(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - chiachatter.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
I didn't even DO that much, but sure hit the wall of exhaustion today. From the time I got up this morning everything has taken a supreme effort to accomplish. So I didn't do much. Folded some laundry, kept falling asleep in my chair, took care of my birds, that's about it. It's all I could manage. Go figure, not sure what brought that on but tomorrow I have a busy day planned so enough of this nonsense!
P.S. I just wrote this in my other blog and thought it was significant so I'm copying it here as well: I have always finished what is on my plate. Now I am at war with the "need" to eat those last few bites vs. my stomach telling me, "Enough! Not one more bite!" When I don't listen to my stomach, I get pain. But the voice in my head has over a half century of controlling how I eat. It's a tough fight.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Three Weeks Ago Today!
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - chiachatter.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
Hard to believe the first 3 weeks have passed already, then on the other hand it seems like a year ago I was in the hospital and then at my sister's. Once I got home the time stretched or something. While I was in the hospital those 5 days, I both couldn't wait to get out, and was afraid to leave because they were so good at managing my pain, and I was afraid of managing my own food and pain. Then 8 days at my sister's where I started to learn the different feelings and signals that my belly was sending me, and what they meant, and where I started learning how to judge when and how much and what to eat. It was a calm and stable place with a lot of support and no stress and I am everso thankful I could have that time there with her family!
Being home these last 8 days I have felt the stresses of everyday life and it hasn't been as easy but as they say, there is no place like home! I am again with the people and pets and things that I love best which are both comforting and stressful. But I'm not sure I'd want to be anywhere else :).
So. The day after The Fall. Yowser I'm sore! If I have had any belly pain I don't know it because the muscles have been screaming too loudly for me to hear it. But knowing it was just muscle pain I took the opportunity to go without any pain meds, except for my first-thing-in-the-morning one, all day. And for sore muscles I like activity. So I played with my parrots, cleaned 3 cages (yes it was slow but I still did it!), washed dishes and scrubbed pots and pans, and watched my grandson for about an hour. It seems I was always up and down to do something or other, and my husband thinks I have done too much. Tonight I would agree with him, late afternoon I hit the wall and could do no more, but it felt good to be moving, both for my soul and to keep my aching muscles too busy to complain much.
I wrote about this in my other blog already but I haven't had an appetite today, and haven't wanted to drink. Not sure why but by late afternoon I felt I should eat anyway, so I've eaten a few bites, several times throughout the evening. Now it is 11:00 p.m. and my stomach feels heavy and sore, so maybe I should have just followed what it was trying to tell me: I'm not hungry, don't send anything down! I won't make that mistake again!
But for 3 weeks post surgery I think I'm doing pretty well. Hubby thinks so too, except he thinks I'm pushing to do too much too soon. Yeah. Prolly. But I'm doing it :).
Hard to believe the first 3 weeks have passed already, then on the other hand it seems like a year ago I was in the hospital and then at my sister's. Once I got home the time stretched or something. While I was in the hospital those 5 days, I both couldn't wait to get out, and was afraid to leave because they were so good at managing my pain, and I was afraid of managing my own food and pain. Then 8 days at my sister's where I started to learn the different feelings and signals that my belly was sending me, and what they meant, and where I started learning how to judge when and how much and what to eat. It was a calm and stable place with a lot of support and no stress and I am everso thankful I could have that time there with her family!
Being home these last 8 days I have felt the stresses of everyday life and it hasn't been as easy but as they say, there is no place like home! I am again with the people and pets and things that I love best which are both comforting and stressful. But I'm not sure I'd want to be anywhere else :).
So. The day after The Fall. Yowser I'm sore! If I have had any belly pain I don't know it because the muscles have been screaming too loudly for me to hear it. But knowing it was just muscle pain I took the opportunity to go without any pain meds, except for my first-thing-in-the-morning one, all day. And for sore muscles I like activity. So I played with my parrots, cleaned 3 cages (yes it was slow but I still did it!), washed dishes and scrubbed pots and pans, and watched my grandson for about an hour. It seems I was always up and down to do something or other, and my husband thinks I have done too much. Tonight I would agree with him, late afternoon I hit the wall and could do no more, but it felt good to be moving, both for my soul and to keep my aching muscles too busy to complain much.
