Nov 21, 2007 - Noon to Midnight - The Wind

The angelic Crystal still has care for me. I have seen several Doctors today. Dr. White, my surgeon this AM, he says I am doing great and I should be out of the hospital tomorrow. An Internist that works with Dr. White on cases where a patients PCP does not work at a specific hospital. I cannot remember his name, but he also says I am doing great and should be out of jail by tomorrow.

Roxy and Beth came to visit the afternoon. Roxy is Dr. Whites Program Administrator Nurse and Beth is the program nutritionist. Roxy seemed especially ecstatic about how well I was doing and was especially humored by the fact that I was fussing around putting some styling gel in my hair. She made my appointment to see Dr. White on next Tuesday which will include my first post hospital check out and weigh in. Beth again wanted to talk about my post-op diet. Liquids only at 4 ounces per hour until my first visit with Dr. White. Then I will move to, hold on to your hats, Puree's. Puree's for the next 2 months. I am glad I bought that Vitamix several years ago. I could puree a 57 Chevy if I needed to.

I am walking alot now, sitting in the uncomfortable chair now and increasing the time between needed pain medications. Sandy said my eyes were real bright and beautiful today (blue and quite nice), and except for the real gas pain, I feel great. The gas pain here seems to be my real nemesis today. My lower torso region is soft and kinda squishy, but my mid torso is hard as a rock and still obviously filled with Gas from the surgery. My left shoulder hurts still right under the collarbone. The gas bubbles move and cause varying degrees of pain depending upon where they are.

Sandy has been a trooper, supporting me in this quest. She herself is not sleeping well, not eating well, just worried about me. She is taking off a little early today so she and my visiting family can go out tonight for Thanksgiving Dinner. She has decided not to cook tomorrow for Thanksgiving for the first time since we have been married (29 years) so I don't have to deal with all of the aroma's of her incredible cooking. I have an incredible wife and love her completely and will continue to need her support as this holiday season will be difficult for me, I am sure. I will be on pureed foods throughout the entire season and historically the Holiday season and been the time of the year when I do my "best work" in eating copious amounts of food. I think for Christmas, I will take a half cup of turkey, mashed potatoes, peas and cranberry sauce, add some chicken stock, bend and see what happens.

It's about 4 PM now, the gas pains are horrible, and all of a sudden I feel that oh so pleasant pressure that signals impending passing of gas. This is going to be much easier than peeing.
So I waddle off to the bathroom, take a seat, get comfortable and whoooossscchhhh! The rushing wind. Those of you that have trouble with farting may want to turn the page here. But, I am going to detail this fart.

As a farting connoisseur, I have never experience a wind quite like this. It wasn't a rumble, but much more of a pop, followed by a gas release. Not odorific, well, I didn't think so. Think about a small balloon with its opening flopping open and the trapped air rushing out for a couple of seconds. It was a good start, a very good start. Another milestone met.

Again the angelic Crystal seemed truly happy at the news of the wind and continued to cheer me on. Pardon me, I farted again. The rest of the day just cruised and several imposing farts later I knew it was time for my first Bowel Movement. I will not go into detail about the milestone event. I will not gross you out with accurate explanations about the dark liquefied, gooey, nasty gas accelerated crap bomb, with what I have started to call crap shrapnel. But when it happens to you, don't be alarmed, and I hope your Crystal reacts to it a positively as my Crystal did.

The Angelic Crystal was relieved by the evil Tami around 7 PM. Had another round of vitals, Pepcid and Heparin. Pain Meds around 11 PM and I would have slept all night had it not been for the Techs taking vitals every 4 hours.