Elasticated waists!!

15th March 2007
Two weeks and one day on from the op! Hoorah! it's getting much easier!!
I can even wear non elasticated clothes now - most of the time!!!

I started walking out on my own on Monday this week, which was a bit strange
to say the least - but it was nice to be out.

Last night I had my first social engagement since the op, which almost didnt
happen due to me being so tired...but as a night with three top class rugby
players was on the cards, I was hardly going to turn it down!!

I'm signed off work until next Friday -by which time, I hope to be walking a
reasonable distance without wearing myself out, and being able to stay awake
for the whole day!

I have been kept entertained while I've been away by some good friends sending me silly e-mails, but it has been appreciated. I haven't lost the will to live yet, nor have I become addicted to daytime tv - so that can only be a good thing!

Not much else has happened, so this will be one of my shorter entries!!

It's gone!!

Sunday 4th March 2007

Well, it's gone - after all the pain and moaning, my gallbladder has been removed!
I went into the Day Surgery Unit at GRH on Wednesday 28th Feb for 07.45, and
was pleased to find out that I was the first on the list....
I was told to get undressed and put the rather slinky hospital gown on, and then
get into bed.

After a short while, I was visited by a nurse who gave me an equally sexy pair of
surgical stockings to wear (i was gonna knock the doctors out looking like this!!)
Shortly after that, I had a visit from my anaethestist who told me what she planned
to do (I didn't really care, as long as I wasn't awake during the op!!)
After that, I had a visit from my consultant, and the surgeon for the day, Mr Hewin.
He explained what was going to happen, and as he's not an unattractive man, I felt
a bit easier - he said he hoped to start just before 9am.

9.05am and I was wheeled down to the operating theatre. There I was met by the
anaethestist and an anaesthetic nurse who shuffled me over onto the operating trolley
and spoke to me until I went into the land of nod.....my next memory is one of waking
up in agony - it was 10.45am, and I was in the recovery room, and I felt sure that they
hadn't done the 0p, as it felt like I was in the middle of a fullscale gallstone attack.
My recovery nurse, Jodie gave words of comfort - the best ones being "I'll get you
some morphine, Love".
Morphine kicked in immediately, and wore off within about 5 minutes - I was struggling
again - another dose of morphine. This pattern continued for a while - until I was going
25 minutes without needing morphine.
About 12.45 I was taken back to the ward, where I tried to sleep for a while, but found it
difficult.

The afternoon passed relatively quickly, although I found myself busting for the loo, but
wasn't allowed out of bed, so I was given a bed pan......I cannot wee lying down!!!!

5pm came, and I was allowed to sit up, and then walk to the loo with the close supervision of a nurse. Then I was able to get dressed, and sit in the chair. At 7pm, I was allowed to go home - with my goodie bag of drugs!!
Sadly, the trousers I took into hospital with me, although they were loose, they weren't loose enough to cope with my hugely inflated stomach! So, I had to go home, holding my trousers together!!! So sexy.

So, now I've been home a few days, the bloating is going down, although I still can't have anything pressing on my stomach.
The soreness is quite painful - I'm living on painkillers, which is great, but I can't move very far or very fast!!
It hurts to get in and out of the chair, and in and out of bed....but, hopefully this is all short term.

The dressings are due to come off the wounds tomorrow - which I am scared silly about - it is all still so sore.

But there, it's out, and I'm on the road to recovery - hopefully!!!