Not really, but my doctors told me I could leave today or tomorrow so I carpe diemed and escaped. I am armed with valium, 500 doses of liquid vicodin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, percocet and various antispasmotics. I hadn't realized how out of it I was until I got out of the hospital and walking feels a little like swimming through the air. I'm probably a lot more functional than most people would be because I've gotten used to pain medications. My parents asked me what low-fiber meal I wanted and I requested crepes (of course, it's me!). I will admit that the menu was really confusing.
Being home is amazing! Even though I took plenty of walks around the halls in the hospital, I was in bed most of the time. I have since gotten to have some quality time with Kitty the cat and she already seems much happier. I tried on some of my normal clothes and...well, I don't fit anything anymore.
Now I am on a low-fiber diet, which includes: limit intake of milk and milk products to 2 cups per day, fruit juices without pulp, canned fruit, ripe bananas, applesauce, special no vegetables or fruits (other than bananas) for me because of my blockage, white breads and rolls, plain bagels, biscuits, white rice, pasta, tortillas, potatoes without skin, cream of wheat, instant oatmeal, cold cereals such as corn flakes, rice krispies, and cheerios, ground or well-cooked meats including tender beef, lamb, ham, pork, poultry, organ meets and fish, eggs and cheese, jellies without seeds, cookies without nuts, plain cake, plain donuts and sherbet. I haven't had a donut in two years!!
When I came home I just started crying because I was so happy not to be in such unimaginable pain anymore. I didn't even know pain like that existed. I still wouldn't take back those three weeks in exchange for a lifetime with ulcerative colitis. Basically, I made it. I'll definitely have some more setbacks but hopefully no more 20 doses of morphine at once!
If you haven't already seen this, here is a funny version of the pain scale: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/02/boyfriend-doesnt-have-ebola-probably.html
That updated pain chart is brilliant. Every time I'm hospitalized for my UC or go to the doctor and they ask me to rate my pain, I look at that smiley face chart and want to rip it from the wall; I think to myself "uh...well...I have no idea because my pain rating is completely different from a normal person's (i.e., someone who hasn't been living with UC/toxic megacolon/chronic pain etc. for the past almost 2 years). I usually way underrate my pain since I'm so used to it. During one of my first hospitalizations I came out of the bathroom sobbing from the pain and the nurse asked me to rate my pain and I said "um... *sob sob* 6?" to which she responded "honey, you're sobbing -- you're off the chart."
ReplyDeleteAfter nearly having emergency surgery about 4 times or so (I've lost count) over the past year and a half and then being denied surgery recently the night before I was scheduled to have surgery (the surgeon thought I might have Crohn's and was wary of performing surgery), I am finallyyy getting my first surgery in 2 weeks from today. I'm so excited -but also nervous- to finally be able to look forward to (hopefully) a future as a functioning person! I am definitely going to print out the hyperbole and a half pain chart and bring it with me for surgery. Thanks for all your help and advice, Emily!