I wrote about this in my other blog already but I haven't had an appetite today, and haven't wanted to drink. Not sure why but by late afternoon I felt I should eat anyway, so I've eaten a few bites, several times throughout the evening. Now it is 11:00 p.m. and my stomach feels heavy and sore, so maybe I should have just followed what it was trying to tell me: I'm not hungry, don't send anything down! I won't make that mistake again!
But for 3 weeks post surgery I think I'm doing pretty well. Hubby thinks so too, except he thinks I'm pushing to do too much too soon. Yeah. Prolly. But I'm doing it :).
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Day 20 - A Fall (But I'm OK, Gwen)
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - chiachatter.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
Today started out ok. I did sleep on my sides with just a pillow, all night long. It has been so long since I've been able to sleep without stacks of pillows - or sitting in my recliner - that Pete never even knew me when I could! But I was very sore in the gut when I got out of bed this morning. But it was worth it! I still get excited that I can lay down, and that I've been reflux-free for almost 3 weeks - it is like a miracle!!!
All went well through the morning. I enjoyed my grandson for a little while, then after he and my daughter left I did the dishes. That's right, I DID THE DISHES! It was great to accomplish something around the house :). Then I prepared the chicken thighs for roasting (poured the olive oil in the pan, rinsed the thighs, gave 'em each a roll in the oil and some sea salt on top) and put them in the oven. This 30 minutes or so of simple work tired me out but not as badly as it would have last week, at least my legs didn't get wobbly.
Supper was lovely, and afterward I went to the bathroom for a shower. Ladies, I know this problem isn't very uncommon but when I get up I have to go, there can be no dallying - I have to GO NOW. So on my way to the shower I hurriedly turned to lift the lid, and in turning back to sit I stepped on the heel of my left slipper with my right foot, and down I went. I yelled as I went, and when I hit the wall I heard something crack (in the wall, not in me)...there isn't a lot of space in the corner where the toilet is so I got a bit wedged. I was able to extricate myself in just a minute though it seemed like a lot longer...
Pete hadn't heard me fall from the living room, I was already starting to hurt, but he insisted on staying in the bathroom while I showered. Probably a good thing because by the time I got out my out-of-use muscles were really starting to hurt. As I was drying off the spasms started around my rib cage from the arthritis in my spine which evidently wasn't happy about being twisted as I went down.
I took a flexaril, Pete rubbed some Nature's Inventory Back Soothe (this is GREAT STUFF, my friend Heidi sells it, let me know if you're interested in finding out more!!) on my back, and I got dressed...
Now it's been a couple of hours, and my muscles across my belly and back and around my entire rib cage hurt, as well as the ones in my left arm and up the left side of my neck, and the backs of my thighs. Falling is a big fear of mine and today that fear was reality. And yeah, it's just as bad as I remember it.
Today started out ok. I did sleep on my sides with just a pillow, all night long. It has been so long since I've been able to sleep without stacks of pillows - or sitting in my recliner - that Pete never even knew me when I could! But I was very sore in the gut when I got out of bed this morning. But it was worth it! I still get excited that I can lay down, and that I've been reflux-free for almost 3 weeks - it is like a miracle!!!
All went well through the morning. I enjoyed my grandson for a little while, then after he and my daughter left I did the dishes. That's right, I DID THE DISHES! It was great to accomplish something around the house :). Then I prepared the chicken thighs for roasting (poured the olive oil in the pan, rinsed the thighs, gave 'em each a roll in the oil and some sea salt on top) and put them in the oven. This 30 minutes or so of simple work tired me out but not as badly as it would have last week, at least my legs didn't get wobbly.
Supper was lovely, and afterward I went to the bathroom for a shower. Ladies, I know this problem isn't very uncommon but when I get up I have to go, there can be no dallying - I have to GO NOW. So on my way to the shower I hurriedly turned to lift the lid, and in turning back to sit I stepped on the heel of my left slipper with my right foot, and down I went. I yelled as I went, and when I hit the wall I heard something crack (in the wall, not in me)...there isn't a lot of space in the corner where the toilet is so I got a bit wedged. I was able to extricate myself in just a minute though it seemed like a lot longer...
Pete hadn't heard me fall from the living room, I was already starting to hurt, but he insisted on staying in the bathroom while I showered. Probably a good thing because by the time I got out my out-of-use muscles were really starting to hurt. As I was drying off the spasms started around my rib cage from the arthritis in my spine which evidently wasn't happy about being twisted as I went down.
