So, Day Seven went well. I was feeling good. Pain was almost gone, and I had a good visit with the doctor who removed one of the drains from my abdomen. I was told that I could attend a dinner the following evening with my family, and that by all accounts, everything was looking good. I was feeling great, and I remember thinking to myself that this process wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it could be.
Silly me.
That night, I tried to have a bowel movement (something I’d only had once since the surgery) and was unsuccessful. So, I drank some decaf coffee and laid down. The next morning, I awoke and had a regular cup of coffee, took two Swiss Kriss supplements (they usually help “get me going” when I’m stopped up), and then tried to urinate and found that I could not.
Throughout the day, I sat on the toilet being unable to do either function.
All day.
By around 2:45 pm, I told Sherry to take me to the ER. The pain in my bladder was going from extreme pain to excruciating. I was immediately admitted and given a catheter. While that eperience is not pleasant, it did immediately alleviate the pain and a liter of urine came out of me. As for the other issue: I was given three medicines to get things going.
After about three more hours, the medicine started to do it’s thing. The only problem is that my stomach muscles were recently operated on, and part of what the medicine did was to push. I had to push way harder than I would have liked, and the pain I experienced was probably some of the worst in my life. About an hour and a half of laborious pushing, and I was through the worst of it. I was finally able to lay down, although I was unable to sleep due to extreme pain. Since it’s the pain medicine that constipated me, I was fearful of taking any more pain meds, so I stayed awake all night.
This morning, my daughter taught my wife how to make tejbedara, or Cream of Wheat the way my grandmother used to make it for me. Yes, it’s made with wheat which is not Paleo, but they used coconut milk and almond milk as well as a Paleo sweetener. It really helped calm my stomach. I got some pads with lidocaine to wipe my butt with that really helped with the pain and I was finally able to get some sleep. The worst part, though, is now I’m wide awake at 11 pm.
As for how I’m feeling now; it hurts. Without the pain meds, I feel all the cuts, the stitches, and the extra pain from all the pushing I did over the past day and a half. I’m eating much softer foods that should pass through me easier, and I’m being more diligent with going to the bathroom if there’s a hint of needing to go. I’m doing everything else the doctors prescribed, and my next appointment is Tuesday when they will remove the second drain and the catheter.
So, this is my experience so far. It’s not typical. This is just what happens when you eat too much meat and your body isn’t yet ready to process it all properly coupled with not knowing just how much pain medicines and antibiotics can constipate you. I also never knew that anesthesia can make a person have urinary problems for up to a week later.
I know this was probably my most TMI post, but I’ve always endeavored to be brutally honest on this site, and I want people to know everything I go through my my health and fitness journey without sugarcoating or dishonesty. Thank you for following, reading, and I hope to have better news and photos soon.
Paleo Marine 