Thursday was a bit better…I felt a bit more “mobile” & actually left the room & walked the hall ways a bit…I’m pretty sure I was the youngest one there on the entire floor. For the most part the nursing staff & techs were good, though the night shift for some reason was significantly better than the day shift.
There are a hand full of staff that stood out…Robin, Gordon, and a few others I’ll have to get their names…they were great. It still baffles me why the day shift wasn’t as “attentive”, etc. I just felt more like a burden to them than when the night shift was on (7:30 p.m. – 7:30 a.m.).
Thursday was also when i started being allowed to have liquids (instead of just water/ice)…basically soup broths, etc. Apparently that was faster than “normal”, so that was good I guess.
Each day I started to “feel” a bit better. I was more mobile each day, walking further & further. At first, just to the nurses’ station on the one side, then around the one side of the floor & eventually within a couple of days, around the entire floor. I usually walked at least twice, if not three times per day.
Friday was yet another milestone…I was allowed to have “soft” foods. Now, what THEY consider soft foods and what I consider soft food are 2 completely different things. Regardless, there were no complications, though there was also no bowel movements either.
Friday was also nice because I got the catheter removed…it didn’t “hurt”, but lets just say that the last 12″ or so is a feeling that I NEVER want to feel again…seriously!
On Saturday I was allowed to have the next level of foods, which they classify as “low fiber”, so the food progression apparently I was doing really well with & I was considered ahead of scheduled. I also got the drip bag removed on Saturday as well, which was nice as it meant I wasn’t “tethered” or tied down to anything at all. I had MUCH more freedom to roam around, etc. I hadn’t been using the morphine that much as the pain had started to diminish (a little bit each day).
Saturday was also nice as I got the “JP” or drip pouch, whatever it’s called, removed. It was basically a tube…how shall I say this…up what “was” my rear-end that was connected to a collection ball at the end. It “collected” any additional fluids my body couldn’t absorb naturally. Given it’s location (my rear end), to sit or lay was very uncomfortable, as that’s pretty much about ALL you do while you’re in the hospital! Anyhow, apparently, the amount of fluids in the pouch had gotten low enough that they felt it could be removed. Yet another nice feeling as it too had restricted my movements and was of course, uncomfortable. Again though, no “bowel” movement(s) through the stoma.