post surgery tips, tricks, and other things you might find funny...

as most of you know, i've spent the last week or so getting sliced and diced and put back together again. 3 incisions and around 50 staples later (i counted...it's not actually the 40 thousand that i thought to begin with), i'm again learning that it takes extreme patience to heal from a surgery such as this. it's also IMPOSSIBLE to find a comfortable position to sit, stand or lay in. and vicotin, though a powerful drug, is doing nothing more than making me a little loopy. those who know me well probably would see no difference...haha. anyways, i've compiled a short list of helpful things to remember when recovering from major stomach surgery.

1. when you have had your stomach cut open, you cannot bend over easily. do not drop important things on the floor if you have no one to help you pick them up. i.e. dropping your pants on the floor whilst using the "facilities". if you don't have help, you may be sitting for awhile. :)

2. when changing the dressing tape on your wound, it is most important to not allow the tape to stick to the incision. this can be quite painful in removal and not an easy task to complete.

3. when exiting from a waterbed, always remember to use your forehead to prop yourself up while rolling off the side. this enables your arms to get a better grip in order to force yourself into an upright position. this tip might need pictoral instructions to make it understandable...unfortunately, footage of this has been destroyed.

4. be specific when asking for medical supplies. there are many kinds of tape...scotch tape should not be used when applying to gauze around a wound...yes, my grandma brought me scotch tape when i was dressing my incision. so precious! and so funny!

i hope that these tips might be helpful if you are in need of surgery sometime in the future. in the meantime, please remember to pray that i come out of this in one piece. thanks.