Day 3 recovery - the fight starts here

Tea, water and stool softeners. Truly I am spoilt.

The fight starts here. Constipation will be starting to cause you grief, the catheter will start playing up and the wounds will start to stiffen as they stitch themselves together. All you can do is deal with the issues as they crop up as best you can, relax and et your body do its thing. This was the only day so far where I got panicky and scared, and was also the day where I realised there was still a long way to go. I got as far as ringing the panic line to talk to the doctor about a leaking catheter, but apparently a small amount of leakage is not uncommon and can be managed with pads. The important thing is that the leg bag is filling up. 

Also take some time in day 3 to think about your partner / carer. Someone has been worrying about you & looking after you for the last few days. They probably spent most of your surgery day pacing around waiting for a call. They spent the next day siting at your bedside trying to make conversation inbetween nurses visits and medications. They kept in touch with your family and friends. They took you home and made sure you were comfortable in bed. They assisted with leg bags, with pads, with medications, with cups of tea and extra pillows. They are going to be exhausted. Look them in the eye, give them a hug / kiss / firm handshake, thank them and let them know that they can relax a little as the healing has begun.

And then ask them for a cup of tea. 

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