10 Things I've Learned........

Sashi,
I'm so glad I haven't had my surgery yet--your post made me laugh so hard I would have broken my stitches. As I anticipate my Sept 7 surgery, I can use more laughs like this.

Thank you!!!

Connie

Here's a few from two weeks out.

They have those cute riding carts at Target that can really save your life if you can get over the complete embaressment of being seen in it. My kids forced me into it and then were completely jealous that I could handle the curves almost faster than them.

Watch those big kid hugs when you are lying down in your bed. My daughter threw her hand across my stomach and send me to the roof.

Getting the staples out doesn't hurt much--and your insides really don't fall out when you get up after they do it.

Blockbuster is doing free movie deals for the summer!

Don't watch Designing Women or the Golden Girls without you hand firmly on your stomach.

The kids really do know how to do laundry, vacumn and cut the grass despite what they've told you in the past.

It is hard to go to sleep after you've been resting all day. No caffeine after 1:00 unless you really like watching nick at nite.

Perguset gives you the weirdest dreams and keeps you constipated. Get off it ASAP.

I really enjoyed reading this - and all the replys. Very good information for me. I am the person who was convinced that I would be up and about - had plans to attend my office summer party 5 days after surgery, said yes to a dinner celebration for friends 50th birthday 6 days after surgery, and arranged for a group of women friends to attend an evening concert - I would buy tickets for 4 of them....today - 9 days after surgery. Stupid woman that I am - I can barely walk to the end of the driveway.
I was instructed to climb the stairs only once a day - but nooo - I had to go up and down too many times to count on day 5; day six I did not get out of bed except to go to the bathroom. I will listen to all the advise at this site - I will return and read again when I am feeling energetic and I will repeat this sentence to myself for the next ten minutes! Thanks - I love the advice and I really enjoy all the humor. All you ladies are great

I gave up pain pills yesterday morning. I am now trying to make it on Alieve. Emotionally I feel much better - that also was recommended by several women at this site Thanks!

It is all cooked in some central place in the US and trucked in, thus accounting for its uniform room temperature, more-dead-than-usual appearance, lack of flavor and lack of edibility. Menus are designed by someone with unusual tastes in food or food combinations or who doesn't know that giving spicy garlic tomato soup to someone with a bad hiatal hernia as well as massive abdominal surgery isn't a good idea. As soon as you can eat--have someone bring in REAL food. Might have some nutritional value to it and it might be recognizable too!

I have this to add...

Try to have someone with you at the hospital all the time until you can get out of bed yourself... the nurses are so busy you need the extra hand to go track them down and help be an advocate (least I needed it alot the first day and a half after my TAH).

I have an 11 month old baby. ALWAYS HOLD BABY on top of a pillow. Last night he was lying next to me on the bed and he accidentially kicked his little foot into my incision... BOY DOES THAT HURT!!!! Now I will not hold him unless I have a pillow over my tummy to make sure the "wiggles" don't hit my incision.

If you have spinal anesthesia and start having severe headaches the next day (even if they are not postural) make sure to mention that it could be a "post dura puncture headache". I suffered for an entire week with a severe headache before it was finally fixed with a "blood patch" - never heard of that typs of headache or the fix until it happened to me so I didn't know it was a possibility.

Forgot to mention...

Get off the narcotics as soon as possible.... but as my neighbor the A-man says "don't undermedicate!!"... so he says get off of them and then if you over do it and need extra relief it is OK - just avoid them as much as is reasonable... (After 12 years of chronic pelvic pain I learned early on that I could cope with the pain much better with a clear head than one fogged up with drugs - so I took them only rarely when pain reached what I considered 6-7 out of 10 at least).