I took a flexaril, Pete rubbed some Nature's Inventory Back Soothe (this is GREAT STUFF, my friend Heidi sells it, let me know if you're interested in finding out more!!) on my back, and I got dressed...
Now it's been a couple of hours, and my muscles across my belly and back and around my entire rib cage hurt, as well as the ones in my left arm and up the left side of my neck, and the backs of my thighs. Falling is a big fear of mine and today that fear was reality. And yeah, it's just as bad as I remember it.
NASA's Voyager 1 reaches outskirts of the solar system (photos) | TechRepublic Photo Gallery
AMAZING!!!!! Yet still a tiny speck to the great God who created it all!
See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/j22m
Monday, December 20, 2010
Day 19 - Lots of Improvement!
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - chiachatter.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
First of all, it was exciting to be able to sleep on my sides - both of them - early this morning! I was able to get the bean bag out of the bed and sleep normally. I got a lot of good rest and am looking forward to sleeping well again tonight, in my natural position! I still use the bean bag for times like this, when I am sitting in bed with Nellie (my netbook), but during the day my 20-month-old grandson had a great time with it :).
Pain levels were WAY down. I took something when I first got up, which is always uncomfortable as my insides get shifted around and start bumping into each other (at least that's what it feels like!) and as I have my first food of the day. But then I didn't need anything else until late this afternoon when aforementioned grandson tried to climb on me as I tried to keep him from doing so, and somehow his knee ended up in my belly with his body coming down right behind it. When the pain didn't subside within a few minutes I took something and came into the bedroom with Nellie to protect myself. But I hardly used any pain meds today.
I was more active today as well, although husband's concern kept me from doing too much (as is my habit the first time I start feeling better after any illness or whatever). But if I feel this good tomorrow my plan is to do a little bit more in the morning, see if it causes me any distress, and if not, do a little more and a little more. I need to be rejoining my own life, if that makes any sense.
I am also almost completely comfortable playing my keyboards now, sitting up straight and stretching my belly in so doing. In fact, I can reach the floor now if I go slowly. Twisting and stretching are still uncomfortable but I feel I can do it if I have to. The things that still cause actual pain are lifting and reaching - quite a shortened list from just a few days ago!
(Seems like there was something else I wanted to mention that was good news but now I can't think of it...)
So I would say that all is going much better, and tomorrow I will do a few more of my normal activities and see what happens!
First of all, it was exciting to be able to sleep on my sides - both of them - early this morning! I was able to get the bean bag out of the bed and sleep normally. I got a lot of good rest and am looking forward to sleeping well again tonight, in my natural position! I still use the bean bag for times like this, when I am sitting in bed with Nellie (my netbook), but during the day my 20-month-old grandson had a great time with it :).
Pain levels were WAY down. I took something when I first got up, which is always uncomfortable as my insides get shifted around and start bumping into each other (at least that's what it feels like!) and as I have my first food of the day. But then I didn't need anything else until late this afternoon when aforementioned grandson tried to climb on me as I tried to keep him from doing so, and somehow his knee ended up in my belly with his body coming down right behind it. When the pain didn't subside within a few minutes I took something and came into the bedroom with Nellie to protect myself. But I hardly used any pain meds today.
I was more active today as well, although husband's concern kept me from doing too much (as is my habit the first time I start feeling better after any illness or whatever). But if I feel this good tomorrow my plan is to do a little bit more in the morning, see if it causes me any distress, and if not, do a little more and a little more. I need to be rejoining my own life, if that makes any sense.
I am also almost completely comfortable playing my keyboards now, sitting up straight and stretching my belly in so doing. In fact, I can reach the floor now if I go slowly. Twisting and stretching are still uncomfortable but I feel I can do it if I have to. The things that still cause actual pain are lifting and reaching - quite a shortened list from just a few days ago!
(Seems like there was something else I wanted to mention that was good news but now I can't think of it...)
So I would say that all is going much better, and tomorrow I will do a few more of my normal activities and see what happens!
Oh, And I Almost Forgot...
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - chiachatter.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
...I can sleep on my sides now! I wake up sore but not in terrible pain as I have for the first couple of weeks post-surg...but sleeping on my sides is my naturally preferred way, and I am so happy that I can finally do it without awakening myself with pain from trying!
