Surgery and 1st Week Post-op

Surgery day was a longer day than expected. We left the house at 4:15am to be sure we arrived at the hospital by 6:45. I’m glad we got there early, because the presurgery waiting room filled quickly. I was taken back in the 1st group, dressed in my hospital gown, and then joined by Bill. We met the anesthesiologist, and the surgeon who would be assisting my surgeon. Then my surgeon and a nurse practitioner came in to make 1cm marks up my entire leg, and measure the width at each mark – these measurements were used to determine the amount of chemo used in the procedure. Things were running late for me, but I think I was wheeled out after 9:00am. Once I arrived in the OR they got right to business, and I didn’t even realize that I was being given anesthesia until I started drifting away. That’s the last I remember till sometime close to 10:00pm that night. Previously, we had been told that the surgery would take 4-5 hours, but a family waiting room attendant told Bill that she had seen them go 5-7 hours. Since my surgery was done around 6:30pm, I guess I was one of the longer ones. Bill didn’t get to see me till 10:00pm (almost 18 hours since we left home that morning). Because they were out of beds, I stayed in recovery till the next day.

Friday, the first day after surgery, I was finally moved to a room on a vascular floor. I had a great deal of pain in my big toe, and a lack of feeling in my foot (except for pain), which had them concerned. They took an x-ray which showed evidence of rheumatoid arthritis or gout. I had to explain multiple times that I had no history of either. They had another specialist check me (a rheumatologist, I think), who said that it was not gout, and had her perplexed too. Once we got my foot down off the bed, some color, circulation, and feeling returned. My big toe and foot continued to be a source of pain, but no longer the concern it was. My foot was continually checked and showed a strong pulse, and my calf muscle was soft, another good sign. Both incisions were doing well.

Saturday was just another day of meds, vital sign checks, and moving out of the bed into a chair. Sunday included a physical therapist visit and learning how to use a walker. I didn’t really start to take steps till Monday. By then, we had played with the pain meds enough that I was beginning to have periods of relief and good rest. I still had no appetite at all, and some foods had a weird taste (don’t know if that’s a result of the chemo leaking, or side effect of the meds). I was also taking Prilosec and Zofran to help my stomach feel better (just slightly nauseous). At some point, the nurse wrote goals on my board: manage pain, and gain mobility.

On Tuesday, after proving I could empty my bladder and use the walker to move around the room, I was scheduled for discharge. I took a shower, which felt wonderful, though exhausting, and Bill helped me get dressed. We received discharge instructions, and I was wheeled out of the hospital with Bill carrying my new walker.

Arrangements had been made by the hospital to have a visiting nurse and physical therapist, and both visited on Wednesday. Vitals were checked, instructions on doing steps were given (step up with good foot; step down with bad foot), and it was suggested to drink cranberry juice to try to lower the potential for a bladder infection (due to hospital catheter). I was reminded to try to increase my activity each day, as able, to pump my foot to push circulation to my calf, and wiggle/circle my foot. Because of the holiday week, they won’t be back till Monday.

Thursday (Thanksgiving), I managed to sit in the kitchen to eat breakfast. On Friday, I made it to the 2nd floor to shower, and, in an attempt to start weaning myself off the narcotics, tried a 6-hour cycle instead of 4-hour cycle, and added extra strength Tylenol. Well, every night was miserable due to pain, even though the daytime was manageable. So, Saturday I went back to a 4-hour cycle, and my activity wasn’t more than the walker from the family room chair to the powder room. That night was good, so we pushed back the cycle to 5 hours, and that worked well for Sunday. While my entire leg continued to be swollen, the skin redness and dryness increased, so we applied Lubriderm which provided some relief. On Sunday, I started walking without the walker, and ate all three meals in the kitchen. I was finally able to read a magazine, and coffee is tasting closer to normal.

Now it’s Monday. I made it back up the steps last night for another shower (still exhausting), and then spent the night in our bedroom, though I was in the love seat rather than the bed –  easier to get in and out. The physical therapist has been here already, and I have a list of 8 exercises to build strength and try to reduce leg swelling. The nurse will be here this afternoon, and I’m anxious for her to check the groin incision since it’s been a little leaky (really not bad, though). The calf incision is healing well. I feel more alert today, and might even try reading a book. I never thought it would take me this long to post, but my mind just wasn’t capable of finding all the words and putting them together. Progress!