OBACHAN'S SCRIBBLES

May 15, 2007 -- 4th day after surgery --

I wish I could write, “Being totally relieved, I slept for eight straight hours.” But that was not what happened. Though I fell asleep rather easily around midnight, I woke up at 4:30 am and couldn’t go back to sleep.

First thing I did was walking one block to take garbage to the closest garbage collection point. No problem. For the rest of the morning, I didn’t feel tired or dizzy as I walked around in my room and the kitchen. The incisions were slightly itchy, and the pain I felt when urinating or coughing subsided quite a bit. So I thought I was ready for almost any house chores as far as they were not physically demanding. -- WRONG.

Dear readers, NEVER ever bleach a dishcloth -- or anything -- on the 4th day after a surgery under general anesthesia. The moment I smelt the bleach, I felt sick, and I had to rest in bed all afternoon. Bummer! I had this incredible craving for videos, manga and for some reason, broccoli, and wanted to go out so badly. But had to take it easy at home. :(

Oh, one more thing. On the previous night, I turned on my laptop for the first time. Boy, it was a darn good decision that I didn’t bring it to the hospital! Its noise was surprisingly annoying and watching the screen made me feel unbelievably exhausted. Gosh, I’m definitely not ready for work yet!!


May 16, 2007 – 5th day after surgery –

Felt no pain when coughed, so decided to remove the film dressing on my incisions. (My doc didn’t remove it and told me that I could do it myself at home about a week from the surgery.) Saw the wounds sealed with liquid dressing. Funny-- The shape of my navel looked different! It looked like a simple Chinese character with an extra stroke added at the bottom. LOL

Had a little problem with the incision on the left (1 cm), maybe because I always lay on my left side in the Hp and at home (to watch TV). It looked a little infected, and when removing the dressing, a tiny piece of skin came off with the adhesive. Cleaned the wound with disinfectant and taped a small piece of gauze on it. The other two incisions looked OK under the dried gel dressing (which was gradually peeling). Taped gauze on them, too, because they looked kinda "naked" without it.

Took a taxi to go to a rental video shop, library and supermarket. Enjoyed sharing experiences with the taxi driver who also had a surgery recently. Spent a couple of hours in the kitchen making a huge amount of broccoli potage. Had a slight fever (37.5 C / 99.5 F) afterwards, but totally happy to stay in bed enjoying video, manga and food around me for the rest of the day.


May 17, 2007 – 6th day after surgery –

Rode my bicycle to a nearby drug store. The leg movements didn’t affect the wounds, but seemed like I was unconsciously avoiding leaning forward. Had lunch with mom and went shopping together. (She was in town for a tea ceremony lesson.) Felt so tired afterwards.

After shower, cleaned the left incision with disinfectant and put a regular Band-aid on it.

I used to feel Pinoko when I lay on my back, but not any more. So she IS gone now… Really gone.


May 18, 2007 – a week after surgery –

First hospital visit after discharge. Rode bicycle for apx. 15 minutes to the hospital. My doc told me the pathological diagnosis of the removed cyst, which was “mature cystic teratoma” (not translated into Japanese). So it WAS the same thing as Pinoko in Black Jack (manga). So glad… If the official diagnosis was something different, I would have had to change the title of all these posts in this dermoid series. :P

Before going back to apartment, took a taxi to a big electronics store (Yamada denki) and bought a laundry machine. The spin dry of my laundry machine broke before my hospital stay. Remember? No dizziness, but felt a cold sweat once in a while when walking around in the store. Always felt as if my feet were not firmly on the ground – like walking on a cloud or something.

My period started in the evening. Exactly 28 days after the previous one! Perfect recovery, isn’t it? Usually my period isn’t painful, but this time I felt pain and needed to take a pain killer (leftover from what I was given at the hospital). Yes, this was my very first time taking a pain reliever for period cramp.

May 19, 2007

Laundry machine was delivered. YAY! Finished washing all the dirty underwear brought back from the hospital. What a great feeling!! :D


May 20, 2007

Made chicken stock. The smell of celery I put in the pot instantly made me sick (headache, nausea and strange sensation around my molars). Gee, still something is wrong with me… I usually love the smell of celery so much! :(

May 21, 2007 -- 10 days after surgery --

First day at my nighttime job. Still felt a cold sweat a couple of times and had the “feet-are-not-firmly-on-the-ground” feeling, but no big deal. Felt very tired when came back home.

May 25, 2007 – 2 weeks after surgery –

First day at my daytime job, followed by the night time job. Felt exhausted after work. Fell asleep at around 11:00 pm. Very unusual for me.


