Week 2 - Recap

Wow, I can't believe it has been 2 weeks since the surgery. Amazingly, I can say they went by faster than expected. I know I would not have felt this way had I been wired shut for 4 weeks. If that was the case you would have much different posts here. I feel for those who have had that experience.

Looking back I realize, although I seemed prepared, I was not. In some cases I was over-prepared. I have a freezer full of frozen soups that will probably be tossed. Don't see a reason to drink a pureed soup when I am no longer wired. I had not anticipated the difficulty in swallowing at first. If I had known this I would have had an idea that I would probably not be able to handle soups until day 5 or 6. When you first get home you can only swallow a few drops at a time so there is no way to get much down. Ensure was my best friend for a few days but it got old fast. However, there is nothing else out there that can give you 250-350 calories so easily. But don't stock up, I have an un-opened case that I may never drink. Your caregiver can always buy more for you later. The Ensure website has some recipes to try as well.

The biggest thing was that I was just not hungry. Even now with the wires off I eat very little. Maybe it helped that I had some extra fat stored up ;) before the surgery. I did lose 10 lbs. Theoretically this is 35,000 calories burned. I still had the energy to run small errands and go on a quick trip. So, don't force yourself too hard to take in the calories. Try to at least start your day with an Ensure and keep on top of your fluids. The Ensure+ will give you the vitamins to help with healing as well as 350 calories. Remember your juices for vitamin C, preferably OJ with calcium. Remember you have a lot of bone to grow.

You will still be limited for awhile on what you can do. Make sure you ask for help! Today I went to Petsmart and had a nice employee load the bags of cat food into my cart, onto the check stand, and into my car. There is no shame in helping. Go ahead and tell them why and they will be happy to help. Be patient. This is only temporary. Everyday things get a little better. You will have a little more feeling here or there, the swelling will go down a little, the bruising will look better, you will be able to swallow a bit easier, talk a bit easier. Celebrate these little milestones on the road to healing. Look at the numbness as a good thing, you would be in more pain if you weren't so numb. Look at the tingling also as a good thing, this shows you are healing and it is not permanent.

This will be my last daily post. I will post weekly from now on. Not much is visibly changing day to day and the worst is behind me.