Post ops

As much as it would be easier to be at home,  LA has actually been a pretty nice place to recover.  I’ve been soaking up the sun and we’ve been enjoying a lot of walks.  Everything we need (and many things we don’t) are close by and not using ride share allows me to save my per diam for more fun things.

In between walks and appointments, we are resting a lot and watching movies (thanks for all the recs!).

Yesterday’s post op was with the neck surgeon’s NP. He was a bit of a dismissive tool,  which was unfortunate (and far too common) considering the surgeon is so nice. Alas,  he answered my questions and didn’t complain too much when I left and came back to have a test done that he convinced me I probably didn’t need.  I probably didn’t,  in his defense,  but my gut said to have it done so that I could be sure.  My breathing has been difficult in a strange non- asthma-y way, and I want to understand what’s up. 

Alas he did the test and mostly everything looks fine that could effect breathing.  He did say that my vocal chords have a kind of callous on them from coughing after the surgery, such is causing my voice to be hoarse,  but that shuttle go away in a few weeks.

Now we’re at the post op with the NP for the chest surgeon.  I’m hoping to get more answers he since he had a bigger/ more intense part of the surgery.

She was very nice,  thank goodness. I can’t tell you how much of a difference that makes in care. She addressed the breathing straight on with the acknowledgement that I need another chest xray, but that’s it’s fairly normal.  Her analogy was that it’s basically like i’m wearing a corset, and because my chest cavity is constricted and tight,  the air can’t get in.  Also, the xray will confirm if there’s still fluid around the lungs and gives future doctors a post- surgery baseline from such to compare any future issues.

So now we’re waiting for an xray. Once she gets those results she’ll let me know via Mychart or call if anything is wrong.

Because I’m aware at how my body hates most pharmaceuticals, before we left Oregon,  I obtained my medical Marijuana card.  I bought a few different varieties of different kinds and modalities and I’m grateful I did.  For the first time last night in probably a year,  I slept for a full 7 hours without waking up.  That has not happened for me in a long time, and especially not with pain Meds.  In fact,  I experimented here and was up most of the night Tuesday after what they gave me (not to mention spent the first day post surgery vomiting from the muscle relaxer.) Stigma or not,  I’m very grateful to have various options (and trust me,  I had all those same stigmas before my previous heart surgery).

Yay. Xray is done. Appointments are done. Now our full momentum will be put into recovery, rest and maybe seeing something touristy in LA. 🙂