Day 22: Drug-Free

Day 22 of my post-op recovery from a laparotomy/abdominal myomectomy:

Drug-free, finally! Or rather, Advil-free. I’m still going nuts with my recent eczema flare-up and am trying all kinds of stuff to cope with it.

So where am I just after the 3-week mark?

• Walked relatively normally starting with today’s excursion; no longer felt like I was cushioning each step with my feet and legs
• I already have been able to walk upright for some time now; I only get hunched over if I’ve been walking too long, which makes my abdomen pull my torso down (why, I don’t really know)
• Walking speed is only a little slower than normal; probably wouldn’t get any funny looks at this speed
• Coughing and sneezing no longer excruciatingly painful and tear-inducing, now merely somewhat painful
• Still experience abdominal pain when I accidentally get myself into a position that requires support, such as when I’m getting in and out of bed, getting up from sitting on the floor, etc.
• Some general abdominal aching, which is tolerable and does not require Advil
• Can sleep comfortably on my back or my side, and also change sides
• If I carry something that is more than ~5 pounds, I get an unpleasant, stressful feeling in my abdomen
• When I sit, my abdominal area no longer feels like a stiff board
• Energy and stamina still notably low
• Most of the dark reddish strips have fallen off from the incision; the rest is a pinkish line
• The discolored patch of skin from the IV is almost back to normal now
• Belly area above the incision is quite distended; it had better be from TEMPORARY SWELLING! The swelling seems to go down after I’ve taken a nap or slept overnight, as a result of lying down flat for a while.
• When I press on my abdomen in the area within a few inches above the incision, it’s numb and has a strange, harder, less resilient consistency
• Minimal dizziness when standing up now
• Felt up to resuming work (on a part-time basis from home), and logged in for the first time since surgery; brain still doing stupid things, though, so I will have to be extra diligent and careful