Let the fun begin

Today the doctor is coming to see me and we should be heading home. The nurses have been around this morning and cleaned and drained the drainage pots. Well the two smaller pots were emptied and they sucked the air out of the larger ones. I think this is so the maximum amount of fluid will drain out before the doctor comes.

This morning I need to ask the doctor if I can have a shower. Getting stinky. I got up yesterday and washed my hair over the basin. I felt alive afterwards. I also need to know how long I need to keep compression pants on for? If I can have a break to wash them? When I can go for a swim? And I can have a beer? All very important questions, especially the last one.

The compression pants I have on are down to my calves and not practical. I have a few pairs of spanks at home that I am sure I can alternate. I think it takes 6 weeks for the swelling to go down. So I will be getting very chummy with my 'crutchless' compressions pants. The other night I needed to do #2's and didn't really want to do it through the 'crutchless' opening. So juggling the drainage pots I unzipped the compressions pants and pulled them off. The hard part was getting them back on. One handed trying to finally get the zip back up was a mission. But I did it.

My chest is still really tight. I am sure once we get out and I am walking around that they will settle into place. I think the big thing is that they had been saggy for so long, now they are sitting up proudly on my chest. I am not used to that. 

I am getting excited about putting my clothes on. I have been in a gown for 4 days and just want to see how my clothes fit. I will try not to buy too much as there will be a fair bit of swelling for the next 6 weeks.

Email home 6th April

We are about to embark on the FUN part of our holiday. I have had a shower and washed my hair. We are now waiting for the car to collect us and take us back to the resort. I will be back here on Friday to get all the dressings off though.

I am not sure how much communication there will be once we leave here. Free Internet at the hospital has been fabulous while I have been sitting around recuperating.

I just had a meeting with my surgeon and he said I can have a beer by the pool but not go for a swim just yet. I just took the compression pants off for the first time and there is a heap of swelling and bruising. I will wash my pants when we get back to the resort and put them straight back on again. I have to wear them for 6 weeks so we will be very good friends by the end of that time.

We just met two sisters up in the waiting room. They are very nervous and about to go in and get eye lifts. They told me I didn't look nervous at all. I told them that was because I was on my way home.

If anyone is thinking of having any sort of reconstructive or cosmetic surgery, I highly recommend coming to Thailand. This has been an amazing experience.