Live your love, Love your life

January 21st
Since last night, I used maybe 12-15 times of my morphine drips. The pain had became more and more unbearable as the anaesthesia wore off. But I also learned that the more frequent I used it the more sickness I'd get. This morning I had to have the nurse inject me with antinausea medicine (Zofran). It's true that morphine drips really helped me go through the pain a lot easier, and that accelerates the healing process, too. But, I have to use it with cautious.
I couldn't sleep well, every couple hour or so there was a nurse checking on me. Greg helped me lay on my side, put one pillow as prop on my back and other pillow to be hold on my abdomen. I watched some tv, or read the book I brought (The song of the bird by Anthony de Mello), or listen to my ipod shuffle. Most tvs showed repeated inauguration ceremonies. Boring!

6AM
my nostrils awaken by good smell of foods that were delivered to patients. I wonder when I could get some foods. I was really hungry, my stomach gurgled with gas, been 2 days with no food. I imagined hot, savoury Indonesian curry with white rice and fried tofu and tempe. Aaahhhh.....Greg checked me at the end of his shift and asked if I passed out gas, I said not yet.

8AM
A nice nurse lady came in and wrote her name on the white board: Leonada. She'll be my nurse until 3PM. She came to remove my urine catheter. She said, in good English accent,"From now on you can pee on your own, sweety." Less than an hour later, I called a nurse to help me to walk to restroom. Sitting up for the first time made me dizzy, everything in the room rotated and blurred. It went away after a minute or so. There was a measuring pot sitting in the toilet to check and measure my urine. Went back in bed, I experienced pain and nausea. A nurse came with Zofran injection.

9.00PM
A male nurse in blue scrub came in and introduced himself as anaesthesia assistant. He asked if I had nausea or vomiting after surgery. He checked on my oxygen level and removed my oxygen tube. "Let's see if you can breath normal without the tube. I'll check back on you in 10 minutes. OK?" When he came back later, my oxygen level was on 98% which was considered normal which means I no longer need tube. A while later, a nurse came with a tray of food. Well, it wasn't real food, though. My "meal" this morning consisted clear broth, which after several sips (since my taste was dull at the beginning) I learned that it was chicken broth (blah!), green jello (from gelatin), cranberry juice, and a cup of coffee. All tasted bad and bitter:( I asked a nurse to change the broth since I'm vegetarian (and I mentioned my special diet in the pre-op forms). I also called Loel to bring me some carrot blend juice (carrot, celery, and garlic) and smoothie. I gave him instruction of how I used to make my smoothie: frozen fruits with almond milk and orange juice blended together, then I make spirulina and wheat grass paste in a cup, then I mix the fruit smoothie and green paste together.

10.15AM
Loel came with the juice and smoothie. Yippee! He asked if I was allowed to have them, I said don't know and don't care.. he..he..I'm hungry, man! A communion minister came in a while later. I forgot his name. He gave me a communion and I had it with water. We had some good conversation later on, and he prayed for my recovery. Loel stayed for about 2 hours then went back home. He still had the cough and still refused to see doc. Man! I got some text messages from friends in Indonesia asking how I was doing.

1PM
Dr.Blumhagen came in. He checked on the incision and my vital. He then sat down and explained to me that the surgery went well. The first appearance of the mass was benign, but they sent it to pathology clinic for further evaluation. It'd take about 3-4 days to get the result. The mass was so big that it pressed my bladder and pushed my uterus down my pelvis. I was adhered to my bowel so he had to remove the scar tissue along the adhession. He took my left ovary along since it was badly damaged. Other than that all my fertility organs remains well and preserved. I was so relieved to hear that. He asked me to start to walk to stimulate my bowel movement. He also said if everything went well as he expected, I could go home tomorrow. I can't wait!

2PM
Leonada came in, "Doctor asked me to remove the dressing." Oh, not again! Ouch! Doctor wanted the wound to expose to fresh air to accelerate the healing process. I saw it was pretty scary: the incision is about 20cm, goes horizontally just above my pubic line (they shaved the pubic hair around that area), the skin folded in and was hold with 20 staples. Yes, staples like what we use in the office! She asked if I want to learn to walk some, I said maybe later, I wanted to take some nap.



3PM
Leonada came in and remove my IV drips and morphine drips. Oh no! But she left the IV line on my arm, just in case I need other injected medication or more IV drips. When Loel came in around 5PM, I told him I want to try to walk some. We walked down the corridor back and forth while he hold my hand, firmly. It was only small walk, but it drained my energy! Aaah...it was so good to be on bed again...We watched Simpsons then Loel went back home.

8PM
I finished my dinner (same one: clear liquid!) when Greg came in and asked if I want to have a little walk before I sleep. Of course! he..he.. I spent the night watching tvs and read my book. My neighbor patient seemed to have trouble breathing and coughing all nite long. God, please help her. My little iPod diminished all those noises and delivered me to fairy land...