The Road to "New Normal"

Prat...The discomfort in your shoulders is excess air, aka GAS pressure.  I promise the Gas-X will be your new best friend, if you'll just use it.  Unless you've personally experienced this intense, miserable pain post SURGERY, you cannot fathom that "air" can cause this degree of pain.  Most people think of "gas" as "lower belly" issue that can be "passed"  (i.e. fart)   Think of your abdominal cavity as a balloon.  Insert air compressor and inflate.  That air is not restricted to places where it can be farted away.  If you don't get it deflated, it will begin to feel like you are having chest pains.  Believe me, it won't take much of that to throw you into a panic attack.  You don't want that. You can use as many strips as needed until the pain subsides.  This will deflate the air that was "pumped in" during your procedure.

While we're on the subject, don't necessarily count on the Colace moving your bowels.  It make take more than one softener/stimulant to produce results.  I've suggested Senna, Perdiem (miracle) Dulcolax etal.  My doctor recommends 2 Dulcolax with 1 styrofoam cup of MC.  Works like a charm.  Just BE KIND to your behind with lotion infused TP and some max strength OraJel (don't laugh---trust me) It will relieve the fire-like pain in your rectum.  As for your catheter site being irritated, there are many personal products from A&D cream to gels for chafing.  You wife will know what I mean.  These things will soothe the area.  You'll want all the soothing you can get.

Now, there, Michael...This post definitely went more personal.  "I not know you.  You not know me, Lone Ranger!" Therefore we can speak openly of things we couldn't converse over dinner=) 

Indeed, Prat...You are doing well, just 2 days out of the gate.  Don't be discouraged if the 3rd day is rough.  It's not an old wives' tale.  For whatever reason, surgery discomfort culminates on the 3rd day.  Slow and steady gets you where you need to be.

Hugs~~Dixie

It will get better, there will be some tough times ahead. But I don't see you being a girlie man so you will be fine. Oh and that shower thing with the wife, dude enjoy that, I know it is tough to be so helpless. But take advantage of that. My wife babied me and washed my back and {stuff}. Man I milked that for all it was worth. Oh and watch the catheter hose on the cupboard door handles. I don't know how many times I got hooked in the kitchen and bath. OUCH!!

The pain is terrible at times, I to thought it was going to be a walk in the park. I was in the hopital 5 days with gas pains. I didn't have a BM for 5 days but when I did my whole rearend explored!! LOL Didn't eat anything from Monday till Saturday afternoon because of the gas pains. You gonna be ok, just remember there are folks out here praying for you. What you are experiencing is not your new normal. You are weeks away from the new normal. Just roll with it each day, all of this will be a bad memory soon enough. Blessing to you my friend!!