Nine days post-op **Updated

I'm still really surprised at how good I'm feeling. Perhaps it was because I was expecting the worst. Or perhaps it's because I had such horrible gas pains in the hospital that I thought was a heart attack that I feel good in comparison. Or perhaps it's because I've been trying to walk as much as possible in my little house. Or perhaps it's because I'm in pretty good shape and that I prepared my body for the surgery with the help of my naturopath and the (not so) evil L.upron.

I have no idea why I'm doing so well, but I am so grateful.

I haven't been taking as much pain medication as I was when I first got home. I hardly have any oxy.codone left and I'm taking the anti-inflammatory twice a day as prescribed. I haven't even used my heating pad on my belly today. Getting up and down from the couch is getting easier and I got out of bed with little effort this morning.

I've been entertaining visitors pretty much every day. It's a great way to break up the napping and TV watching. It's pretty sad that I know the entire television line-up! I've also been able to read. One of my girlfriends brought me a whole bunch of trashy magazines and I also have quite a few subscriptions. I just finished J.ulie & J.ulia and I can't wait to see the movie. The book talked about artichokes so much that I had to send Mr. JB to the grocery store to get me some! Lucky for me preparing steamed artichokes is pretty simple and so tasty!

I'm planning on my first outing tomorrow. My books are due at the library and I think that I can make the short trip. The public library that we go to is very close to our house and it isn't very big. I also have a very slim chance at running into people that we know there, although our parish priest is a big library supporter. Mr. JB went to church on his own last Sunday and he told only one person about my surgery. Our priest was being monopolized by a parishioner and Mr. JB wanted to get to the grocery store before coming home. I hope that I'll be up to going to church on Sunday. I always feel so guilty when I don't go even though I know that I have a pretty good excuse.

My biggest task this evening is removing the steri-strips that the nurse put on my incision. I was hoping that they would fall off in the shower, but I've been super gentle on my lower abdomen since coming home. It's so numb that it almost feels like I'm not touching my tummy when I am. I just have to grit my teeth and do it, but I'm feeling so squeamish and I don't want to hurt myself.

I'm pretty pooped. I'm going to take a little nap before dinner! Really, I think that even if I didn't have surgery that I would be doing just about the same thing!

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Update: I just removed the steri-strips in the shower. I missed two and I had to take them off when I was out of the shower. It was the strangest feeling EVER! I wonder how much feeling I will regain in the area once I'm healed. I took a quick peek at my incision in the mirror and I felt just a bit nauseous.

I think that I'm going to re-start the castor oil packs tomorrow. Although my surgeon did an amazing job and the incision is low and perfectly straight, I want to minimize scarring as much as I can.

I'm so glad that it didn't hurt!!!