post op

chilling on the cabrini medical center lobby sofa, 2 hours post op:
i don't too look too shabby, eh? i'm wide awake, fully coherent, not groggy at all. smilling, even! not what you'd expect after surgery. the ankle block is still working oh-so-well that it deceives me into thinking that i'll be fully recovered in no time at all! i was able to walk out of the hospital with a cane, hop into a cab, walk up my 5 flights with the help of the banister, and get into my bed. wow! incredible!!

lying in bed, morning after post op:
my foot is on fire!!! omg, it feels like it's going to explode out of its tightly woven gauze dressing and ace bandage. apparently the ankle block wore off in the middle of the night. i woke up every 2 hours in pain. i kept popping vicodin, probably one too many. must keep it elevated. and iced. but i have no ice. someone get me some ice!

i get help from hosanna over to the bathroom. i clean up, freshen up, brush my teeth. weird, i feel extra tired while brushing my teeth. then i start feeling a tingling sensation running up my body. the tingling transforms into a throbbing sensation... i see blackness closing in on my peripheral vision, i can feel my heart beating harder, faster..... oh no, i've felt this before, years ago... quick! get down as close to the floor as possible, lessen the distance between my head and floor should i really collapse... open the bathroom door, see hosanna walk towards me... sit on the floor... mutter to him "i think i'm blacking out".......

slap, slap, slap... i feel something weird hitting my cheek, am i dreaming? i see nothing but black. ouch! i feel something hard and plastic-y pushing against my front teeth, it's so uncomfortable. i open my eyes. i hear "thank god!" and "holy shit". i see dre standing in front of me, above me looking down. i feel arms around me. it's hosanna, holding me up while i'm sitting on the bathroom floor. i can feel their sighs of relief. it's overwhelming. ho "damn joannie, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" huh?? andre brings over a glass of water. i sip. my neck and shoulders ache, so much so that i don't have any strength to lift up my arms. i'm now drenched in sweat, head to toe.... more so than the most rigorous workout i've ever experienced. ho says that i have to eat something... he hands me a bag of sour patch kids. they help me over to the bed and i'm still dazed, confused by everything. i'm shivering cold now due to the sweat. i lie back against the wall to prop myself up. what just happened? they told me that i was saying 'i'm blacking out"... and then i did. ho caught me on the rest of my fall down. at least i was already sitting but he saved my head from hitting the bathtub. i started shaking, seizing, convulsing. dre says that my eyeballs rolled up. my jaw clenched up which prompted hosannna to scream to dre to find something wooden to pry open my jaws. they both said i was sucking on my tongue, trying to swallow it. it was around this time that i woke up with the plastic rice scooper that was being ground against my teeth. how long was i out for? probably less than 30 seconds. way less.

great, now everyone is worried about me. i call my doc. she says that it could be due to the fact that i was taking so much vicodin on an empty stomach that caused the fainting spell. i'll accept that. although i don't fully believe that could be the only reason. but i'll keep my theories to myself.

3 days post op: (pic on the left is my foot wrapped up with an ice pack inside to help with the swelling)
dre, ho, and esther have stayed at my place with me for 3 full days straight. how we fit 4 people into my studio apt that has only 1 double bed.. i don't know. but we made it work. my place is a mess, but i don't mind that much. i have the people important to me close by. guarding me. ho devised a way of getting me to the bathroom so that i wouldn't have to hop.... i sit on the sleeping bag and he'd drag me over to the bathroom door. its funny to watch, but it works. will has been by a couple times too, bringing books, dvds, comics, games, egg custard tart. jaime brought me some lovely red/yellow tulips to brighten up my room and it really does put a smile on my face whenever i see them.

5 days post op:
first doctor follow up today. she's going to remove the dressing, take another xray, examine my bloody, crusty foot, and then put new dressings on. lovely. i brought my camera to take pix of my crustiness. maybe i'll post it.... all i want to hear is good news, that healing is progressing well, that i should be back to normal in no time at all! postivity. somebody clap for me!!