Part Thirty Four: Back into the swing of things.

I spent a lot of time yesterday sitting in my chair. So much that my back started to get a little wrinkled and C started to tease that I was going to get bed sores.



For the first time since college football started up, I was able to sit and watch the Missouri Tigers play on national television. Unfortunately, I picked the wrong day to watch, as they lost to Oklahoma in an error-filled game.

After football, I carefully navigated my way into the shower. We have an old claw foot tub which has high sides and is kind of hard to get into. C had to turn the water on for me because I couldn't lean over to do so. She also stood outside the shower curtain and handed me the shampoo and soap so that I wouldn't have to reach for them. It felt nice to take a real shower. The one at the hospital was kind of awkward and seemed wrong somehow... like I was breaking a rule.

After cleaning up, I put underwear on for the first time in days (ha!) and bundled up for a trip outside. The weather has been gorgeous and I couldn't stand to be clammed up in the apartment anymore. C and I slowly crept down the steps and made our way over to the park across the street. Here's a picture of me on my first trip outside since I returned home.



You might notice the lump under my hoodie. No, it's not a colostomy bag... It is my little hippo friend that my Aunt Rainey and Uncle Roger brought me the day of my surgery. I had read the suggestions on the various kidney donor websites that it is good to have a little pillow to press up against you after surgery. Well, the hospital didn't provide such a pillow and I didn't bring one with me. So immediately after my surgery, when I was alert and unsuccessfully trying to move from side to side, I grabbed the first soft thing that I saw... the green hippo... and pressed it up against my stomach. It was really soft and seemed to keep my insides from squishing out my incision when I got up or walked around. I took it with me everywhere at the hospital and slept with it pressed against me at night. Here we are after I arrived home on Friday.



For all of you out there who are getting ready to donate a kidney soon, I highly recommend making sure you have something similar available to you before you get to the hospital. If my family hadn't brought me something soft and fuzzy to hold to my stomach, it really would have been rough. The other nice thing was that it matched my hospital gown.

I slept in C's bed last night and was much more comfortable than on the futon. My gas pain has eased up enough that I am now able to sleep on my side somewhat. It's a nice change when my back really starts to hurt.

Some of my readers may be interested to know what kinds of instructions I was given after I was released from the hospital. Here is a summary of my discharge orders:

Restrictions
1. No lifting greater than 5 lbs.
2. No tub bath.
3. No driving.
4. No sexual activity.

Diet
High Fiber Diet

Skin/Wound Care
Leave incision site open to air

Follow-Up Care
See Dr. S on 11/2/06 @ 3pm

Medicine
1. Pepcid (Acid Reducer)
2. Dulcolax (Stool Softener/Laxative)
3. Vicodin (Pain Killer)

So I have three incision sites on the left side of my abdomen. The surgery was done laproscopically so they made two small cuts up near my ribs to put their instruments and camera in. The larger cut is down near my waistline. It's probably about 4 inches long... just big enough for my surgeon to get his hand in and pull the kidney out. I've been trying to take pictures but they're not that great. The cuts were sealed up with glue and are kind of itchy. So most of the incisions look kind of white and flaky from the glue and some of my skin is still stained yellow from the iodine wash.



The reason that they have me on a high fiber diet and stool softeners is so that I will start pooping faster. I've been eating a lot of oatmeal and prunes and bread. I've also been trying to drink a lot of water. Yesterday, C let me have a little Mountain Dew with my lunch and dinner. I was sooooo happy.

I've passed gas a few more times since the inaugural fart during the World Series game... but didn't actually poop until this morning. Although it was pretty soft, it was still kind of painful to get it out... I was grateful for the stool softeners that had been prescribed.

Today the Cardinal's World Series Rally and Parade is happening downtown and I am itching to go. I want to see Tony LaRussa riding on the beer wagon behind those beautiful clydesdales. Suzi says she has a wheelchair. Maybe if we slap some kidney donor signs on it I can weasel my way to the front of the crowd. Here's me in my new too-big-flat-brimmed-Anthony-Reyes-styled World Series cap. YAY!