day 4

220.8

Getting home yesterday didn't actually turn out as simple and easy as I'd hoped it'd be. Instead of a four and a half hour direct flight from San Diego to Atlanta, I got stuck on the same plane for over 9 very uncomfortable hours! We reached Atlanta just as a major electrical storm hit, and circled for about an hour before they closed the airport and we were diverted to Huntsville, Alabama. Then, because Huntsville was not equipped to handle a large 767 jet, we ended up sitting on the tarmac for another 3 hours, waiting for the plane to refueled and cleared for flight to Atlanta!

I was miserable at that point, literally in tears from sitting all cramped up (in the middle seat in a row of three across) and M had started to come down with something that seems to be a stomach bug of some kind. He was spending 10 - 15 minutes in the bathroom, throwing up or having diarrhea. The plane's service crew was out of food and water, and the bathrooms on the plane were getting really skanky really fast. The crew kept putting on free movies (The Flying Scotsman, Blades of Glory, Shrek The Third), but people were getting cranky. Sandwiched between a miserable, hunched M and an ornery granny that was late for a grandkid's birthday, I could not get comfortable or relieve the pressure on my abdomen. Every time I tried to stand up and stretch, a 120-year-old cranky old man two rows behind me would wave his arms frantically, pissed, because I was blocking his view of the worst movie ever made, Blades of Glory. If I moved to the aisle to stretch, the 400-lb drunk man in the seat next to the aisle would inevitably need another trip to either the potty or the galley for more liquor, and manage to elbow me in the stomach getting by.

We were both, at that point, about to go stir-crazy. I knew I needed to get off the plane to stretch my stomach muscles out and walk around to relieve the gas pain, but even more I knew I needed to get M some medicine! He was so miserable.

So, at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time, after about 9 hours stuck on the same plane, we decided to volunteer to get off the plane, knowing that the plane would, at some point, return to Atlanta. We decided to get a rental car and drive, so we could hit a drugstore for M and give me a chance to lay back in the passenger seat and get some relief.

We were so lucky to get one of the last cars Hertz had available (and had the kindest, most helpful Hertz clerk). She helped us locate a 24-hour Wal-Mart, where got some supplies, before starting the drive home. Around 1:00 a.m. we stopped and napped for a couple hours before continuing home-- it was very essential at that point as it was clear M was really coming down with something and I, well, had had abdominal surgery 2 days prior.

We got to the Atlanta airport at about 6:30 a.m., driving in shifts. We located our luggage, got into our own car, and were snug in our own bed by 7:30 a.m. Today has been largely dedicated to resting and treating M's stomach bug. Poor thing is rocking a fever, chills, nausea, diarrhea, the whole nine yards, but still managed to drive most of the night last night to get me home.

My appetite is beginning to return. Yesterday I managed one 8-oz. bottle of water and half of a Naked Juice (about 8 oz. and 120 cals) during the hellacious 9-hour airplane incarceration, plus a small (6 oz?) white grape juice box from Wal-Mart during the wee hours. Today I've had loads more: my first shot (gag) of liquid multivitamin (GNC), 1/2 cup of chicken broth, 1 regular cherry popsicle, and 1/2 cup of tomato soup thinned considerably with chicken broth. I've also managed about half of a 700 mL bottle of water. And I'm stuffed like I have been inhaling the standard Thanksgiving vittles all day.

My weigh-in today was around lunchtime, after my shower (wet hair, and my hair when wet is heavy). So while I'm a little disappointed that I haven't lost more, I'm not really surprised as I can tell I am still retaining a lot of fluid in my abdomen from surgery. My diminished appetite is really helping keep me level-headed during this liquid phase and I hope I continue to experience it.

Today I went to the grocery store to get M some more medicine and some appropriate foods. I also picked up some of those yogurt smoothies (allowed, per my nutritionist, as of Day 4), the tomato soup I had for supper, some beef broth in case I tire of the chicken, and some more popsicles. I have gobs of juice boxes (all natural: apple, white grape, berry blend, fruit punch) in the fridge and 6 large boxes of chicken broth at home too. So I should be set for about 2 months at this rate of consumption, heh.

I do have a little head hunger but so far, given my continued tenderness and gas pains, they haven't really been seriously threatening my ability to stick to liquids. I did some trolling around on the forums tonight, comparing the different recommendations on post-op diets. Mine seems to fall on the easier end of the scale: 1 week of clear liquids, 2 weeks of full liquids, and then straight on to solids. It seems as though some people have to manage up to 2 weeks of clear liquids, 2 weeks of full liquids, and 2 weeks of mushy (soft) foods before they can have regular solids!

I have had a little diarrhea, but as I have experienced none of M's other symptoms, I'm chalking it up to my paltry all-liquid diet, and possibly to the IV antibiotics I was given. In my experience, strong antibiotics tend to wreck your "good" gut bacterias too, so I'm definitely going to start on the yogurt smoothies tomorrow. That and the gas pains, frequent burping, and occasional, uhh, regular gas, are really the only side effects I am dealing with. I have been experimenting with Maalox and Gas-X chewables. The Maalox was recommended by M, as he has a sensitive stomach and has had ample opportunity to compare and contrast the various brands. So far it does seem to be a little more effective than the Gas-X, which was popular on the forums I read for post-op gas pains. But the gas pains come and go sporadically so its hard to say how much the chewables are helping.

Time for my last *mini-sob* post-op doctor-prescribed pain pill and an early bedtime!