Sunday 30 October 2016

Day 18 post op

Well, you'd think there'd be massive improvements to report by now. But truly it's like he's reached stalemate. Yesterday I was on the cusp of ringing the district nurse again as he's still really uncomfortable round the drain site and he was complaining of pain in his side. He decided though that it was ok and he could manage.

The mood of the Day 17 was 'Fed up and Cheesed Off'  for us both really. He is really really hating feeling so incapacitated and I'm hating it too, on his behalf. He's frustrated that he can't just 'do' things so simple as
Have a shower. Or lift things up. Or lie down on the floor and have a good stretch.
Although it's great he's got his appetite back, I'm fed up of cooking and thinking about what to
Make. Don't get me wrong, this pissed me off from time to time before all of this.

But I really don't mind at all. I just wish this bit of the recovery would hurry the fudge up.
It seems like he's making zero progress, or even going backwards . Although he's cut his tramadol out in the day time, just sticking to paracetamol so that is progress.

And he is finding it really tricky to answer the 'are you any better yet' questions well meaning folks ask continually. It does seem hard to have to say 'not really', you almost feel obliged to put a positive spin on it. People who are texting and ringing obviously care and it'd be awful to offend them. Imagining the isolation of not having any support would be bleak. It kinda of adds a pressure though - and we too are guilty of this act. We've been those well wishers. It's just human nature I guess!



Till the next time

3 comments:

  1. The good wishes of others, with how do you feel, or are you feeling better, just don't understand the healing process after such a huge op.
    Please tell him to take it east, don't push too hard, slow progress is best, once his stamina returns he will improve much faster. As for yourself, don't bash yourself up, it's hard to watch some one you love go through this, be kind to yourself.

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  2. How about 'getting there, thanks' to those well meaning queries?
    Hoping for massive progress that you can both see and appreciate.
    J xxx

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  3. I can understand his frustration, Rachel. I expect 18 days feels like an eternity to him and he is expecting his body to recover quickly as it would if he had cut himself or sprained his ankle in "normal" times. Perhaps the healing mechanisms are a bit weary though as they have been fighting against such a big enemy for many weeks now. Still, it can't hurt to check with the nurse or the Macmillan nurse whether he is progressing as they would expect.

    It must be very irritating not to be able to have a shower or have a stretch (I can't comment about lying on the floor because I wouldn't do that myself as my knees would prevent me from getting up again and I'd still be there at Christmas!!).

    I hope that he turns a corner soon and his recovery becomes meteoric (can a recovery be meteoric? I don't want to suggest blasting him into space! Although it would solve your cooking problem!)

    Helen xx

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