Part way into Week 4 I had a dental appointment. This will be the second trip to CR since the operation and I totally understand why driving is not recommended. It is very uncomfortable to turn and cover all directions in safety because of the pulling on my tummy. This appointment was a cancellation from a couple of weeks back, me thinking I could do anything at that time! The surgeons office was in the same area and I popped in to check on one of the incisions that was really bugging me. It seemed that from the little bending and my ‘light duty’ chores I was doing, may have torn something loose, but I was reassured that some stitches take longer to dissolve than others and probably I was feeling the knot pulling. I had the neighbours come over to pick the garden for me as that type of bending really irritated me, even though I was trying not over exert myself. Thank god I have MJ who comes over and gives me a hand with jobs I can’t do.
All was going not too bad going into week 5. I was sleeping without the binder. I was able to turn in bed without having tugging sensations. By the weekend I was feeling quite comfortable without wearing it until I did some ‘light duty’ stuff. I worked in the garden on Saturday and paid for it. My right side felt like something was wrong once again. Sunday all was fine, no nagging pulling. Monday I was out picking veggies again, and once again, pain. By this time I was getting quite despondent at times, wanting to do things, but knowing that I couldn’t do a good job or finish what I was starting. Tuesday I was okay, and told myself not to do anything. I wasn’t planning groceries this week, except I needed pet food once again. Can never keep ahead of them! Friends didn’t show up for a visit on Wednesday, bringing feed, so silly me went shopping, AFTER spending the morning in the garden. I was in discomfort when I got home most of the time for the next few days. I figured I had done something when I moved 45lbs of dog food and a 25lb bin of shopping. I was starting to get concerned when it was still there on Saturday. By Sunday, after talking to other people, I figured I had better get this checked out, so off to the doctor. Seems like it was as before; a stitch not quite dissolved yet. I was told to take it easy and to wear the binder when I was doing my ‘light duty.’ Wouldn’t you know it? I got up Monday morning and felt no pulling and no discomfort. I felt like a new person after 5 ½ weeks.
Through this whole ‘sickness’ thing, everything went according to what I had been told and had read. When they say ‘light duty’, around here there isn’t much that isn’t light duty unless it is planned for. Bags of feed to move, pails of water to carry, wheelbarrows of wood to move, wood to stack, fences to mend… the list goes on. Then there is the 4000 square foot house to contend with, plus pets in and out. At the present time, there are 9, week old baby ducks partially contained in the living room. I was in too much discomfort the first 2 weeks to be bothered with things not getting done/put away/cleaned. I was the only one who had to look at it, and it would get attended to in a month or so. After the second week, I was quite despondent, definitely not the same as being depressed. I wanted to get things done, but soon learnt that I had better let things go and watch more TV, do another puzzle or cross stitch something. I wasn’t even doing anything on the computer. It seems strange that all I had were aches and discomfort, yet being in front of the computer, sitting, was something I just could not get into. I was quite amazed at which muscles across the abdomen are used for the most mundane things, so no wonder they say don’t do anything for 4 to 6 weeks. Even driving was not comfortable until the third week. Looking over one’s shoulder pulled muscles I didn’t know I had.
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