securing my head and upper body when they inserted the breathing tube for anesthesia. The anesthesia doctor mentioned that later this evening I might feel a tenderness where they inserted the drip for the morphine. I feel nothing so far.
When Janny called about stopping over with the post-op materials, she suggested that I schedule the post-op office visit with Dr. Ellison. I'm booked for Monday, 8/12 at 930am.
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