Wednesday, July 02, 2014

Day 13: Daily Happy Disciplines

Pain Level: 1 - It was the start of no more painkillers. Had a couple of aches, but it was manageable.
Swelling: I think I'm just going to take it day by day now.
Other weirdness: Left chin and lip feel a little better. :) Acid reflux is getting more frequent. :(
Mood: Happy because it was a good day.

My new friend Ginger! :)
She has a swollen face like me. ^^
It was a good day today - with clearing up some work issues, no napping, having a long conversation with a friend who came to visit (and brought a cute cat present! :D), as well as going out for work which turned out to be one of the best meetings I've had in my life - it was sharp, focused, intellectual and very on-target.

Today also marked the first day of no painkillers (because I suspect it to be the cause of recent episodes of acid reflux). Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I thought.  For the past 12 days, I had been faithfully taking one painkiller together with my antibiotic twice a day because of some advice that the ICU nurse gave me - that I shouldn't tell her only when the pain was unbearable because it takes time for the painkillers to work and it might have been too late - so I decided to take a preventive stance with pain. With the painkillers, all I've felt for the past 12 days was numbness and a random case of prickles and pain for random reasons. I thought that going off antibiotics was going to cripple me, but honestly, all the pain I've felt today was a general ache in some parts of my skull that feels a little like...an external headache? Sorry, I don't know how else to describe it. So yes, I think I'm going to keep this no-painkiller regime for now. 

I did still have a few episodes of acid reflux today again though. Maybe it's cause I'm suddenly introducing a substantially greater amount of food in my stomach nowadays, but I'm just going to monitor it for now. I'm probably going to start taking a glass of water with apple cider vinegar and honey too to see if it helps. Having a vomity taste in your mouth every few hours is not fun.

Daily happy disciplines

I thought I'd write something encouraging today about the daily disciplines I've taken that have made me feel better and happier...as well as some adjustments I've had to make since the surgery.

  1. Do things as per normal - Wake up, dress up, show up.
  2. I really loved this game! :)
    • I  think it was harder the first few days coming home, but I forced myself to still dress up and try to make myself feel prettier even though I totally looked like one of the bloated head patients in a Theme Hospital game I used to play. I disciplined myself to not stare at the mirror too long (because all the negative thoughts would come in) and to just check that the clothes were put on properly and that things matched. Because I was stuck at home anyway, I wasn't dressing up for anyone - just for myself. :)
  3. Drink water all through the day
    • I think for almost a full week post-surgery, I was drinking water from a syringe. I don't think I got past 500mls a day. Energy levels were really low and with my terrible swelling, I wasn't quite in good shape.
    • Ever since I discovered that I could start drinking from a cup a couple of days ago (I wish I forced myself to discover it earlier!), it has substantially increased my water intake. I think it has positively affected my energy levels, as well as has increased the rate of "de-swelling" (is that a word?).
    • It also obviously increased my frequency of going to the lavatory, but hey, I would be more than happy flushing out all the antibiotics out of my body as frequently and as quickly as it can.
  4. Going to the toilet when you need to pee
    • It's important to not hold it in. The body is flushing out the remnants of the antibiotics and all the bad stuff. So don't delay keeping them in your body when it's time for them to get out. GO.
  5. No heels. Flat sandals only.
    • I tried wearing a low heel the other day (I think it was only about 1 inch) but my jaw felt weird so I went back to flat sandals which made me feel a lot more comfortable and secure. It's a little weird because I used to wear 3-4inch heels everyday. But it's important to take care of my jaw for now. Sacrifice!
    • Brushing my teeth and mouth rinses
      • From the first day Surgeonman said I could start brushing a few of my teeth, I was SO HAPPY. It was scary at first because I was so afraid to burst or tear or rupture something...but just having the taste of toothpaste in my mouth and knowing that I was cleaning the surfaces of my teeth - even though I was confined to the outsides - really lifted my spirits. :)
      • I pretty much brush and rinse three times a day - because I eat three meals a days. :)
    • Blog
      • Writing is my release and helps me cope and think through things carefully.
    • Some sort of walk
      • Since my courageous visit to the supermarket on Day 7, I have been trying to get out for a walk as often as possible. I think it helped the swelling some.
      • I think it also helps stimulate the brain a little to see other people and just stuff happening in the world outside the home.
    • A warm compress at the end of the day
      • Kinda like my little "spa" to relax and close the day
    • Vitamin C
      • Mum's orders. :) I'm currently taken Redoxon with Zinc... it's apparently good for bone work or something. It tastes alright, so I'm totally fine with it. :)
    Food Report

    Breakfast

    Half a cup of strawberry yogurt
    Half a cup of prune juice

    Lunch

    3/4 of a bowl of mushroom soup

    Dinner

    One full bowl of soy bean curd with almond soy milk
    Half a cup of Vitamin C

    I think I did pretty well for food today. :) A lot of calcium in each meal I must say. :D And I'm moving up to full bowls! :) (Achievement unlocked!) 

    High point of the day
    Ginger the cat! Having a friend over! And a great work conversation.

    Low point of the day
    I actually can't quite think of a low point today. :)

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