So, all this week I had been debating when I should return to work. You see, months ago I put myself down on the weekend roster to work 5 hours on the 29th July (Saturday). I had kinda forgot about it until the week I was in Brugge ... well, it was actually the day before surgery that I remembered and couldn't be arsed calling back to London to change it.
This week has been a little rough emotionally (for reasons unrelated to my decision about having surgery and associated recovery). My body, however, has definitely been on the mend. I was still quite bloated until about Wednesday this week, which meant I was out strutting my stuff in public with the zipper on my jeans at half mast and a rather long t-shirt pulled waaaay down!
Wednesday and Thursday I was wiped out ... I slept so much it I could've been mistaken for a brown bear hibernating. I woke for little else other than to use the bathroom and to get some fluids down my throat. At this point I was sure I'd be unable to go to work on Saturday.
As I lay in bed staring at the ceiling on Thursday evening I thought: "You REALLY need to go to work." Why you ask? Two reasons: 1) I needed to see if I'd be able to manage (I figured 5 hours would be a fairly good indicator) & 2) I NEEDED the money!! Raaah, money!
I work in a hospital on a bank/locum basis (no contract, no benefits but great rate of pay) which suits me as I think I'll only be here in London temporarily ... I need money more than benefits! But, this is where I stike a snag. I self funded for my operation. My rent (which is ridiculously expensive but hey, this IS London after all!) is due. And, I've taken two weeks off for my op and recovery - with NO pay! Yaaaa, I think you're catching on. I needth the dough!
I woke up Friday a different woman. I felt great! I couldn't feel any pain around my port area. I could sleep on both by sides comfortably. I could bend over without needing to contort myself into a pretzel to avoid pain. I could sneeze and cough without bracing my middle with a pillow or the nearest wall! The bloating had subsided. Annnnd, I could finally fully stretch! You know what I'm talking about, that good ole fashioned stretch when you first wake up in the morning! Gosh, it felt goooooood! I made my mind up there and then. I was going to go to work on Saturday. Nine days post-surgery. What the heck?!
I didn't sleep well Friday night. The alarm was set for the usual time I would set when I have to get up for work but I'd forgotten I didn't need to allow time to eat breakfast! I felt a little tired but more determined than ever to go to work.
Management at work had been kind enough to give me an assistant to help with the manual handling of my patients but as it turned out I only needed her to help with two of my four patients. It turned out to be absolutely fine! I had NO discomfort or niggling. At times when I was treating patients, I even forgot I'd had surgery. I must admit that I was feeling a little tired by the end but as I'm existing on no more than God's good humour and my body fat, that's to be expected! But I did it! Woohoo!
After work, I hit C*sta C*ffee for a bowl of hot chocolate. I kid you not! That place serves bowls of beverages not cups! I did not feel guilty at all as by 3pm I had only had the following: 250ml protein shake, 150ml yoghurt and 1lt of water. Strangely enough I was not even overly hungry! Why couldn't I be like this before surgery! LOL! The rest of my food consumption for the day (pardon, if you're not interested) was: 250ml custard; 250ml cranberry juice; 1 cup of sloppy mashed veggies and 1lt of water.
So, all in all it was a great day yesterday! I felt great; I worked; I ate relatively well (barely hungry at all) and just when the day couldn't get any better, I got a phone call from R (that man can always make me smile and feel like a million dollars! I can't wait till we can live in the same country, same city, same house again!)
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