1 DPO - 11th May 2010

I day post operation!

Crikey why don't they let you sleep. At 6.00 I am awoken again for more BP checks and temperature checks. I am still on the oxygen but they have thankfully removed the mask and given the little thing that pokes up your nose.
During the night when they do these checks I normally get more pain relief and can go back to sleep but at 6.00am it appears everyone wakes up. Which is rather foolish as breakfast is another 2 hours away what is everyone going to do?
I switch on my TV and wonder if I can face some toast. At 8.00am I discover that even if I could eat I can't because toast is not on the menu,instead I am given some porridge. 2 mouth fulls is enough and then I feel sick.
The physio arrives mid morning with a pair of crutches, if I could I would laugh. There is no way she is getting me on them! Instead we try to work out a way to get me to sit up. Its harder then you would think!
Eventually I am helped on to my side and half lifted into a seating position, as she moves my legs off the bed the pain is unbearable and I promptly part with the 2 mouth fulls of porridge. It looks a lot more splattered on the floor.
I apologise but I get the impression that's not the worst bodily fluid that's missed her shoes.
I am allowed to lay back down and informed that I feel sick because of the drugs and the fact I have been lying flat for so long.
The rest of the day passes in a blur. By tea time I am quite ready for some food. Until it arrives, and I decide that maybe I will give it a miss until tomorrow. After all its only been one day!

Fairground Theory

So the point of this was to explain what my life is like living with PGP. Being in constant pain and limited to what you can do each day is a frustrating and sometimes depressing situation that is hard to explain. New friends and some old ones, just don't understand. I don't look particularly ill so it's easy for people to forget how debilitating it can be. So here is my fairground theory.


Everyone in the world lives with a wrist band. This wristband entitles you to do whatever you please all day.You have full access to whatever you choose to participate in. The whole world is a fairground and you can participate in it as much as you like.
For me I have been given 20 tokens for the day. Each day I am given 20 tokens. When I leave the fairground for the night, I have to hand back any unused tokens, I can't save them up for the next day.


Each daily task in life uses a token, nothing is for free. So getting up and getting showered uses 2 tokens. Walking my daughter to preschool uses 4 tokens - 2 there and 2 back. If I stop at the shop on the way home to get some food shopping I use at least 1 more token


So by 9.30 I have used 7 tokens and have only 13 left. I have to use them wisely, which often means tasks, chores and even the nicest of things sch as going for coffee with a friend has to be missed, not because I don't have the time or the money but I don't have enough tokens left.


By 12 I have done the washing (2 tokens) washed up (2 tokens) and made lunch (1 token).


I have 8 tokens left.


I do some work this afternoon, I have a baby portrait to do. Because I have to get up and down on the floor and move around, I use 4 tokens doing less than an hours work.


I have 4 tokens left - I can't now walk to collect Molly from preschool as I would have no tokens to take her to the park, and make her dinner and bath her. So I drive there to use I token, and leave 3. I take her to the park - use 1 token, leaving me with 2. This is enough to make tea and put her to bed. The bath will have to missed tonight because I have run out of tokens already.






On Monday I am changing in my tokens and hoping for a wristband.