1st Day Post-Op!

It's hard to believe I'm able to post anything after the night and morning I had. It's been pretty rough, but I'm definitely feeling better -- especially after being taken off Dilaudid, which I had as an I.V. drip. It was awful. I felt so tired, I literally fell asleep while eating my breakfast.

For the surgery yesterday, I was wheeled into the operating room around 4 pm and given my spinal anesthesia, followed by sedation. I woke up in the OR and was wheeled into the PACU around 6 pm or so. I can't even remember my pain level at that point, though I do remember that when I was given the button to push (to self-administer the Dilaudid) I was very relieved. The nurses told me to push it every time it lit up, and I found that if I fell asleep and forgot to press the button, it was difficult to get back to a comfortable state.

I was woken up by pain or attendants all night long, and was so unpleasantly drowsy all morning. I asked to be taken off the Dilaudid and put on Percaset instead, and that feels much more like it. I was able to walk with a walker a short (painful) distance and back to my bed.

I realized while doing physical therapy that I was afraid of the pain because I didn't understand it. I thought it meant something was wrong, but the therapist guided me through exercises, through the pain, and encouraged me to go gently, but go!

So I feel very motivated to do the exercises and try walking. And as soon as they remove the catheter, I will HAVE to walk to the bathroom! I feel much better this afternoon, and that gives me hope.