Hi everyone,
I think the operation itself has been discussed in other places so I would like to let people know what the recovery side of things is like. Obviously what i experience and how my body copes with things will not be the same for everyone so this is by no means a 'what to expect' list but its what I experienced and maybe it will give someone else some insight.
Ok so basics. I am 64 and had my operation for PMP at Basingstoke hospital 38 days ago- not that i am counting lol. As others have said I can't praise the staff enough. they were so professional, caring and compassionate and made a horrible experience as good as it can be so hats off to all the staff there.. My operation went well and I didn't end up with a stoma which was my worst fear and all in all I was there for 2 weeks. By this time the staff and hospital surroundings were more of a safety net for me and I missed my family so much as I live 2 hours away that they agreed I could go home.
I live by myself and had a discussion with the physio on wether they should set up a care package for me for someone to come in and help once or twice a day but in the end I decided I would rather not do that and just do it by myself. Someone came to pick me up and the journey home was awful. Thankfully no hold ups on the M40 but since my op that was the longest time i had sat upright. At one point i thought i was either going to be sick or feint but thankfully the journey passed without either but i was so glad to get back home.
A friend offered to come and stay for the first couple of days but honestly when i am ill i just want to be by myself so that's what i did. I had a blow up bed downstairs in case i couldn't do the stairs but i managed albeit very slowly one step at a time.
Food wise before the op I had filled my freezer with small portions of frozen meals but for the first few days I couldn't eat a thing. Two spoonful's of porridge was about all i could manage and a bite of a banana would take me forever to eat. I weighed 8st 2 when i went in and after those first few days at home i dropped to just under 7 stone but after a couple of days i got my appetite back and started eating a little bit more.
The total lack of energy for me was a major hurdle and I also suffered from constipation which caused me a lot of pain. Energy wise now 38 days in its no where near normal. Before my op I was cycling 20 miles and running twice a week and still now I can just about walk to the church at the end of my road and back which is about 1/2 mile all round. its getting easier to do but I still have to sit down for a rest when I get back home. I find this so so frustrating as I was so active before. I know that I need to put on the weight I lost as all the weight i lost was the muscle from my thighs and my bum now is none existent which I hate.
As I said I didn't end up with a stoma but all that handling of my intestines and the chemo bath has had an effect on my toilet habits and this is driving me mad. I am going to the toilet multiple times each hour and producing nothing and have resorted to taking senna tablets at night in the hope it will get me back into something resembling normal toilet habits but I guess its going to take time.
After I got home I found a way of stepping into my bath, getting on my knees and having a shower but I progressed fairly quickly to shuffling around with the help of a stick on handle to have a proper bath which I really missed. Getting out of the bath has also now become much easier.
I am still not driving yet as I want to give it another week at least but have started doing some gentle leg exercises to get some muscle back on my legs as after a walk I feel very wobbly all over still and am glad of a sit down.
I stopped taking paracetamol after I got home and to be honest I have not been in pain from the op just a lot of discomfort from constipation. I am still giving myself the daily injections but only have a few days to go before they stop thank goodness. I didn't mind them at first but now my legs are just a mass of bruises and i really have to psyche myself up to actually do the injection as with the now lack of flab on my legs i just find it harder.
I know its very early days yet and i am so frustrated at , to me, my lack of progress but the reality of it is is that I am making progress its just slower than I thought. Before my op I had never really been in hospital so had nothing to compare it with. Outwardly I just look the same- but thinner lol- but inwardly my body is still healing. My scar is looking really good and has flattened out nicely and my daily walks are getting a little bit faster than they were initially. Its going to take time to get my body back to somewhere near where it was and I need to learn to take things more slowly!
As I said initially this is my journey and my body's reaction to the op and everyone is different but I hope it may give some insight into what to expect when you come out especially if like me there is no partner to help in those first few days.
