Six days post-op

I feel really good. I can hardly believe that it's only been six days since my surgery. My abdomen is still sore and a little puffy, but my incisions seem to be healing well. I was able to sleep in my bed on my back with lots of pillows from the day I got home. Last night I slept on my side with fewer pillows and I did fine. My energy level has been excellent, but I haven't been overdoing it, and I've been sure to get a nap in every afternoon. I'm still getting to know my new stomach. I know consciously that I'm not hungry, but the dull ache and occasional rumbling have messed with my head a bit and made me think that I was. Of couse, logically, the ache is pain from my healing intestines and the rumbling is gas. It's just all very new and weird.

Everything that I've injested so far has done well, including skim milk. I've so glad for that, because I'm allergic to soy. Soy gave me terrible stomach cramps pre-op. So far, I've having either an EAS Carb Control or Myoplex shake in the morning... in the afternoon, I've had chicken or beef broth, or cream of chicken or diluted and blended french onion soup (Campbell's canned). I've had some sugar-free popsicles in between - my favorite are the Diet A&W rootbeer, Diet Crush and Diet Dr. Pepper flavored ones that I found made by Popsicle brand. Sooo yummy! I've also been mixing Gerber's no-sugar added apple juice with brewed iced tea and ice.. it's really refreshing. I've found Crystal Light to be WAY to sweet, but it's okay if I dilute it way down with water. Last night for dinner, I added some steamed caulflower to my cream of chicken and mushroom soup and blended it in my Bella Cucina - it was really tasty, but it made me a little gassy, so I'll wait to do that again.

I think my biggest problem over the next 2 weeks while I'm off of work will be BOREDOM. All of my friends and Chris are working during the day and I'm not used to being home alone all day long. I do have plans for the weekend though. I just talked to my girlfriend that lives in Salinas (about 1 1/2 hour drive from my house) that I haven't seen in months. I wrote about her in this post. I'm planning to drive down to see her and her two daughters this weekend. Her house is really close to Monterey and Carmel and Chris hasn't ever been there, so I think we'll go for a nice weekend away. I think we both deserve it.