Thursday, or Thereabouts - June 23, 2016

On Track?












Six weeks post-op and I'm on track for the most part. There have been a few days when I've had to pull of into a siding and just watch the world go by.

Most of these forced stops have been the result of my going too far, too fast.

A normal recovery from major pelvic surgery, or as I've called it, "The Works" (if you really want to know you can search these terms: LAVH, BSO, anterior and posterior Colporrhaphy, TVT).










There has been one near derailment. I can say "near" now but four days ago it looked and felt imminent. This past Sunday some soreness developed at the one external incision site that had required stitches - my belly button. By Monday, signs of infection were oozing redness and pain. (What? You want pictures? I don't thinks so!)





I was devastated! Dammit! Just 2 days from the Six Week Check Up with the surgeon and something which had looked like a slam dunk thumbs up, gold star on my forehead kind of assessment was going pear-shaped. Worse than that, I had to go back to wearing my 3XX balloon pants because I couldn't tolerate any pressure around my waist.

I bathed the wound regularly, dressed it with gobs of Polysporin® - the triple antibiotic kind - and hoped that would do it. It didn't. By Tuesday morning things were worse, more pain, more yellow ooze and some blood. My worst imaginings ramped up to full potential. Good thing I was going to the doc, eh?

"Oh, that is pretty gooey," was the surgeon's comment. The culprit, a recalcitrant suture which refused to dissolve on schedule. It happens. The doc pronounced sentence, "I'm going to hit it hard with antibiotics."




Two days into the meds, and the swelling is down as are all the other signs of infection. I'm feeling much better about my world. The other pronouncements the surgeon offered now rise to the fore,

"The pathology report on the uterus, ovaries and cervix are unremarkable." (translation: no touble found)

"I'm pleased with your progress. Everything else looks okay." 

So what if it wasn't the all clear I wanted? The good days outnumber the mediocre and on my good days I feel better than I've felt in over a year. Score!

And I'm on track and on time!

©2016 April Hoeller