To be cont’d…


術後4日目（退院の翌日）

「ゆうべは心底くつろいで、8時間ぶっとおしで眠りました」とか書きたいとこやけど、現実はさにあらず。夜12時ぐらいにすぐ寝付いたけど、朝4時半ぐらいに目覚めてしまいました。

最 初にしたことは、1ブロックぐらい歩いてゴミ出し。大丈夫でした。その日午前中、部屋とか台所とか歩き回っても、疲れもしないしめまいもなし。傷はちょっ とカユく て、お手洗いに行ったときや咳をしたときの痛みもずいぶん減った。なので、力仕事でなければ、家事は何やってもたいてい大丈夫と思った…のが甘かった！

皆 さん、全身麻酔で手術してから4日目に、フキンの（ていうか他のものも）漂白をしてはいけません。漂白剤のニオイをかいだとたん、気分悪くなって、午後中 ベッドで寝ることになりました。もぉ！この日、ビデオとマンガと、なぜかブロッコリーが欲しくてたまらなくなって、外出したかったのに。ずっと家にこもる 羽目になりました。

あ、それと、前の晩、退院後初めてコンピュータをつけてみました。コレ病院に持っていかなかったのは大正解でしたよ。コンピューターの音がとんでもなくうるさく感じるし、画面を見てたら信じられないくらい疲れましたもん。こりゃまだ仕事に戻るのはムリやわ。


術後5日目

咳 をしても痛みがほぼなくなり、傷に貼ってある透明絆創膏をはがす。（病院でははがしてもらってなくて、センセは、術後7日くらいに自分ではがしていい、っ て言ってたので。）はがしてみたら、傷には液体絆創膏も塗ってあるのを発見。おへその形が変形してる。笑）なんか、簡単な漢字の一番下に一本線が追加され たみたい。爆）

左側の傷(1 cm)にはチョット問題あり。ＴＶを見るのにいつもこっち側を下にして寝てたからか。ちょっと膿んでるみたいで、絆創膏 にはりついてて、はがす時に皮膚もちょびっとはがれた様子。傷口を消毒してガーゼをあててテープでとめる。他の2つの傷は液体絆創膏の乾いたヤツ（やや剥 がれかけ）におおわれて、大丈夫そう。でも何もしないのも無防備に思えて、その上にもいちおうガーゼをテープでとめておく。

それから タクシーでレンタルビデオ屋と図書館とスーパーへ。タクシーの運ちゃんも最近手術を受けたとかで、お互いの経験談で大盛り上がり。その後台所で、ブロッコ リーのポタージュを数時間かけて大量生産。後で熱が37度5分。でも、ベッドでビデオとマンガと食べ物を堪能して幸せ。

術後6日目

自転車で近くのドラッグストアへ。足の動きは傷には響かないけど、乗ってる間無意識に前かがみにならないようにしてる様子。母がお茶の稽古で市内に来てたので、一緒にお昼を食べて買い物。帰宅後ものすごい疲労感。

シャワーの後、左の傷を消毒して、フツーのバンドエイドを貼っておく。

以前は仰向けに寝るとピノコがあるのを感じてたけど、今はそれがない。
ホントに無くなったんやなぁ…。

術後1週間目

退 院後最初の受診。自転車に15分ぐらい乗って病院へ。主治医のセンセより、摘出した嚢腫の病理検査(?)の結果は“mature cystic teratoma”(検査結果には英語のまま記載)とのこと。やっぱりブラックジャックのピノコと同じものに間違いなし。良かったぁ…もし診断が他のモノ やったら、このシリーズのタイトル全部変えなあかんもん。：Ｐ

アパートにもどる前に、ヤマダデンキで洗濯機を購入。入院前に洗濯機の脱水が壊れてたでしょ？めまいはなかったけど、何回か冷や汗が出たり、いつも足が地に着いてない感じ。雲の上かなんかを歩いてるような。

術後8日目

洗濯機が届く。やったぁ！！病院から持ち帰った下着を全部洗濯。あぁ最高の気分！！

術後9日目

チキンストックを作る。セロリを入れたとたん、そのにおいで撃沈（頭痛、吐き気、奥歯が浮いてくるような変な感じ）。やっぱりまだどっかオカシイ。いつもはこのセロリのにおい大好きやのに。

術後10日目

夜の仕事に復帰。何回か冷や汗かいて、地に足が着いてない感はあるけど、たいしたことはない。帰宅後はすごい疲労感。

術後2週間目

昼の仕事に復帰、続けて夜の仕事へ。帰ったらバテバテ。夜11時ごろに寝てしまう。
普段ならあり得ない。

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Categories: Dermoid