Doing Great!

OK so I have told some of you how well I am doing and how great I have been feeling. Much better than I could have imagined. Especially since I am entering my 7th day of no food. That's right.. my pre-surgical diet started 2 Sundays ago with low fiber... and my pure liquid diet started last Tuesday and Wednesday.. and as of surgery day on.. I have had no liquids at all. Nothing..

So obviously is is starting to take its toll.. this is my fifth day of no food, no liquid.. nothing.. preceded by two days of liquids..

I believe J-Tube feeding will start tomorrow as they want my tube volume up by release.. here we go again.. been through this before...

OH and can you imagine.. yesterday(Sunday) I weighed 176lbs. And I believe I entered the hospital at a little over 160lbs. So I've gained about 15lbs of fluid.. All from my body holding IV fluids.

And tubes and such.. In addition to my j-tube(feeding), I now have 2 drain tubes in my neck and 1 in my side right lung... all 3 hooked up to a suction pump to pull fluids out.

Moving on to my catheter, yeah.. probably do not want to be thinking about that one..ugh..

OK now my heart.. I think I can count 10 electrodes connected to my chest and side torso.. all of which are connected to a 5lb portable monitor which I carry in the pocket of my johnny.

Moving on to my IV's..OH before I forget.. one of the neck drains goes down to be stomach and sucks up the acid and transports it into a portable suction device that I also pin onto my johnny.

Back to the IV's... two have been removed and the two remaining are for my no calorie IV fluid which provides fluid only and electrolytes.. and the other is for pain meds which I control and use.

Now on to my epidural.. initially used as part of my anesthesia.. now used as another form of pain control. It is located about mid shoulder and controls my pain neurologically where the other controls my muscular pain.. basically speaking.

Now both of these self controlled pain medications are to help mostly control my breathing.. based on the fact that they had to collapse my right lung to get at the operation site. Oh and my breathing will be some time before it is normal again.. and the more medication I administer, the less chance of pneumonia. OH and today I think I am finally off the oxygen.. first the breathing tube which is another story in itself and the absolute worst part of the whole experience, and now the nose tube.

So I am past the counting point of how many attachments there are, but every time I have to get up or go for my dreaded walk.. I can only think of an over decorated Christmas tree.. All the attachments.. resting on a walker with a nurse in tow to pull along all those machines..tubes hanging from everywhere. Or better yet.. anyone out there read Gulliver's Travels?? Think about the book tonight as you try to sleep..

OK so back to feeling great! Brushing my teeth.. bending over the sink is a task.. the nurse wants me doing it in a chair.. with a bottle of mouthwash and spit cup..

It's easier..actually preferable to my to lie in bed rather than to walk.. now those that know me would think just the opposite.. but with all my tubes and attachments.. it is just the opposite.

OK I'm going to stop here for now.. all of this is sounding way too negative which is not my intent..

Point is..this whole adventure could really suck or it can be very manageable. I choose very manageable so yes.. everything is great and it really is much easier than I could have imagined.. will keep you all posted..