Every time my plastic surgeon came in to change my bandages I was used like a testing dummy in anatomy class. He would always grab a different nurse and explain the procedure to them. I was not super comfortable with it, I almost felt like a side show at a carnival.
Day three post-surgery was starting and I noticed that I am starting to get a little cough. The doctor thinks it was because I was not drinking enough and maybe I had some irritation from the intubation tube that I had during surgery. He ordered that a respiratory therapist come up and do some breathing treatments twice a day. When you have the hip to hip surgery coughing is very painful. I tried to hold a pillow over my tummy but that really did not help.
I was getting up easier and could now make it to the bathroom without assistance so they removed the catheter finally and it was much easier to get around. The tummy incision still has me bent over like an old woman but I can stand a little straighter today.
The surgeon said my lab work was off he said that because I lost so much blood during the surgery I ended up having to get two units of blood through a transfusion. By the time they got my transfusion ready it was dinner time. I am not sure why but when the transfusion was running I had a weird taste in my mouth. It kind of grossed me out tasting someone else’s blood but if it was a way for me to get home I would do it. They brought my dinner tray and it was the first day that was not broth so I was happy to see it, bad timing with the transfusion but it was still solid food. The dessert was red velvet cake and if you know what it looks like it is almost the color of blood. That did not stop me though and the cake was good. Two more days and I should be able to go home, I can hardly wait.