Report from Day 1, Post Op

I’m behind on the updates. I really appreciate all the emails and comments. L* is online now too, and has enjoyed reading them.

Saturday, our first day back home was a little bit hard. L* was resting and I went to our local Safeway to get her prescriptions filled. My timing was off: I arrived at 1:00, just after the pharmacy had closed, so the pharmacist could have lunch. We really like the pharmacy there, because they pay attention to you and treat you like a person, so I decided to walk to the public library until the pharmacist had returned. I picked up some books I had requested, including Audre Lorde’s The Cancer Journals.

I hurried back so I could be first in line, but alas, someone else was quicker than me. An elderly lady was there for her husband and she had many and complex requests for the pharmacist. (For example, they had a really expensive prescription that he might not actually continue to use, so she was consulting to find out what was the least amount she could get to last him till his next doctor’s appointment. You can totally understand her position!) So fifteen minutes into this, I send L* a text message letting her know.

When it’s finally my turn, as expected, I take up at least as much time as the lady ahead of me. The insurance has been refusing L*’s prescriptions lately, so the Pharmacist (a really nice South Asian woman) called the insurance company to work that out (one of them had the wrong birth date on record). Then, our doctor wasn’t in their database so she had to enter all her information. Then she had to call the doctor about the prescription which is very expensive and usually not covered by our insurance. All told, it was almost 3:00 by the time I was done, but thanks to the good offices of our pharmacist, I paid only $25 for three prescriptions.

Before I had left home, I had left the front door open and the security door locked, so that L* could have some fresh air there in the living room.

While I was gone, the mailman arrived, stuffed an x-ray film into the security door and scolded L* because our mailbox was full. “When was the last time you emptied it?” (Ummm, Thursday?)

Then an enormous bouquet was delivered to the house. L* didn’t really want to let the delivery man into the house and he gave her some grief about this.

Also, by the time I got home (remember, two hours after I had left!) the pain medication that they’d given her at the hospital was wearing off.

So L* was in pain, harrassed, and dismayed that I was gone so long. Pobrecita!

She’s wearing a compression bandage, which has these weird bra-like straps--I’m sure if she were a man they would just tape her ribs, but no doubt someone designed this one so the patient would still feel feminine. L has a drain under each arm. We empty the drains twice a day.

L* is being a tremendous good sport about everything. I know she’s tired, but she’s also excited to be at home again, full of the beautiful colors L* has put in every room.

L*’s colleague CF brought by a vegetarian lasagna, salad, cherries, plums, and a baguette. CF has also organized L*’s co-workers to bring us dinner this week. She’s so thoughtful! The lasagna was delicious, made with egg noodles and some hint of a secret ingredient. (It’s chipotle!)

L* rested and dozed during the day. We went to bed early (9 o’clock) but I was already stupid-tired by then.