Back behind the wheel

Today I have been allowed to drive again. Its been 3 weeks since I last drove, a week before the op because of taking very strong analgesics and 2 weeks after, so when I got into the car this morning it felt somewhat strange.

I did feel well enough to get back to driving during last week, but because the nurse at the hospital had told me not to drive for 2 weeks after the operation I was then not insured, damn that nurse ;)

So 3 weeks of not driving and where did I go...Tesco and Lidl. Wow I have such fun these days. Maybe further afield tomorrow...

Laura

Normality is being restored

Its been 11 days since I had my laproscopic cholestectomy operation and now Lucien is going back to work tomorrow. Lucien has been brilliant looking after me and Alice, slightly pushy with making me do certain things, but in a good way. I think it has helped me recover.

Now that he will be back at work, normality is being restored, this is good but a bit scary. I am ready mentally to be left alone again but physically I am not, I'm still fairly tender across my stomach, so when holding Alice it hurts.

On another note, We've had a really lovely weekend in the sun together, Saturday we attended a naming ceremony for a friend's son at the beach and it was lovely. I did get a little sunburnt as I was concentrating so much on Alice not getting burnt. Today, we went to one of our favourite plant nurseries, Hill House, at Landscove. We had a good wander round and picked up a few new plants.

I'm glad we had such a nice weekend to round off my recovery time with Lucien and Alice.

Laura

Recovery: Day 4 & 5

Yesterday was Father's Day, so we decided to go and spend time with my parents, brother and sister in law. Mum said she was doing a nice lunch, now that I could eat proper food again, so we ended up having a lovely roast beef with all the trimmings. I however skipped the yorkshire pudding just as I was being cautious. I probably, come to think of it, may as well have had one though as I had cheesy leeks, which was made with mascapone and cheddar...

Anyway, I had no pains what so ever afterwards which was brilliant. This in turn has made my inner being happier.

I went through around 2 months of illness related self loathing and depression, I didn't bother with the trip to the doctor as I knew exactly what was causing me to feel and think how I was. I also knew that it was a temporary thing and that once the operation was done, in my head, I would start to fix.

So, I will say sorry now to my beautiful and wonderful husband, he has put up with so much through that 2 months of my self loathing, anger and stress.
        Yesterday, something suddenly switched and made me start to feel more normal and back to being me again. Today I feel brilliant, in fact on top of the world. Lucien also suddenly saw that change in me at the exact same time as I did, he turned to me and said "I got Laura back!", which made me feel so happy.

Right back to the healing malarky, the dressings all came off this morning when I woke up. I originally asked Lucien if he could do it because I wasn't wanting to do it myself, however, I told myself to man up and do it myself. It was a bit of an ordeal but I managed to do it.

Why on earth do they use the world's stickiest tape across the incisions they have made? It leads to lots of pain and a little bit of blood. I was taking them off and the scabbing that had occured was all coming off with the tape making me feel so much worse, I kept thinking to myself that the cuts were going to split open again and then it would be a trip to get stitches again, and I wasn't fussed for that happening to be completely honest. Anyway, a few tears and expletives later, I have now got a few cuts to show for my operation.

Today, I also managed my first proper shower and hair wash completely by myself. I am starting to feel like a normal person again and this is very exciting!

Laura

P.S. Sorry for the slightly boring post today, but it has made me feel better to put it out there ;)

Recovery: Day 3

I managed to get myself out of bed without too much pain! Result! Wow, that sounds pathetic, but really its been my biggest struggle (if you don't count cuddles with my gorgeous little Alice).

A week is an awfully long time when you are told by a lovely nurse that you can't pick up your own baby. I'm really finding it hard to restrain myself from grabbing her when she is upset or just wanting a cuddle.

Today I can definitely feel and see my swelling on my stomach and its making me look bloatey and gross, well that's what I think anyway, Lucien says it looks fine and its looking tonnes better each day.

We ventured as far as Mum's house today as well which was nice because I was starting to get cabin fever, don't get me wrong, I love my house and I love relaxing etc. but can't stand being bound to one place for days and days without at least going for a walk.

Next step is on Monday, taking the dressings off and exposing the potentially disgusting wounds. I don't think they are going to be, but its freaking me out thinking about what I'm going to find.

Laura

Recovery: Day 1

After a bad nights sleep,  I woke up reasonably comfortable, until I started to move and tried to get up out of bed.

This morning I have been a bit uncomfortable, however, I have been a bit more positive and active. I decided to chill out downstairs so I can move round more freely. I am not a 'bed all day' type of person unless I am really ill.

This afternoon, I am moving around more and feeling less like I can't do anything. I am also feeling good as I have been helping Lucien, by preparing Alice's meals and, although its small, it has really helped my morale.