I learned the hard way about this topic. My only child, almost 26, moved to Fl last week, a few hours away, & then came to "help me"(or so I thought!!) She was so freaked out about finding a job & an apt, that we argued alot .(I had told her that would happen, but could she listen?!?!?!) Then she said coming to us was her VACATION before starting work and she was not my maid & wouldn't wait on me hand & foot!(I think I had asked her to load the dishwasher!) Well, last night she had a meltdown, grabbed her stuff & drove away 3 days early. I miss her, but don't miss the stress of fighting. It's a whole lot more peaceful here today. I sure am glad she didn't come the first week, when I REALLY needed help! A real learning experience. There's my 2 cents to this thread. Wishing us all a continued speedy recovery!

I have to add my too ~

When nurse Nancy decides you need to have an enema AND a suppository because on day 2 they want to, "get things moving", *do not let her out of your sight *; you can't get out of bed by yourself, remember?

Shower time? Make sure you have hot water before you are buck naked. Not a pretty picture

When your church wants to bring meals for 2 weeks, don't ask if you can pick the cooks, just say "thankyou"

When you get bored... have DH move the family room furniture around. The next day you won't like it and he can put it back.

One of the most important things I have learned is that it's not all so bad. :dance2:

We reconfigured the shower in our bathroom before my surgery. We added a plastic chair and a removeable shower head that you can just sit down and hold in your hand, (real name-brand shower massaging action, thank you.) I never had that before, just a sorry old shower head that barely dripped any water at all. I really look forward to my daily "princess" shower now. I think I could sit there for hours, or until the hot water ran out!

Someone has cooked a *home-cooked* dinner for us for a whole week now, and the prospects are really good that it's gonna hold up for a few more days, too! The teenagers are having fast-food withdrawl, but they aren't complaining either. They even drank milk for dinner tonight.

I *never in my life* got so many pretty flowers and nice gifts. I even got a cookie bouquet today. People that I never expected to hear from are calling and checking on me.

I actually got to sit down a watch an entire movie today with my 14 year-old son that will be starting high school next week. Not too many opportunities for a working mom and a teenage son to just sit down and watch a movie in the middle of the afternoon.

(Did I mention that we have been eating *home-cooked* food?)

My house still seems clean enough to me, even though it's been nearly two weeks since I nearly killed myself cleaning it before surgery. Haven't even thought once about pulling out a dust rag or vacuum cleaner.

My sister that I rarely get to see actually spent one whole day with me at the hospital. She and my mom saved me from *death* when my one and only hot flash hit after I awoke from surgery. They each grabbed a magazine a fanned for about 15 minutes!

(Did I mention that my mom fixed her world-famous chocolate cake and brought it over today?)

I have had some wonderful quiet moments to just sit and do nothing at all.

I have also had some wonderful moments in quiet time with God, and He has demonstrated that He is there for me, once again.

I have one of the best doctors in the country right here just a few miles from my house, as well as terrific hospital. I made a new friend while I was in the hospital, as my nurse was the wife of someone I work with. She took extra special care of me, I know. We had a good time getting to know one another a little bit better. (Wow, she knows me really good now!)

I also stand in amazement of the human body and what it is capable of.

I have had a marvelous time visiting with the Hystersisters for several weeks now, and I feel that not only am I better for it, but maybe I can help someone else, too.

(Did I mention the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake that my friend brought over tonight?)

Truthfully, these are some recent entries from my daily gratitude journal. If you haven't started one, I highly recommend it! It is truly soul-saving for me.

Take care sisters.
Denise

What a great thread!!!!

I can only think of one 'addendum', as I believe you gals have covered everything:

RE: watching movies/tv: avoid comedies during the first few weeks.... those belly laughs can be horrid --- at least have the tummy pillow handy in case whatever it is you're watching sneaks a tickler in there.

And I want to re-emphasize the importance of resisting temptation to get out and go shopping......

WalMart <---Just Say NO

If you're not well enough to be at work, you're not well enough to be at WalMart. Besides, if one of those 'falling prices' hits you on the head, you could get amnesia and forget where you parked the car you weren't supposed to be driving yet.