T
Traveler
Hi all,
Before surgery I just couldn't read enough on what to expect after surgery. As you'll remember I was more strung out about the what happens after than the surgery. I read a lot of people's experiences. But I would have really liked a week by week (or maybe day by day) report that went out for 12 to 16 weeks. So I thought I'd see if I had the gumption to try and report my experiences on an ongoing basis for other people to read.
Surgery was Friday evening 9 days ago and I was out of the hospital on Tuesday morning in what seems to be a pretty typical time frame. (I've written about the hospital stay earlier.) After the hospital stay my wife and I stayed in the Marriott Courtyard across the street. I originally planned to return home on Wednesday but I felt so tired that I decided to sleep on Wednesday and return home on Thursday.
Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning I slept about 12 hours and then slept 4 hours during the day. Went out to dinner (valentine's day) but I was so tired that I couldn't eat what I had ordered. I had gotten my wife a gift a month or so in advance and so that was exciting. Went to bed at 8 pm.
Thursday - up at 9 am, small breakfast, watched my wife load the car and we drove 4 hours home. Stopping at the spam museum (yes there is a spam museum) and a a mall to for the requisite 5-15 minutes of leg stretching every hour or so recommended by the surgeon. Otherwise slept the entire way home. Arrived at home about 3:30 pm and went straight into the office to check on my research group. It was fun -- various people marveled that I was back in the office and told me I didn't look like I had had surgery, a couple of others thought I looked very weak. Alas I over did it (a planned 10 minute visit turned into a couple of hour trouble shooting sesssion). And so I was too tired to eat dinner and spent the evening cold, shaking, and feeling generally miserable under a blanket trying to sleep on my recliner. Went to bed at 9 pm, which seemed very late. Finally quit shaking about 9:30 pm.
Friday - up at 8 am, felt great - my wife had gone into work early and came home at 10:30 am to help me with my socks and showering. Based on feeling great came up a full schedule of lunch appt, interview, and a couple of other work related meetings. Went shopping with my wife for groceries - I never realized how much standing was involved in shopping. Came home exhausted and miserable at ~4 pm - I had over done it again. Spent the evening cold, shaking, and miserable. Went to bed at 8 pm.
Saturday - up at 9 am, felt great, vowed not to make the mistakes of the last two days. Showered, ate breakfast. slept for an hour, walked a mile at the local mall, came home slept an hour, lunch with my son, slept a couple of hours, dinner (yes I had strength for supper), slept 1/2 hour, watched TV for an hour +. In bed at 9 pm.
Sunday - up at 9:30 am, felt great, breakfast, church (I sat rather than stood - I think standing is very exhausting). Back home slept for an hour, lunch, slept another hour, went walking for 2.5 miles at the gym, showered, another 1 hour nap - and here I am.
Mark
Before surgery I just couldn't read enough on what to expect after surgery. As you'll remember I was more strung out about the what happens after than the surgery. I read a lot of people's experiences. But I would have really liked a week by week (or maybe day by day) report that went out for 12 to 16 weeks. So I thought I'd see if I had the gumption to try and report my experiences on an ongoing basis for other people to read.
Surgery was Friday evening 9 days ago and I was out of the hospital on Tuesday morning in what seems to be a pretty typical time frame. (I've written about the hospital stay earlier.) After the hospital stay my wife and I stayed in the Marriott Courtyard across the street. I originally planned to return home on Wednesday but I felt so tired that I decided to sleep on Wednesday and return home on Thursday.
Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning I slept about 12 hours and then slept 4 hours during the day. Went out to dinner (valentine's day) but I was so tired that I couldn't eat what I had ordered. I had gotten my wife a gift a month or so in advance and so that was exciting. Went to bed at 8 pm.
Thursday - up at 9 am, small breakfast, watched my wife load the car and we drove 4 hours home. Stopping at the spam museum (yes there is a spam museum) and a a mall to for the requisite 5-15 minutes of leg stretching every hour or so recommended by the surgeon. Otherwise slept the entire way home. Arrived at home about 3:30 pm and went straight into the office to check on my research group. It was fun -- various people marveled that I was back in the office and told me I didn't look like I had had surgery, a couple of others thought I looked very weak. Alas I over did it (a planned 10 minute visit turned into a couple of hour trouble shooting sesssion). And so I was too tired to eat dinner and spent the evening cold, shaking, and feeling generally miserable under a blanket trying to sleep on my recliner. Went to bed at 9 pm, which seemed very late. Finally quit shaking about 9:30 pm.
Friday - up at 8 am, felt great - my wife had gone into work early and came home at 10:30 am to help me with my socks and showering. Based on feeling great came up a full schedule of lunch appt, interview, and a couple of other work related meetings. Went shopping with my wife for groceries - I never realized how much standing was involved in shopping. Came home exhausted and miserable at ~4 pm - I had over done it again. Spent the evening cold, shaking, and miserable. Went to bed at 8 pm.
Saturday - up at 9 am, felt great, vowed not to make the mistakes of the last two days. Showered, ate breakfast. slept for an hour, walked a mile at the local mall, came home slept an hour, lunch with my son, slept a couple of hours, dinner (yes I had strength for supper), slept 1/2 hour, watched TV for an hour +. In bed at 9 pm.
Sunday - up at 9:30 am, felt great, breakfast, church (I sat rather than stood - I think standing is very exhausting). Back home slept for an hour, lunch, slept another hour, went walking for 2.5 miles at the gym, showered, another 1 hour nap - and here I am.
Mark
