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[drizzle]

How is she doing in her surgery recovery?  Does anyone know? 


Sending good thoughts and wishes your way, Jennifer.  Keeping you and your family in my prayers, too.

[wendy3402]

I've been asking the same question myself.  Hope everything is okay  :-)
 
Wendy

[sher]

I wish her husband would check in.

[scarlett]

oh, yes, it has been a couple of days since she posted. hmmm. i might call the hospital . . .

[wendy3402]

I'm getting really worried now........

[jenniferN]

I'm here folks, sorry to keep you worried.  I've been home a few days now and resting up.  Sleeping a lot an my friends have been helping me by bringing meals.  One friend has been so good as to drive an hour with her three kids and clean my whole house.  I have great friends. 

I folded a little laundry today as my child handed me each piece, but that's it as far as my "work" has gone.  I'm still having lots of pain, and will be seeing my pain specialist tomorrow.  I have five small scars and one four inch scar bisecting my belly button.  That's the one that hurt.  Apparently when the surgeon went to remove my hideosly scarred ileum it was stuck to my pelvis with adhesions and so balled up and icky that he had to widen the incision.  It was so narrowed with scar tissue a pencil could not pass through.

We had a lot of trouble with pain control the first day because the epidural they chose to do just was not effective for me.  They then put in a pain pump with constant dilaudid and a happy button for me to push when I needed it, which worked quite well, except for the fact that I had an IV in the crook of BOTH IV's and could not bend either arm.  The dilaudid made me talk in my sleep, and Forrest said I made 'alien baby" noises all night.  Also, I would get confused about what was real and what I was dreaming, which made for interesting conversations. 

Yesterday as my baby's fifth birthday, and she was happy with an icecream cake and presents from her grandparents.   

I'm ready to be healed up now, thank you.

[tom77]

How did they know your ileum was narrowed with scar tissue? Did they have try a pill camera? Can you eat now and do things feel somewhat normal other than the pain.

[beth from GA]

Jennier I am so glad you are home. I hope you have a quick recovey. I am glad that your friends are brinking your meals to you that helps more than anyone knows. When you are sick and in pain the last thing you want to do is cook.

[drizzle]

Each day should be a little bit easier than the one before it.  Each day, you'll be a little bit more healed up.  Soon, you'll get all your strength back . . . well, maybe not as soon as you want.  It can take months, actually, before you stop feeling really tired after doing something.  But you'll get there.  I can picture you folding laundry, one piece at a time as the little one hands it to you.  That's a sweet mommy/child moment.  There's one good part about recovery slowing things down.


I hope you won't be in much pain and that you feel better sooner than later.  I'm glad you checked in.  I've been worried about you.

[rebelsgirl]

I'm so glad you checked in. Make sure you don't over do it and only do easy things.  It's good to get up and walk around to get your intestines to wake up. Here's to an uneventful recovery and a  many new years waiting for you to enjoy!

[jenniferN]

I had a pill cam a couple of years ago when I was still with my old GI Dr. Jackass.  It didn't come out for 3 weeks and he just said I had slow transit time.  My new GI, Dr. Hottie, has done a couple of scopes on me and told me that the first time I had giant whompin' ulcers in there (his words) and this last scope, while in the hospital, he couldn't even pass the scope through.  The surgeon was absolutely freaked out that I was out walking around with my TI so scarred.  He said it was almost totally scarred shut.  Well freak me out. 
 
Anyway, I'm doing a little better each day, and tomorrow, I'm going to start to take short walks.  Today I got a change in my pain meds, which helps with that cut in half with a bread knif feeling. 
 
Saturday my big girl will be 8.  Cake and ice cream again. 

[tom77]

Glad you are doing better.

[jenniferN]

Walk didn't happen.  Weather is pretty awful.  I have a friend coming over to help out tomorrow, and she has the cutest little red-headed baby you ever saw.  She's four months old, and I'll probably have her in bed with me while her momma does work around the house. 

My incision is very very oozy and itchy now.  I also think I got a UTI as it feels like I'm peeing red hot razor blades.  I'm calling my local guy about the pee issue, and I'll get him to look at my incision while I'm at it.  It doesn't stink or anything like that, and I'm not running fever, but my whole belly button fills up with pinkish yellow goo and a tiny bit of white goo.  I'm trying not to totally freak out but it worries me. 

Forrest has to go back to work on Thrusday, but he's been absolutey wonderful.  He lets me sleep as much as I need to and he brought me a grilled cheese sandwich and juice in bed.  He's the best. 

I'll let you guys know what my doctor says about my incision and the likely UTI.

[dolphinlover]

ewww.  goooo.
 
Hope you feel better my friend.

[jenniferN]

Thanks.  Everyday is a tiny tiny bit better.  I'm just sooo impatient.