Re: Thanks for all the supportfor my 72 hour post-op breakdown

[Guest guest]

Hang in there, . Things will get better. I agree with you that

this support group is awesome. I had a breakdown about the same as

you when I couldn't breathe postop. The suggestions given really

helped. I know what you mean about discovering truths about yourself

through this entire ordeal....and it's not all pleasant! I'm almost

four weeks postop now and have returned to work, returning to college

and getting on with real life albeit modified by being unable to

speak as much as I'd like. I carry around a little white-erase board

that comes in handy for communicating.

One other thing that really was a godsend for me were the Zip-N-

Squeeze tubes. They made " eating " so much easier than using the

syringe. I am so grateful to have found those products before I went

in for surgery.

Good luck in the coming days. It is comforting to know you don't have

to face this alone. And you are lucky to be married to such a saint!

Take care.

> I don't know if I can express how grateful I am for the kind words

> and support I got from so many of you. I was really at a low at 72

> hours post-op. I had been feeling like I was just a big baby for

> having such a hard time. Before the surgery I thought that I would

be

> different -- I was going to breeze through the surgery and post-op.

I

> would be the BEST patient, the BEST healer, the BEST recoverer.

That

> my doctor would be amazed at how quickly I healed. " Yes, ,

your

> bones have knitted together miraculously and you are completely

ready

> to go back to your life--and at only 3 days! " Dream on, . Of

> course, I was none of that -- just a regular ortho surgery patient.

> In fact, probably worse than normal. Boy do you ever learn some

hard

> truths about yourself going through something like this. It gives

me

> a renewed sense of admiration for people who go through really bad

> things, and persevere -- like Reeves. Things got worse

> after my 72 hour breakdown -- I couldn't sleep, which really blows

> things out of perspective. And I got really bad acid indigestion

from

> the antibiotics (if they can put that thing on Mars, can't they

make

> medicine that tastes good?). But today, for the first day, I feel a

> little better. I even took a bath (I'm ashamed to admit that I just

> didn't have the energy to have a bath -- for 5 days. My husband is

a

> saint.) Anyway, your words of encouragent came at the perfect time.

> They made me cry with gratitude that I wasn't alone, and people

> understood. Thanks from the heart.