I sat up on the side of the bed with PT and it was nothing less than agonizing. But also felt good to move in a position that was neutral. Between the abdominal incision and back incision, no position in bed was good. I was given Xanax as a muscle relaxer. That really helped my angry back muscles and I got a 1 hour power nap. I’m on a clear liquid diet and only ate jello so far. I’m so constipated and uncomfortable. I feel like I’m full up to my boobs. My belly is hard and bloated. Of course they are giving me constipation meds but none of them have worked yet.

I have 2 drains in my back, arterial line and Foley catheter. No way I can move or get in chair by myself with so many things attached to me. Later on they got me in the recliner. It was a huge task to get here. It feels really good to be out of the bed.

The #1 I’ve learned so far is to keep track of the meds. Have your nurse write them on the room communication board with the med name, if it’s scheduled and the times due, or if it’s as needed and the frequency you can ask for it. And then take them every single time they are due. DO NOT MISS A DOSE!!!

In the hospital, there are scheduled medications and as needed medications (prn). Scheduled medications are ordered at a specific interval. They will always be given to you at certain times according to the doctor orders. The PRN medications need to be asked for every single time. It’s good to have them all written out so you can strategize your meds. That way you are never in the desert where you don’t have meds available. Again, take them all. Take them every time they are available. Do not miss a dose of any of them.

Pain is a terrible thing. It’s much better to have controlled pain than it is to chase the pain, like when you skip doses. Then the pain is increased much more than it would have been if you took the meds as they’re available. Keeping pain controlled also assists in the body healing. There is no reason to be in uncontrolled pain while you’re in the hospital.

My family was with me every day and night until I went to rehab. My daughter and boyfriend took shifts to be with me. My daughter took the overnight shifts and she would set her alarm to wake me up every 2 hours for pain medication. The nurses will not wake you up to give it to you. When my daughter left in the morning, she would text my boyfriend info about the meds. It was fabulous to have a great team watching out for me. I was in no condition to keep all of that straight myself.

Plan ahead of time and let your team know what you need. I told my family ahead of time to keep me comfortable. And they did. That way your team can advocate for you and you can just rest and heal.

There’s no other way to say it but this is a brutal surgery. You will need your team and you will need the pain meds. That is the only way to get through this.