It's been about a week since I met my mother at the airport on the eve of my surgery. I've been out of the hospital for four days. In that time, I've been easing back into normal life. Right after surgery, they had me take three 5-minute walks in my wing of the hospital. Since checking out, I have expanded those walks to about 15 minutes in the neighborhood.
Up until my release, I got my fluids, nourishment, and sometimes my medications, through an IV. From Monday (8/23) through Thursday (8/26), I was on the Stage I diet - clear liquids. For me, this mostly consisted of water, although I did have a little bit of tomato juice the last evening. Since then I've been on the Stage II diet - at least 3 cups of clear and "full" liquids, each. I'll add a tab about each diet stage as I progress.
I started out taking pills every four hours: one for the itching and 3 for the pain. I've gradually reduced the pain pills down to one, although I'm feeling a little more pain than usual with the most recent reduction. When I start getting more and more tired, I usually reduce the dosage. As it is, I still sleep about 9 or 10 hours at night and nap for over an hour in the afternoons.
As the title of this blog indicates, my stomach can only hold one ounce right now. Whether it's water, soup, jello, or whatever, I have to go slowly, since the stomach will only hold so much. I have to take breaks while I eat and often feel tightness and fullness throughout my mini-meals. It's important for me to eat minimum of each type of liquid to prevent dehydration and loss of muscle mass. Without enough protein, the body starts breaking down muscles to get amino acids. That's the last thing I need, so I continue with my long, slow meals.
It has really helped to have my mother with me during this time. In addition to comfort, care, and company, we get along well. She goes on the walks with me, prepares my meals, and helps me keep track of time so that I take my medications and meals regularly. We've also been reading and discussing a book about overeating with each other, as well as watching movies at night. Having her here has made the process smoother and more enjoyable.
I will try to post at least weekly, but feel free to subscribe for updates. I'm excited about this journey and look forward to sharing it with you.
