Posted by Boston_Erik on May 09, 2011 at 00:18:29:All -
First of all, these photos should prove that my I (hopefully) hit my peak in terms of chipmunkness.
Once the nasal and liquid situation was seen to yesterday, my pain has been diminishing, swelling has peaked and sleep is great. Today, I even went for an hour-long excursion, vacuumed our apartment and started getting back in touch with people I was missing.
Since I hope today marks the end of the "strictly surviving" phase, I wanted to share a few of the tips and tricks that basically got me through the first week. They are:
Tip 1. Don't be afraid to tell hospital staff what you need: You need gentle, caring support those first few days in the hospital, and some nurses are better at that than others. I wish I had simply said no when they wanted to wake me up every two hours to check my blood pressure, since I needed that sleep.
Tip 2: Thank everyone: Unlike the disruptive one, the nurse on my second night was one of the kindest and most supportive people I have ever met. My wife was kind enough to buy her a box of Godiva chocolates for her time, so now I just have to buy something for her. It should probably be a house after this week.
Tip 3. Think calories and liquids: Easy one. I focused too much on calories, and not enough on liquids, so I struggled on day 4. All in, I am down 5-6 pounds from a base of 215 and 6 foot 3. Ensure, Gatorade, Gatorade, Ensure.
Tip 4. Exercise pays off: Motivated by Brandyleight35, I wanted to be physically prepared for the surgery. I think I would still be bedridden if it wasn't for this decision. I worked my way up to 1 hour of rowing and 1 hour of running every two days, since I figured cardiovascular strength was the way to go.
Tip 5: Tell your friends, and let them support you: I tried to be open about my surgery, since I live on a university campus and thought it would be hard to keep it a "secret". Although no-one really understands what the surgery meant, the fact that they knew what was going on gave them the license to check in, which again made me feel really loved. Also, people tend to appreciate the opportunity to help out as much as you appreciate their help. Win win.
Tip 6: Alternate ice and hot packs: This seems to give me face a low-impact work-out, which made me feel better, and seemed to control short-term swelling.
Tip 7: Wetwipes all around: My wife surrounded me in a mountain of wetwipes, so that I wouldn't dry my skin out when wiping up all the slobber. It seems to have helped make my skin more elastic, and most external signs of stress have now disappeared.
Tip 8: Clean clothes: I found great pleasure in donning a new white t-shirt, a new pair of slacks and new, white slobber-towels each day. If I hadn't done this, I fear I would've given into the filth after surgery, both physically and emotionally.
Hope these small tidbits help some of you, the way your collective wisdom has, and will continue to, help me.
Erik
- Re: MMA GA in Boston: Lessons from wk 1 Boston_Erik 00:19 5/09/11 (0)