I was thankful, and realized I do believe in God, since I prayed before going in, and thanked him when I got out.

The first day:
I remember being in the hospital, and feeling surreal – still hadn’t hit me. They had me in the SurgiCenter, on my own little bed with wheels. Sifu came to see me before they took me in. I had to wear this “Bair Paws” self-warming outfit complete with Bair Paw socks, and all-lavendar, disposable, Bair Paws hospital gown. The shower cap hat-thingy amused Sifu to no end. (And I was having a kick-ass hair day too!) The nurse came in, took Blood Pressure, temperature, briefed me on the procedure, and what to do afterwards. The IV nurse came next and hooked me up. Then the final nurse who would be in the OR came to drive my bed away. Sifu was allowed to walk with us til a certain point and had to leave. I gave Sifu the terrorist fist jab, a.k.a. “a pound” and they wheeled me into this room with small holding areas only big enough for the stretcher/bed thingy. The doctor asked how I was doing, a female doctor named Dr. Chen introed herself, and said she’d be in on the procedure; and the anesthesiologist, Dr. Lu told me what she was gonna do: inject me with something, then put an oxygen tube down my throat, and a gas mask on my face during OR to feed me different meds. The oxygen tube would be removed after responding accordingly to her verbal commands.

I woke up and don’t remember the tube or gas mask part (thankfully), but my throat was kinda raw from the tube. I felt out of it, and tired. Sifu came to check on me til my mom came to get me. I woke up at 11-something. Sifu came at 12-something. I left the place at 4-something because I couldn’t pee 200 mL. And they stressed: Do not try if you cannot fill this or you’ll have to try again. I had to do three things before they’d let me go home: Walk, Drink, and Pee. I didn’t feel like peeing at all but they forced me to try by 4 PM.

I made it to the bathroom and puked right away. It was clear and bile-like. As for the peeing, I barely made the 200 mL, but she passed me. My urine was a surprisingly dark, dark green, with blood in it. I walked back to my bed and was told to lie down. My mom arrived, and they left me and told me to get dressed. I puked again after standing up and getting most of my clothes on.

I was wheeled to the pickup area, and thankfully held it together for the ride back. At home, I walked to the bathroom and threw up again. Clear bile. All three times. With the slightest bit of blood in it this last time.

I spent the rest of the night taking tylenol with codeine (prescribed) and with a TENS unit attached to me, sending electrical pulses around the incisions. My abdomen felt fragile, my throat feeling as if I spent all of the previous day in a yelling match.

Day Two:
Groggy day. Painful to get up from my bed. I had clear liquids all day. Talking was difficult and my throat felt more raw. My poop was liquid. I did not puke, but felt nauseous. The abdomen was sore and tender. I took a shower, and was careful not to disturb the incisions too much. Slept a lot, and didn’t really do much else. Noticing a rash on my abdomen – which people mentioned might happen. Noticing a bile taste keeps coming to me. I sleep a lot, but seem to wake up every 4 hours or so.

Day Three:
Still felt pain, and nausea. Did not puke. Still eating mostly clear fluids. A little bit of crackers or bread thrown in the mix. Poop was still like liquid. Didn’t smell like poop. More like bile. I am nauseated by the constant bile taste in my mouth and brush my teeth to try to rid it, but it always comes back. My abdomen is hurting me. I move carefully. I don’t sleep in long stretches.

Day Four:
This is the day the doctor had predicted I could go to work. But it is also the 4th of July so it was a paid holiday. I stayed indoors, and ate some solid foods. The rash has moved and is on the sides of my upper thighs. Maybe heat rash, or stress bumps. I’m not sure. They’re only bad when I scratch them. I walk around the house for almost 10 minutes. I don’t see how I could have gotten through 1 hour of driving to waikiki, working 8 hours, and then driving another hour back home. I quit taking the tylenol with codeine. I watch the Food Network “The Next Food Network Star” marathon, and am hooked.

Day Five:
This is the best day. Sifu came over to visit and we had a hamburger happy meal at McDonald’s. This is my first time leaving the house, as I sit in Sifu’s car in the drive-thru, realizing seat belts go right across the wounds. Also, I tried the Club House sandwich from Zippy’s for dinner. I drove for the first time to the Mililani Town Center and walked a bit. Also my first time walking outside the house. I decide in the late afternoon to remove the TENS unit. We watched “Finishing the Game” on DVD (didn’t like it), and various Disney Cake challenges on Food Network.

Day Six:
Surprisingly feels worse than day 5. I am sure I’ll call work and let them know I don’t feel up to coming in as planned. Can’t see myself functioning quite yet. My mom is noticing I’m walking with pain still.. and she doesn’t want me to go. My friends don’t think I should go. I don’t think so either, nor do I want to. I walked around the house slowly, and quickly developed side pains. I slowed it down more, and it still hurt a few minutes, so I stopped. I’m having problems with the plumbing. It hurts when I go to the bathroom, basically, and I go often today, and I wonder if it’ll be better soon cause it doesn’t feel natural. My mom takes me to Zippy’s to have saimin. The house was too hot and she wanted to go out. My first time dining outside of home.

I write my blog which I felt too out of it to do. I’m sure I’m missing stuff, but here it is.

Little things:
My doctor’s appointment is on Thursday. The belly button hurts more than anything. I have 4 incisions. 1 in the belly button, and 3 more on my abdomen. I’m so tired of not being able to lie on my side or stomach. I get pretty bored, and it’s weird.

I seem to take shallower breaths, and every so often, feel a need to take a deeper breath. I don’t really feel hunger. I just eat cause I think I should.

I enjoyed reading people’s plurks and twitters when i felt up to using my computer. I definitely want to try Yogurtland with liltree when possible!

I watched more TV in the past few days than I have the whole year combined, I think. I rarely watch TV, but since my activity is limited right now, I did a lot of it. I like Food Network. I saw Chappelle’s “For What It’s Worth” uncut on comedy central and had to make sure not to laugh too hard else it’d hurt my abdomen. I watched the first 2 episodes of “Death Note” on DVD, and it was OK. Not what I expected.

I read “Half the Blood of Brooklyn” by Charlie Huston, which was also OK. I realized I was supposed to read another book before it, oops! I started reading “The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama.

I’m thankful I made it through, and am recovering. I’m thankful for what I have.

Keep smilin: