Post Op: Week 1 and Week 2 and Scars

Recovery has been a breeze. I feel guilty saying that because I know that most people do not have it this easy. I still haven't been in any pain. The first week was still just soreness. That first week and a half my insides did not feel connected to my body. It is hard to describe but nothing in my stomach felt connected and grounded. Every move I made I could feel my insides just move around. The best way to describe it is like you have a bottle and it's filled halfway with liquid. When you lay the bottle down the liquid moves, then you prop the bottle back up and the liquid moves the bottom of the bottle again. That is how my insides felt. I could feel things leveling out when I laid down and then when I sat up or stood up I could feel everything move down. At one point I asked my mom, "Are my insides ever going to be connected again?" I was a little hesitant that this would be my new normal but they have definitely started attaching again.

Laughing, coughing and sneezing have been what causes the most pain. A week out from surgery I had a few major laughing episodes on a few days that seriously popped a few of my internal stitches and caused my incision to bleed for the next week. I think I had a little internal bleeding because of it but nothing serious. The pictures at the end kinda show a little bruising that happened because of it. 

I have been on a few walks around the neighborhood and getting out for some fresh air has felt so good. My sister and my little nephew went for a canyon drive and we got out and walked around and my heart was so happy!

I have successfully completed the entire series of White Collar, which was sooo good. I think the biggest thing that first and second week has been me just being extra tired or normal activities that wouldn't wear me out, do. But honestly, I would rather have another kidney removed than go to the dentist. 

I had my follow-up appointment right at two weeks. I went back up to the University of Utah at the Kidney Clinic. It felt like such a silly appointment. They basically asked me:

- Are you urinating and pooping normal?

- Are you in any pain?

- What medications are you on?

- What has your blood pressure been?

- Can I see your incisions?

And that was pretty much it. 

Now at 6 months I will have to go and get blood work done and fill out a questionnaire. At one year I will have a follow up appointment with blood work and then at 2 years. But other than that, that is it!

It has been good getting back to my normal routine. I thrive on routine so that has been nice. I couldn't take it any longer and made it back to the gym at 2.5 weeks and just walked on the treadmill. Then the next day we headed to the mountains and did an easy hike. Routine has helped with my recovery. Getting back to the way things were and feeling normal has help me heal. 

Besides my incisions, it still being a little difficult to sit up, and not lifting more than 10 lbs for another 5 weeks,  things are back to normal. I start back at my job tomorrow.

PROGRESSION OF MY SCARS:

Post OP

9 Hours Post Op

1 Day Post Op

4 Days Post Op

6 Days Post Op: Belly Button is coming back! (You can see a little bruising because of so much laughing caused a little internal bleeding)

2 Weeks Post Op:

It's looking so much better and a lot of the swelling has gone down. It's still a little swollen even today. The glue is starting to come off, which makes the incisions really itchy. But overall I'm healing up nicely.