One of the most remarkable things post-surgery has been the tremendous loss of water weight. I went from 151 the day of surgery to 136 four days following surgery. That loss of excess fluids in itself has so improved my energy. The fluids were constricting my lungs and my heart, wearying me, exhausting me. With those fluids gone, I'm so much lighter and without constriction.
I truly have been struggling with excess fluids for about a dozen years. A lot of this manifested as cardiac symptoms, but the root cause was the buildup of fluids. That's why I have been telling people that this is the best I've felt in 12 years. And, of course, the healing process is far from over. Three months from now, I may just feel like a teenager again.
The bruising of my belly has expanded. Much of my tummy is now black and blue.
And this morning I took two Tylenol because the incision was not just uncomfortable but painful. This is only the fourth time I have taken pain meds post-op and the first time since leaving the hospital.
Tomorrow is another clinic visit at UCLA. Up at 4:20 a.m., leave the apartment by 5, so that I can get to the lab when it opens at 6. Whew!
Here are a few photos from the morning after surgery. The woman with the mask is Janet, my friend and neighbor. The woman in bed is Brandie, the woman who gave me her kidney. The guy on the cell phone is Constantine, one of my favorite nurses, who hailed from Romania. Look how I'm beaming!