I am still sleeping on the bean bag but probably tonight I will attempt sleep without it. Now that I am side-sleeping it is starting to get in my way. But it was excellent - necessary even! - to help me get comfortable when the pain was still so great when I moved. I highly recommend one to anybody having a majory surgery, especially one where movement causes pain!
...I can sleep on my sides now! I wake up sore but not in terrible pain as I have for the first couple of weeks post-surg...but sleeping on my sides is my naturally preferred way, and I am so happy that I can finally do it without awakening myself with pain from trying!
I am still sleeping on the bean bag but probably tonight I will attempt sleep without it. Now that I am side-sleeping it is starting to get in my way. But it was excellent - necessary even! - to help me get comfortable when the pain was still so great when I moved. I highly recommend one to anybody having a majory surgery, especially one where movement causes pain!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Day 18, Plus Other Stuff
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - chiachatter.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
I spent half the night reading about the procedure I had. Previously I had studied it from the perspective of one who was going to have the surgery; now I am reading more about post-fundoplication experiences, diets, issues, and life.
The thing that I can't get over is how much the articles and first-hand accounts vary. Doctors instructions go from "stick with clear liquids for a week, full liquids for a week, soft foods for 3 weeks, then start slowly with foods that require chewing - chew very well, eat tiny bites..." and so forth, to "take a few days to get back to your normal diet." (!!!!!) And some doctors recommend starting out with soft cooked cereals and vegetables, only later adding dairy and any form of meats; others recommend no vegetables for several weeks, or dairy first thing, or any other variations on the theme.
My own doctor, while giving me very very few guidelines, did tell me that carbonated beverages would never be part of my future (some docs online say wait a month), and that it would be a very long time, maybe even up to a year, before I should even try bread or raw vegetables (VERY well-chewed); some people online are eating sandwiches within 2 weeks.
As pertains to activity, many people are back to work in 2-3 weeks. My doctor's partner to me to go easy on myself for the first 100 days which he deems "critical"! Some people go home the same day as the surgery; I barely felt strong enough after 5 days! It is incredible the extreme discrepancies...
So, once again, I am taking my own surgeon's words - few as they are - to heart, the one who actually did the work, knows my history, knows my issues, and knows the work that he did. After that, as I've mentioned, I'm being conservative. If I hurt, I don't push myself. If I do something that doesn't hurt or only causes a minor discomfort, I use that activity to continue to build strength. If I have issues with a certain food, I back off and try again later. And so forth.
All of that to say, either there ARE no hard-and-fast rules for post-fundoplication recovery, or else each one of us is another pioneer unto our own path.
I am finding this to be a very lonely road.
Day 18 isn't much different from day 17.
I spent half the night reading about the procedure I had. Previously I had studied it from the perspective of one who was going to have the surgery; now I am reading more about post-fundoplication experiences, diets, issues, and life.
The thing that I can't get over is how much the articles and first-hand accounts vary. Doctors instructions go from "stick with clear liquids for a week, full liquids for a week, soft foods for 3 weeks, then start slowly with foods that require chewing - chew very well, eat tiny bites..." and so forth, to "take a few days to get back to your normal diet." (!!!!!) And some doctors recommend starting out with soft cooked cereals and vegetables, only later adding dairy and any form of meats; others recommend no vegetables for several weeks, or dairy first thing, or any other variations on the theme.
My own doctor, while giving me very very few guidelines, did tell me that carbonated beverages would never be part of my future (some docs online say wait a month), and that it would be a very long time, maybe even up to a year, before I should even try bread or raw vegetables (VERY well-chewed); some people online are eating sandwiches within 2 weeks.
As pertains to activity, many people are back to work in 2-3 weeks. My doctor's partner to me to go easy on myself for the first 100 days which he deems "critical"! Some people go home the same day as the surgery; I barely felt strong enough after 5 days! It is incredible the extreme discrepancies...
So, once again, I am taking my own surgeon's words - few as they are - to heart, the one who actually did the work, knows my history, knows my issues, and knows the work that he did. After that, as I've mentioned, I'm being conservative. If I hurt, I don't push myself. If I do something that doesn't hurt or only causes a minor discomfort, I use that activity to continue to build strength. If I have issues with a certain food, I back off and try again later. And so forth.
All of that to say, either there ARE no hard-and-fast rules for post-fundoplication recovery, or else each one of us is another pioneer unto our own path.
I am finding this to be a very lonely road.
Day 18 isn't much different from day 17.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
