The Day After Surgery

That picture is worth a thousand words isn't it?!  My doctor came in first thing the morning after surgery.  I asked him to remove my nasal tube which was a bit shocking.  He told me to grab some tissues and have them right below my nose.  He grabbed hold of the tube below my nose and pulled it straight out!!  The most incredibly weird feeling I have ever felt up till then and that includes childbirth...twice!  I was then taken for an upper GI where I got to sip on some awful chalky thick shake so they could make sure that my new tummy didn't have any leaks.  The upper GI is basically an x-ray that take pics while you drink this nasty shake.  Once I was cleared by the doc I was allowed to start taking in clear liquids.  So I tried some chicken broth, one sip and I was done.  Couldn't stomach the taste of it.  Then my mom suggested a sugar free popsicle.  Two licks and I was over that as well.  Temperature was an issue for me.  Room temperature water was all I could handle.  I blew the vein in my other hand by mid day.  The nurse came to look for another vein in my arm.  They tried the veins in my arms and weren't able to find anything.  I continued to walk laps around the nurses station.  They brought in a nurse that was known for being able to get any vein on anybody.  She took off my compression stockings and socks.  She began to check my feet for veins.  I flipped a switch for real on that tiny little Asian nurse.  I told her I was done and that there was not a snowballs chance of her getting a needle in my foot.  I put up a total three year old, missed nap time, and and wants some candy at the grocery store check out fit!  Pretty sure my mom was exceptionally embarrassed.  Don't care!  No way I was going for an IV in the foot.  They all agreed to give me a break since I was hysterical.  They came back in the afternoon and then started looking at my neck for veins.  Thank God for my bestie, Jennifer, for coming by to see me after work.  She came in while I was in mid verbal brawl with the tiny but surprisingly strong Asian nurse.  Jennifer totally backed me up!  She asked the nurse to call the doctor and see if there was anything we could do to avoid putting an IV back in.  As much as I hate IV's I was grateful for when the nurse came back with the news that instead I would get a shot in the butt every 4 hours of antibiotics.  That was until I got the first one and thought I had been shot in the rear with a hippo tranquilizer.  OUCH!  Better than a needle in the foot or neck though.  By the way, compression stockings are a great request at the hospital if they are not offered to you.  The help prevent blood clots which are not something you want to leave to chance.  Stay tuned for how I handled life at home once I was released from the hospital the next morning.