Part Thirty Five: "Slow Down, You Move Too Fast..."

I was feeling really really unbelievably good this morning. Of course, my abdomen is still achy and at times I just have to stop whatever it is I'm doing because the pain is so intense. But the rest of me was feeling back on track. I figured, Hey... now that I'm poopin' again... there's no stopping me.

The Cardinals World Series victory parade was this afternoon and I was determined that a trip downtown would be my first real outing since the surgery. I got all decked out in my cardinal red and replaced my stuffed green hippo with a stuffed Fredbird doll to hold against my belly.

At first I thought I might be able to go without something pressed up against me. I tried to abandon Fredbird on a couple of occasions. But I didn't make it very far from the vehicle before C had to run back and grab the little guy for me.

We rode downtown and parked in the Union Station parking lot which marked the beginning of the parade route. Lots ands lots of people parked a lot farther away and there were hordes of people walking in from all directions. I decided there was no way that my body could handle such a walk and I decided that we would pay whatever they wanted at Union Station. (Fortunately, it turned out to be only $5 as we left.) I was glad that we parked relatively close... as we were able to go in Union Station and get some food and then walk back out to the parking lot quickly to catch the parade. We never even bothered to leave the U.S. parking lot... and scored a decent viewing spot in their courtyard, just off of 18th street. There were only about three people, a sidewalk, and large bushes between me and the parade route... which was nothing in comparison to the 15-20 person deep masses that lined Market Street the rest of the route. I was grateful to be in an obscured area where I didn't have people bumping into me and my now incredibly throbbing achy belly and shoulders.

I was trying to clap and yell but it was hard. The area on my left wrist where they had placed the IV is now bruised and started to hurt quite a bit after a few minutes of clapping. I found that if I stand too long or walk around too much, my shoulders start to ache from the awkward way that I've been standing. C helped by rubbing my shoulders as the parade went by and by hurrying ahead to get the car after the parade was finished.

At one point, my eyes were burning and there were tears running out of them because I was so tired and sore. I'm sure the people next to me thought I was just really really moved by the Cardinals first World Series win in 24 years. Either way, I'm glad that I went. There's no way I could have been down here so close to the action and in reasonable health and not made it to celebrate. Plus, I wouldn't have gotten to see the Clydesdales in person! Can you blame me?



P.S. Medicine Update
I haven't taken any Vicodin today and don't plan to do so unless I have trouble going to sleep. I also did not take a Pepcid today. I did take one of the Dulcolax lablets because I was so freaked out by my dormant bowels. But, FYI, I've now pooped nearly a half dozen times since this morning. Sure, it may have been from all of the excitement and stress on my body... but I'm gonna shy away from the laxatives for the time being. Long story short... four days after major surgery and I'm nearly drug free. HOORAY!

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!