My war wounds are nowhere near as bad as I thought, they look quite good and fairly clean considering, so thank you Mr surgeon man.

All in all, day 1 has been a bit painful, but not as bad as I was expecting.

Laura

Pain and Discomfort

Today was operation day. I went into hospital for 7.30am and then had to wait until 2.15 to go down to theatre.

Now I don't know about anyone else but, when I have to wait around my nervousness get worse and I start to worry more and each minute passes so, by the time I got to the anaesthetic room I was shakey and emotional.

I woke up from the op about two hours after, at 4.30 and woke to pain and discomfort. I was given lots of morphine and paracetamol to help get me more comfortable and then taken back to the ward. At 5.30 I was up and out of bed walking around to try and encourage the air that was pumped into me out. Lucien picked me up at 6 and I was discharged at 6.30.

When I got home I had a chance to say night to Alice and have something to eat and drink.

I am now drugged as much as I am allowed and off to bed for, hopefully, a long and restful sleep.

Laura

Rest

On Thursday, I experienced my first ever ambulance ride into hospital. The ambulance crew were amazing and helped me by putting me at ease. The funny thing was that one of the crew had actually sorted my husband, Lucien, when he needed a trip to hospital for pericarditis a few months back.

Now, I'm going to take a few steps back to explain this journey to hospital...
I woke up and felt the best I had felt for a while, so I started my morning routine.., 10 minutes later I was hunched over in unbearable crippling pain, different to normal gall pains I get. I took all the painkillers I could and waited half hour and the pain didn't receed, we rang 111 and spoke to a couple of people, which resulted in an ambulance to come and scoop me up.

On the ambulance trip to RDE hospital, the paramedic tried 4 different places for a cannula to give me morphine, these were all unsuccessful so I was given it in liquid form.

At the hospital I was then stabbed again a few times by a doctor for the cannula to be inserted again, he managed to put it in my wrist eventually. I had blood taken and more morphine along with anti sickness and then after all tests done and pain gone I was able to go home, flying high and feeling like a pin cushion.

So, I have found out that my gall bladder is inflamed, worst timing ever!

I have been told to rest and take all the painkillers I have and to sit back and enjoy a few days out of it, until my operation. This is all well and good for most people, but I find it hard to lay in bed and rest, I like to be moving around doing things.

The sooner this gall bladder is out the better!

Laura

Appreciation

Now, before anybody thinks it is, I will say now, this isn't going to be a daily blog. I will be doing blog entries as and when I feel like I need to, and today I feel like I need to.

It isn't just today that I have felt appreciative of my family, I have felt it everyday. Recently, well, since Christmas, I have especially felt appreciative through this really rough time.

My Husband has been unbelievably helpful and amazing when I have been suffering in pain for hours and sometimes days, the trips to the doctors surgery, the hospital in both Exmouth and Exeter and everything else he does.

My Mum and Dad have also been brilliant, they have dropped everything on many occasions to come and check I was alright. They have also babysat on lots of occasions when we are unable to, like hospital runs etc.

So, I am feeling so very lucky to have such an amazing family that do so much for me. The problem is how am I ever going to repay them for everything they have done for me...

Laura

The Pain That Is The Gallbladder

Well, where do I start?, I have been 3 weeks without a gall attack and its been lovely, that is until Thursday. So, since Thursday I have experienced 3 attacks and they are most definitely not pleasant. One thing that helps me get through them is that this time next week I will mentally be preparing myself for the operation to remove the gallbladder, a cholecystectomy, if you will.

For those who are unaware of what causes gall stones and gall attacks, I shall explain...
Gall stones are caused or should I say created because of either having too much cholesterol in your gallbladder or because there is too much bilirubin inside the gallbladder.
         Gall attacks happen because the stones are moving or you have eaten too much fat.

The gall stone diet is boring, expensive and time consuming. This diet is basically no fat, this is now to the point that I cannot eat tomatoes because of the seeds. You also have to prepare your dinner fresh every night. However, I have lost 3 stone since Christmas.

Now losing 3 stone is brilliant, and giving birth to my beautiful daughter just before Christmas meant that losing baby weight wasn't a problem. Although, I can't help thinking how much weight will I put back on after my operation.

The thought of this operation is absolutely terrifying me, I have never been under general anaesthetic or been for an operation, the unknown scares me so much. The upsides are, its keyhole surgery and I will be a day case (so not much hospital food to consume).

The biggest and best thing about it is that I will be able to start living my life as normal again and can go out and not be scared that any second now I could be in unbearable pain, equal to, if not more painful than being in full blown ready to push labour.

Laura