01 November 2011

Recovery


Recovery has gone well. At the beginning it was really rough. Everyone kept telling me how rough I looked. Way worse than I had with Ava, they would say. Yea that is exactly what you want to hear less than 24 hours after surgery. "You look tired" was the most used phrase.

I was nice about it. Didnt say too much but, 'yea I am tired'. Kenny and I both figure it was a little harder because with Ava, I laid in a bed for 3 days 2 of them with my epidural in, relaxed and waiting for the labor to come on and to dilate so we could get her out. After 56 hours of laying in a bed strapped to machines, they took her, I wasnt refreshed but I wasnt worn out from the labor part. Hailey is a different story, I didnt sleep well the night before she came because of being huge and uncomfortable. I worked a full 8 hour day, my job isnt the easiest and I was exhausted by the end of the day, and then before I could get home and relax, my water was breaking and I was stressed out trying to figure out what I needed to do.

We were discharged less than 48 hours of surgery and I was home with my 2 girls. It took about 6 days post partum to begin feeling like myself. I kept an eye on my complexion, I am pale as it is, but I was pale white until about 8 days after Hailey came.

I basically sat in the recliner only taking care of myself and Hailey, Friday through Monday. Kenny was awesome, he took care of Ava and tried to help me as much as he could. My brother in law Kelly brought me a step stool so that I could get in and out of bed, which was a great favor. I was originally going to sleep in the living room with Hailey so I could just get in and out of the recliner, but Ava was not having me sleep anywhere but my room. She is so used to her bedtime routine and having me there.

By Monday, 6 days after, I was bending over a little more, it looked a little awkward but I was doing it. I had Kenny work on laundry and bring the dried loads into the room and put on the bed, so I could stand there and fold and put away. I really felt like crap not being able to do my housework and depending on Kenny to do so much. It felt like forever this time to get to the point where I even wanted to do a little bit.

Ava got into a rythm of not being on my belly and watching my boo boo. She figured out a way to get into the recliner and sit beside me without hurting me and she could snuggle with me.

So now 13 days post partum and I am able to do everything I could before again. I am doing laundry and cleaning. I am able to have Ava sit on my lap. I am able to clean stuff off the floor, and with our 2 year old the floor is always a mess. I am still being very careful of my incision, making sure that I dont lift anything too heavy or do too much at one time. Ava is still watching where she is on my belly to make sure she doesnt kick or hit it. Everyday I feel a little better and a little stronger. I cannot wait to feel 100% better and able to do what I want.

I see the doctor soon and hopefully everything will look good with my incision so that I can drive and do a few other things. Then I get a 4 week break of just taking care of my girls and my husband until I go again and hopefully everything will look good to release me to return to work.