Today was not my best day. I had a rough night’s sleep due to me sleeping through my alarm and not keeping up with my pain medication. I woke up in a cranky mood with a very bloated belly and did NOT want to eat anything. I didn’t do much but lay in bed. I would start a movie but kept falling asleep. We did go to Ihop from lunch and I ate 1 crepe with a side of fruit. That was the highlight of my day. I sent out paperwork for my disability claim.

I should have gotten up and taken a walk!

 
               Today has been full of ups and downs. Early in the morning (5AM) I finally had my first bowel movement. Man that was an experience. The Dr.’s told me yesterday that I would be able to be released after I had some sort of bowel movement. So I became determined to get set free. Throughout the night I drank Smooth moves tea, warm prune juice, taken stool softeners. Nothing was doing it and I was so bloated I was in immense pain. I had also stopped taking my pain meds because they are known to cause constipation. The Dr.s had been suggesting a suppository for a couple days now and at 130AM I decided it was time! I found my wonderful nurse Sam and she got me what I needed. I requested to do the process myself (it was just too uncomfortable for me to let anyone else do it…). Sam gave me instructions and off I went. Nothing seemed to happen. I had been told from others that suppositories take effect almost immediately. Even spent some time online reading and not many say anything will take longer than 2 hours. I was constantly in and out of bed trying to help the process along and relieve pain at the same time. I did countless walks around the hospital that night. I did not sleep that night. Finally at around 5AM I had my first bowel movement! Immediate relief. The mental relief was great too because I knew I was able to leave soon too!

In the hospital I mostly just pushed around my food for breakfast. The Dry’s came through and I was excited to see them for the first time. I felt like a little kid going through potty training because right when they came in I hollered “I POOPED!” They laughed and smiled as did I. They then informed me that as long as my labs came back normal I would be released. Oh happy day! This means I am going to get some real sleep without being woken every couple hours or less.

I was discharged at around noon. Went to CVS to pick up my pain medication and gathered some things for the hotel room such as snacks, a coloring book and fingernail polish. I walked a few times around the outside of the hotel nice and slowly. But mostly I just needed sleep. I slept great this first night out of the hospital. I discovered that I can kind of half way lay on my left side. This released a HUGE gas bubble that causes some pain, but it needs to be dealt with at some point or another.

 
      Today was moderate. Things are definitely healing. Early in the morning I decided to stop using my morphine pump and opted for oral pain pills. I personally have to keep track of the times I take the pills and have to request them after 4 hours. If I request them even one minute before they come in with a pain shot. I didn’t have very nice nurses throughout the past night or day. After begging for food for a few days I was finally allowed to eat! I ordered but couldn’t even eat what I ordered. I lost my appetite, of course. (Knowing you can’t have something makes you want it more!) I started drinking colored liquid and drinking a little bit of broth. I did several small laps and a couple large laps of walking. It really helps to relieve the gas pressure. The majority of pain from this procedure comes from gas build up and not the actual incisions.

 
                  Today was hard. I did a couple small laps around my floor at the hospital. It is motivation for me to do walks because when I do I get to check in on Christine as her room was just at the other end of the hallway. Last night was very bad. Someone was always coming or doing in my room and not allowing me to sleep. They came in to monitor my vitals, give me shots, take my bloods, safety checks…I hate being woken up on a good day, much less on a bad day. I got about 1 solid continuous hour of sleep. When I awoke I was in extreme pain. I didn’t even think/realize that when I slept I was not able to deliver pain medication to myself. I was later informed that if you wanted oral pain meds you had to ASK for them! So any hope for good sleep meant I had to ask the nurses for pain pills before I fell asleep. That was nearly impossible. I had been able to urinate a few times which was good. I was put on a clear liquid diet. Ice chips and clear Gatorade. The Drs asked if I wanted a suppository to help move my bowels. I turned down and opted for other methods.

 
               Today was hard. Hard to sleep. Severely bloated. Shallow breaths. Headaches. No food. No liquids. Strictly IV fluids. Morphine pump was the best part of my day. Took my catheter out. This forced me to have to get out of bed to use the bathroom. Painful but necessary. I tried several times and was unable to pee. The nurse had to insert a catheter to drain my bladder then remove it. I eventually was able to pee. Not much, I wasn’t emptying my bladder fully. It was enough to satisfy the Drs.

 
Today was surgery day. I arrived at the hospital before 6AM and got gowned up and checked in. I saw Christine and her family in the waiting room. I spent around 2 hours with my mother and Eric in a little room in my hospital bed where they put in my IV before they gave me a “cocktail” to calm my nerves and wheeled me off to the OR. The nurses that wheeled me were very nice and chatted with me. Asked me where I was from and told them San Diego. They giggled and said they have always wanted to move there. A mutual friend of theirs does and she calls it “Man-Diego”. I remember feeling calm but not loopy as they carted me in. The OR was full of people and lights! So many lights! I was told to count back from 10. (I have been told from others that they would start counting 10, 9, 8…and then be out…) I counted 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1….1, 2, 3, 4… before I was out cold.

               I woke with no memories of the surgery or time lapsed. First thing I asked was how Christine was. Then I fell back asleep. I woke up again in a new hospital room with Eric and my mother this time. Please see the videos because I don’t have the best recollection on details for today. I got lots of sleep. I was not in a huge deal of pain. I was on a morphine pump though and could push that button every 6 minutes if my heart desired. Severe cotton mouth and really stinky breath. The nurse did give me a special piece of gum though and that really helped.  No food, no liquids. Strictly and IV fluid diet.

 
Today was surgery day. I arrived at the hospital before 6AM and got gowned up and checked in. I saw Christine and her family in the waiting room. I spent around 2 hours with my mother and Eric in a little room in my hospital bed where they put in my IV before they gave me a “cocktail” to calm my nerves and wheeled me off to the OR. The nurses that wheeled me were very nice and chatted with me. Asked me where I was from and told them San Diego. They giggled and said they have always wanted to move there. A mutual friend of theirs does and she calls it “Man-Diego”. I remember feeling calm but not loopy as they carted me in. The OR was full of people and lights! So many lights! I was told to count back from 10. (I have been told from others that they would start counting 10, 9, 8…and then be out…) I counted 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1….1, 2, 3, 4… before I was out cold.

               I woke with no memories of the surgery or time lapsed. First thing I asked was how Christine was. Then I fell back asleep. I woke up again in a new hospital room with Eric and my mother this time. Please see the videos because I don’t have the best recollection on details for today. I got lots of sleep. I was not in a huge deal of pain. I was on a morphine pump though and could push that button every 6 minutes if my heart desired. Severe cotton mouth and really stinky breath. The nurse did give me a special piece of gum though and that really helped.  No food, no liquids. Strictly and IV fluid diet.

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    My name is Valerie. I am a heavily tattooed, agnostic, motorcycle rider. I am also a Living Kidney Donor.

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