Update 3.5 Months Out

Greetings!

David, MamaLama, themiz and all - No worries, I am fine. Actually, the lovely new liver is fine.

The hernia continues to make me crazy every single day. The surgeon said he normally does not fix them until at least six months post transplant. I had always been told that three months was sufficient. So, hopefully in January I will get the darn thing fixed.

The rest of me feels very well, except for my upper stomach - Whatever they did in there is taking some time to heal. It is still quite bothersome to sit up in a straight chair for very long. And it hurts when I stand up or walk for very long.

Oh, I guess it also hurts when I bend over or sit leaning over forwards.

OK, I am in pain, pretty much all the time. Plus I have a headache that runs from my shoulders right over my head to my eyebrows, due to the tightness in my shoulders and neck.

But other than pain, constant uncomfortableness, and the hernia, I am fine. : )

Oh wait, I forgot the fatigue. It is completely different than before transplant, but it is there. My body just gets wiped out after a couple of hours. The good news is that I take a nap and then feel refreshed. : )

I do not leave the house very much, because nothing I can do out of the house is fun and pain free.
I have learned to expect and accept that I just have to bide my time until the hernia is fixed. The house is a mess, there are no ornaments on the tree or any decorations up. I could not shop for gifts as I cannot walk that much, so I did much online. I did go to the mall once with dear Paul and I rode my scooter, which worked out ok. No cookies this year.

I am not depressed, thank goodness. But I don't have much to say. OK, scratch that. I am somewhat depressed - but not in the clinical sense. I am just trying to enjoy what I can do, and the wonderful people around me, like Paul and my son, and now Paul's son is staying with us for a while. It is such a joy to have a little four person family here. There is so much love here, and I am healthy, so it is all good.

Just waiting to get that hernia fixed :::::tapping toe impatiently:::::

I wish you much joy during this season.

Susan

Susan,
You survived a major operation. Most transplant recipients take months, if not years to recover from the trauma.

I think the hernia is giving you most of your problems. Once that gets repaired, things will pick up for you.

Stay with it, this isn't a 100 yard dash. It's a marathon. Be well.

Hi Susan,

Mike is 5 years out, almost. And he is an early riser.

He walks about an hour now...he loves early morning. Then he has breakfast and gets going on his day. Shopping, erands, appointments, golf,etc. By noon he is done in and takes a bed nap every day he can...even this far out. Afternoons are generally quieter, he reads or does whatever he does on the computer...ebay, etc. He follows a lot of news things and is always looking for new recipies.

He always makes dinner. He generally goes to bed at 8:30, needing 8-10 hours each night. So he is alive, mostly pain free. He loves to plays some golf. But he is not perfect or young again. He is pretty happy...but a sober happy, quite different from life of the part Mike. Oh, and cancer and HEP C free.

It's a good thing he's good because I am having some health issues myself so he is looking after ME. Turn about, eh?

I hate that hernia for you...Mike has had two big ones and they dragged their feet forever. I hope they can do it at the 6 month mark!

Happy New Years Susan, hi to Paul too.

ML