1st night

I don't think I really slept soundly at all that first night.  I dozed/rested my eyes, but I never really felt that I was sound asleep.  Partly it was because someone came in every hour to do something, and partly because there was a constant whir of noises from my machines.  The IV monitor was sort of ticking off to my left, and my leg pumps were pulsing rhythmically.

I can't say I was really in any pain... until about 1:30 am... then I started noticing that my incision was sore when I tried to do my quad sets.  I called the nurse's station and asked for a pain med.  She didn't come in with it until about 2:15, and then she gave me a 5 mg dose of Oxy.  It helped quickly.  Shortly after that, I started passing gas (I had a notion to text everyone, "I FARTED", but I controlled the urge.)

Around 3:20 my tech came in for a blood draw and changed the batteries in the power pack that all my chest-leads were hooked up to.  At 4:40 my IV monitor started beeping because my bag was empty.   When the nurse came in to hang a new bag she also changed my dressing.  I took pictures on my phone, but I can't figure out how to get them off my phone and on to my computer, so I can't share here.  If anyone wants to see my incision at that point, text me and I will text it to you.

My incision looked a lot better than I had expected.  From surgery my leg was wrapped from top to bottom in an ace bandage.  Once that was cut off, I saw a long dressing taped to my skin that was 3" wide and about 8 or 9" long.  It was filled with blood.  As the nurse pealed it back, I saw that the center of the dressing was an absorbent material (not gauze).  I could see a line of staples going down.  She wiped off along the edges of the incision and said it looked very good. There wasn't really any bruising, which is highly unusual because I usually bruise very easily. She then applied a new dressing which was the same as the old one.  The center 1.5" is an absorbent material and then the outer sticky part is like plastic.  Once she applied this, she then put on a new thigh-high stocking (TED hose), like the one I already had on my other leg.

I now know more about this dressing because I got one to bring home with me which I have to change on Day 7.  It is called "Optifoam AG Post-op Strip" - Silver Antimicrobial Wound Dressing made by Medline.

   One of the nice things about it is that I can get it wet in the shower.

After the dressing change, the nurse also removed my catheter.  In general, I had a good night.  I was sort of itchy all night - the nurse said that was from the spinal, but I think it was from the Oxy (Percocet has made me itch in the past). And so the end of the first night...

:) Amy