Day 5

We are now on day 5, and Melissa is recovering nicely but still experiencing quite a bit of pain. She is on pain medication, but she often feels that 6 hours is too long. We wanted to share a few more pictures in this post so that you can see how well she is doing. Just a heads up, we are also going to show the pictures of her colon after it was removed. Just in case you have a weak stomach, it might not be for you. The day Melissa was released from the hospital she graduated to a normal diet. There are some things that they suggest avoiding for 4-6 weeks. This is fiberous foods, nuts, seeds, things of that nature. She has been a little nervous about eating and constantly is checking her bag. She has a huge fear of having a blockage which can cause quite a few problems. The doctor told her that she could possibly have the second surgery within 4 weeks to get rid of the bag. This is a huge relief for Melissa.

Melissa wanted me to share a picture of this. This is a drainage they put in for the excess fluids that were in her body. I wasn't around when it was removed but Melissa wasn't happy about it. She had a student nurse remove it and she was pulling it out very slow. I guess the actual nurse was yelling to "pull it faster", and Melissa was saying she was screaming. She still feels sore from it which explains the frustration. Melissa is the most friendly, patient hospital patient, until you do something that hurts her and it's a complete change. It was very exciting to be able to get sent home so early, the nurse said it was the fastest she had seen someone released with the same surgery. We drove home and I had to make sure to avoid any bumps. Melissa was very fragile and sensitive on the ride home. She already criticizes the way I drive but add the pain and irritation and I think she would of picked anyone but me. 

We had the chance to meet with the stoma nurse together before we left and she gave us a ton of supplies and information. Also, she taught us both how to remove the bag and replace it. It's quite a long process. Luckily, they say you can change it as much as you want but you it's best for 1-2 times a week. Melissa cleans it out constantly, and is constantly looking at it. We both agree that it's really cool. It's so different, especially when you think that Melissa never has to go to the restroom other than to pee. I think the most interesting thing is that it moves. Where the small intestine connects to the abdomen, it wiggles like a worm. 

Melissa is still in quite a bit of pain and she is still not very mobile. She hasn't been able to sleep in our bed since we got home because it was too flat. She's been sleeping on the couch in the recliner. Last night she was able to actually lay on the couch and we propped some blankets and pillows under her legs to make it more comfortable. It was quite a blessing because a couple nights before the kids woke up quite a bit and we didn't get much sleep. Last night, they slept through the night! Melissa has a home health nurse coming to help her change the bag. This is going to be her first time since being out of the hospital. She has had a little bit more energy and has had a couple people come to visit. Also a member of the ward brought us dinner the other night so we wanted to make sure we gave a big THANK YOU for that. Melissa is a little hesitant about actually showing a picture of her with the bag, at least for now. It's a huge change in body image so I can't really blame her. I'm sure she will come around. As promised here are the pictures of the colon. One is before he cut it open and the other shows the actual inflammation of the colon. It's quite amazing looking it, literally her whole entire colon was inflamed. It's astounding that something like this could make someone so sick. Now that it's removed, she's cured! 

 
This is the colon cut open. If you look at the bottom right corner. It's a little lighter pink, this is what color your colon is supposed to look like. The dark red/black parts are the inflamed/ulcers. I look at this and wonder how her colon even worked at all.