Some of you may not know but I had inguinal hernia surgery on January 24th, which successfully removed the discomfort I had been experiencing working around and caring for Angie. I am a bit sore and stiff at the surgery location while my back recovers, but I am able to walk upright again and lay flat without debilitating pain. Thanks for those that have been praying and supporting us through this surgery and recovery.
The pillow pictured above I found at Goodwill before surgery and decided it would help give me a smile when recovering from surgery. And boy did I need it. Inguinal hernia surgery is very uncomfortable. That first weekend was a lot of discomfort, lack of mobility, pain medication, and stomach issues from all the medications. The worst of it is over now and I am on the mend, trying to stay distracted from my discomfort while resting and recovering. I am not a person who likes to just sit around and do nothing. While the physical recovery from surgery is challenging, it is just as challenging for me to rest and allow others to care for me and Angie.
An additional challenge was how to care for Angie while I was recovering. We were been blessed to have a friend of the family who is a nurse who was available Monday through Friday for the first two weeks to care for Angie while I am imited in my lifting and physical movement. My parents are coming evenings and our daughter, Emily, is coming weekends. I return to the doctor on February 6th for post surgery check and hopefully a release to return to normal work the following week.
This is the second time (first being my back surgery) I have had to step away from caring for Angie and have others become caregiver. We are so thankful for the nurse, our family, and friends helping support us. Asking for help is never easy for me. I had not realized how much I do each day to care for Angie until I watched others care for her this past week and struggle to do some of the things I do each day. We have had to find alternate ways for others to care for her. And post recovery, I should not go back to as physical of care as I was doing. We are looking to have a LRT (Lift-Rotate-Transfer) Patient Transfer System installed in the bedroom to help move Angie from the bed to her wheelchair in the mornings. We are also looking to other medical aids to simplify her daily care for others and myself. We will continue to look for ways to make our home more accessible and comfortable for Angie and easier for me to provide care for her.
Continue scrolling if you want to see pictures of my post-surgery incisions. If you do not, just close this window now.
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Main incision is right below my navel. That is where they inserted the mesh to close my hernia. There are two smaller incisions three inches and five inches lower they use for probes and other controls. Modern laparoscopic surgery is fascinating and I have been blessed to have that option. Recovery is much quicker than open surgeries.