Day 1 After Surgery

Today is the first day after my surgery. For those of you who don't know I had surgery on both of my feet to have bunions removed. They are gone and now I have skinny feet...well, currently they are puffy and swollen, but after awhile the swelling will go down. The surgery went well and I was able to go home shortly after I woke up.

There are many awkwardnesses to having surgery for the first time. First, there's finding out that you have to wear a hospital gown...and ONLY the hospital gown. (That was a nice surprize.) Then there is being wheeled down the hall on a bed to the operating room passing people who just look and stare at you. After entering the operating room I had to scooch onto the operating table. While situating myself the nurse was pulling my gown out from underneath me making things even more awkward. After waking up in the recovery room all of my visitor's were in there while I was still somewhat doped up, my hair a mess and feeling very much like a bobble head. Luckily I wasn't given the general anesthetic (the gas) but had the IV stuff. The gas is what makes you loopy and nauseous. When I woke up I was still in my right mind but very dizzy. It felt as if everything in the room was moving and I couldn't focus on anything.

The doctor prescribed me Tylenol 3. I soon found out after the numbness wore off that the Tylenol did nothing for the pain. All evening and through the night I had very sore feet!

A few times I had to get up to use the bathroom. That was an adventure! I had to carefully swing my legs out of bed, walk a foot to the wheel chair, ride about 10 feet to the bathroom, stand up and use the walker to get to the toilet, turn myself around and sit. I am staying at my grandparents house, so my grandmother has been helping me get around. I said, "Grandma, do you lose your hearing right before you pass out?" I started to get very dizzy and heard ringing in my hears. I got back to the wheel chair just in time, coming so close to passing out.

Today my dad made me a makeshift toilet using a 5 gallon bucket and a toilet seat cover. It saves me an entire trip to the bathroom. It sits right next to my bed so I don't have to go so far. It works.

This morning I called my doctor and asked him to prescribe me some Vicodin. The Tylenol just wasn't cutting it. It works better but still doesn't keep the pain away for very long. I have an hour before I can take more.

That has pretty much been my day. I go back to the doctor on Friday and was told that by then the pain shouldn't be too bad. I just hope and pray! And now I am going to try and nap since I didn't get much sleep last night.