Day 2 - Going Home Retrospective

After two nights in the hospital, I was discharged at around 10 am on Thurs, September 1st. My last IV was removed, I was allowed to change into my clothes, and had another delightful breakfast of broth, juice, tea, and jello (or maybe it was a sorbet?). The hospital staff filled a paper bag with giant syringes and tubing so that I might eat and medicate at home, as well as some post-operative care instructions and a pill crusher.

I was able to walk out of the hospital, which felt good (if exhausting) and then we drove to Dr. Li's office. Costa met us there, so we were a nicely sized party for my first post-operative appointment. We were shown right into a room and, once there, Dr. Li cleared my nose with a little suction tube (an admittedly unpleasant, but effective procedure). Along with his four rules, he suggested that I try to irrigate my sinuses regularly to help keep sinus output from building up. Also, since tooth brushing, even on the outside, is out of the question for the first few days, I was instructed to rinse with salt water frequently to keep my oral hygiene up. 

Side note: I had purchased a Waterpik prior to surgery, which turned out to be pretty helpful in getting food out from between my teeth. Word to the wise, though, be careful of stitches, particularly in the first few days. 

I showered when I got home, which was lovely after being in the hospital and also helped keep my nasal passages cleared.

Courtesy of being hardly 48 hours post-surgery and being regularly dosed with Vicodin, I slept a lot during my first day at home. I was pretty groggy and had only enough attention span for TV episodes that I'd already seen. We wrote up a little medication schedule, which I highly recommend, to keep on top of daily (my regular medication), 4-hour (Vicodin), and 6-hour (antibiotics) doses.

My first few meals at home were pretty basic. I think they consisted of vanilla Ensure Plus, Trader Joe's Butternut Squash Soup, and some Odwalla juices.

I very quickly started to dislike how sweet pre-made juices and drinks were and the next day I made the switch to primarily homemade meals and freshly squeezed juices. (I'll write more about this!)

My first night at home was a little bit long - my neck was sore from sleeping at strange angles, and I consistently woke up around the time that I was due for another round of Vicodin. I ended up sleeping on the couch for a lot of that night just because I was sleeping so lightly and because it was easier to keep somewhat propped up.

That being said, I was still doing remarkably well considering I was fresh out of the hospital. Puffy and sore, but in good spirits. It felt great to be back in my own home with my boyfriend and dog (who was VERY excited to see me) and no longer hooked up to any tubes or wires.