Today marks 12 days since my operation *woo throws confetti* so I thought I would update you all on my progress.
Since I came out of hospital my painkillers have been radically reduced, I am now just taking paracetamol and Ibuprofen. Im fine with that because Im not feeling/being sick anymore and my pain is well controlled on them. My surgeon told me, that I would hate him for the first two weeks after my operation. Sure enough, the first week I did tell him I hated him (I mean, not really - but pain wise he was not my favourite person) ,however around the middle of this second week, my pain has been much more controlled and at times I have even forgotten about it!
I have come to the conclusion that recovery is bloody hard and incredibly frustrating. You might be sat there thinking 'but Hannah all you have to do is lay in bed and watch tv, or read' - unfortunately not darling. I could lay in bed all day but it's only going to give me bed sores (omg you have no idea how painful this can be). I have been getting up, getting dressed and trying to do little things around the house/ playing way too many computer games. Since I have been told that I cannot bend or twist until my physio-therapy starts 4 weeks post op, life is frustrating. Mostly its the small things which are the most challenging - picking up anything from the floor, moving anything heavy, bending to put something in the dishwasher, putting on jeans etc. Its definitely helpful to have someone on hand, just incase, especially when you have a dog and a kitten like me.
For the last 3/4 days I have also been trying to go for (very) short walks, gradually challenging myself to go a little bit further each day. Its a weird feeling that is hard to describe. Im not in too much pain when I walk, but it feels like my bones and nerves have been scrambled. They don't belong to me anymore and I'm trying to reclaim them. Its also very frustrating because I love walking and there's nothing wrong with my legs, it just feels difficult and unnatural - not to mention I am so tired! At the moment, I am getting a full 8-9 hours sleep at night, plus an hour or two after lunch because even doing the mundane makes me feel exhausted.
One thing that I am struggling with is back spasms. Me and my back have a weird relationship, even before the surgery. Its weirdly sensitive to touch and I've always suffered with back spasms - even to the extent where my physio-therapist used to need to place a towel over my back when pressing down on my vertebra. However since my surgery, its been worse, especially when I try to sleep or if anyone touches it. I think this is due to my nerves and muscles being moved slightly causing them to expand and contract, however its hard to tell how much is just me and how much resulted directly from the surgery.
I don't know if its worked yet. Things feel different, thats for sure and my usual pain isn't there but that isn't surprising since I haven't been able to do much and I am on a decent dose of pain relief. Its also very difficult at the moment to distinguish between general back/hip pain and my op pain so only time will tell on that one!
Last night we decided to change my dressing. I am pleased that I have been left with a fairly small scar, which for the most part is healing nicely. Unfortunately it is seeping at the very bottom and this part has not healed like the rest so I am going to get a professional's opinion on this and fingers crossed it is not infected - just taking slightly longer to heal.
Thats about all for now, please feel free to message/post any questions or comments you have about anything!
Hannah
❤
No comments:
Post a Comment