LAVH - Castle Trip a Construction Madhouse

I had my Laperscopic vaginal hyster due to constant cyclic pain and cyclic diahrea due to endometresosis on Monday Jan 12 and came home from the castle the following evening. I thought I would share my nightmare of a hospital stay with you. Monday went well. No quirks or twirks before the surgery. The surgery prep nurses were great and the hospital staff were helpful. I took my favorite stuffed frog with me to the hospital as a comfort measure. The nurses joked with me about it when I told them that the hospital encourages children to bring a favorite small 'friend' with them and I was no different than a child. They even let me take my stuffed frog into surgery with me. After surgery, I was taken to the recovery room and then was transpoted to my room. The hospital has a great deal od remodeling so the journey there, as reported by my husband, was kind of lost and a long round about path. Because I was in so much pain, the nurses did not put a clean bed pad underneath me which the nurse the following day found to be uncalled for. The nurses were helpful and bent over backwards to help me and my wonderful husband who only left me long enough to get me some crackers from the store. It was late Monday and I still had not eaten anything since my bowl of ice cream at 10:30 Sunday evening. The pain meds started making me naucious. I told the nurse that I needed to eat when they gave them to me even though they were given through th IV. She balked at that and said that could be. My hubby came to the rescue with his wonderful crackers. Funny thing was that I never got naucious again with my meds and they even fed me!
I was awakened Tuesday morning between 7 and 7:30 to the sound of a construction sized back-hoe and an industrial jack hammer. The back-hoe was throwing rocks and dirt at the window and I felt like choking someone. My DR. came in and his comment was "You'd think that for $400 a day you could get a little rest!" The nurse spoke to her boss who spoke to the patient advocate who arranged a meeting with the foreman. I am not entirely sure of the outcome, but the floor manager came in to ask me a few questions and before she could finish, she jumped at the sound of a clump of dirt that was flung at the window. She then moved me across the ward. Upon snuggling down and preparing to fall asleep in my quiet room, the fire alarm outside my door went off. The door was cracked and the light flashed so bright. I was very angry and felt as if the whole hospital was against me getting any sleep but fortunately, that was my last inconvenience. My hubby is not happy about my hospital stay. I am home and feel good but I told my hubby not to let me push it and he passed the first test. I wanted to drive to the store, 1/4 mile away on my seventh day post op, and he said no!!!!
I am now 15 days post op and he finaly gave me my keys back. My DR said 7-10 days and my hubby said two weeks. Diving or riding for long distances are a no no. I went to town with my family to skate night on Thursday (10 days post-op) and after sitting for about 3 hours, I was in so much pain the next day I cried in my sleep.
Today feels like an OK day. I have been having diareah problems but my DR said it was probably an intestinal bug. I am hurting a little today and tried to eat a cracker but it did not go down very well. I am tired but can't sleep. I am cold but can not put wood in the wood stove. This day sounds like the recepie for success will entail a soft pillow, a warm blanket, my frog, and a big glass of water. combine these things comfortably on the couch with the remote control close by and some busy work like cross stitching and drawing. Remember to keep feet up and blanket tucked under those toes for utmost comfort and relaxability.

Jenibabi

P.S. I remind myself daily that this was the right choice. The amount of pain that I suffer now is worth the elimination of the monthly pain I suffered with for years. On average, I was in labor type pains for 15-20 days out of the month and had three periods per month sometimes. I tell myself that this is the answer and it will all be better soon! A postitve reinforcing attitude- the ultimate recepie for a successful recovery!!!!!