343- Health updates & DFSP post op recovery to Mid-March

6 weeks ago, I'd announced a new series, health updates, which I hoped to post more or less monthly.

I didn't update you about my DSFP post op recovery in a whole month, so it's about time to correct my oversight.

Contrary to the first entry, I'll start with my physical health this time around: 

After the first 2 months of my recovery, with extreme pains and rules preventing me from going out much, I decided to mark March with a change : I refilled my bus-pass and made a point to go, even just for a shopping or errand outing, and to do so at least every 2-3 days. I managed also a trip to the library, replacing previous dvds with 6 others. 

To avoid physical strain, I multiply my outings and estimate the weight of shopping bags, and since last week, also the shopping cart. I'd started with about 1.5 kg per hand, now I can about 3 times that much, and even a tad more if my right hand drags the cart. 

Going out helps, but everything both in and out of the apartment's a physical effort. Indeed, my lower back, which already needed physiotherapy for the tired discs, is now in even more pain. I'm not allowed to do it just yet - and also waiting for the health department's green light regarding the renewal of our coverage, as I was late to submit the paperwork. 

I've been experiencing almost daily pains in my wound since 26/02. very few hours pass without these pains, so I had to resort to paracetamol most of this long period - which had nasty consequences on digestion and giving me stomach aches. I had to take breaks from this pain relief, and to withstand pains, from moderate to strong, and a few extreme moments.
Those are electrical jolts, as my nerve endings are reconnecting, after - I remind you - my DFSP surgery, which was a bit wide and deep area, cutting through cells, nerve endings, veins, down to the muscle according to my wife who saw the surgery.

I've been feeling out of shape, in need of physical exercise, both to tone my lost muscles again, and for my mental health, but have to wait a while longer. For the moment, activities aren't easy for me, having to wash dishes in two takes ; needing my wife to wash my hair with my head over the tub, as I cannot stand that long in it for a shower+ full, long hair wash. 
I'm not able to walk too much and find stairs particularly stressful. 

I still sleep quite badly, although it improved ever so slightly : I no longer wake up 10x/night, but about 3-5. On the other hand, I still toss and turn and find my wound uncomfortable, often achy, and sometimes outright extremely painful at night. 

oh, yea, I also have been experiencing circulation issues, causing my leg to fall asleep. The best way I found to deal with it thus far has been to take my home-shoes off and not elevate my legs too much when I compute, alternating, as a balance, with elevating them when on sofa (watching tv on playing ps3).

Mental health:

After I plummeted into the depths of my depression, as I felt stir-crazy (cabin-fever) and in less contact from friends, I now feel better, helped both by going out more often, and renewed interaction, and thus, social coping, through the support and presence offered, has helped alleviate part of this depression. (It's never fully gone, though, as I suffer both from SAD and chronic depression, so if it's not one, it's the other, or both at the same time). 

It's been 7 weeks since my surgery ; we had a couple warmer days ; I had even had some sun, after many long weeks without it. It helped to go out, and to alternate activities a bit. Although temperatures dropped again, it was nice to have a tiny break from winter. I await spring, more sun, and maybe going back to the park to read a book.

In the first part of this series, I hadn't mentioned, but I still struggle greatly with my emeto-complex, and cannot wait till the day I can resume CBT for it. 

Tools:

Still the same, I take my B12 supplement, occasional D if I cannot go out, I drink and eat things to help my would heal. I read books, watch movies and shows (almost finished with the pretender), play ps3 (mostly top spin 4), chatting with friends, and now, I can go out a tad more often. 

Also resumed blogging, after a dry spell, as you can tell from added entries. 

Healing:

50 days down, 70 or so to go ? Healing from this surgery is slow, due to the nature and depth of the area ; I can now do a bit more things at home, and soon, out. Shopping may be tough, but I don't solely rely on others for parts of these needs. 
I have tools, support from my wife and friends, and I get by with what I can. 

To be continued...