Second Day Post-op

Today was my second day post-operation day from a left tympanoplasty done by the best and amiable ENT surgeon I've known in Los Angeles. I felt better now compared to yesterday.

Yesterday was okay, too. Although I limit myself from chewing hard foods, sneezing and coughing hard, and lifting so much because my left ear is still bleeding heavily. As instructed I took off the bulky dressing that wrapped around my head and changed the packing that it plugged outside the pinna which is always drenched with red bloody drainage.

I only ate soft diet that I cannot chew so I decided to cook "champorado" in the morning and "arroz caldo" at dinner. My appetite was quite finicky because I can still taste bitter may due to the anesthesia that was given to me. I felt the same way during my first operation last April and it will be probably gone in two months just like the first one.

I can still hear the popping and ringing sounds every time I chew slightly inside my ear because of the drenched packing that's why I refrained my self from chewing or else my drainage will be profuse. I am just careful aggravating my ear so much because I don't want some complications later on. I'm hopeful there will be none. God bless me!

I was so bored yesterday that I almost decided doing some slight lifting like watering my potted plants outside the patio but I held my self from that so I decided to grab a good book and read the whole day while listening to some soothing music. I finished two novels by my favorite author Debbie MacComber under her Cedar Cove Series. I finished "16 Lighthouse Road" and "50 Harbor Street", both were poignant romantic love stories which rendered me crying my hearts out quenching my boredom with a good read. I enjoyed it actually!

I also tried to review my book for the Neonatal Resuscitation Program which I am renewing in September because I will be planning to go back doing registry now that they are calling me to help them out because a lot of hospitals are calling for placements now. I got sleepy reading the textbook compared to the novels I've read earlier. What a sleeping pill actually are these textbooks. I'm not just interested in studying right that time maybe.

The day yesterday was just spent staying at home doing nothing physical but just trying to refrain myself from straining hoping that my ear will not bleed a lot. I never ever took a Vicodin pill because the pain was just tolerable for me although there was some slight ringing but it doesn't even bother me.

I slept good also last night and went to sleep at 2200H after watching Olympic reruns. I woke up this morning very recharged and felt so much better. I drank two glasses of water after I woke up and decided to just water my potted plants at the patio which I last watered last Monday. My lemon grass, sampaguitas, and gardenias were already bushy and I am happy the way they grew despite of the hot summer but oh my they drank a lot of water every time I watered them. The soil gets dry after two days. The sun was also brightly shining right into my face so I soaked up myself under it for half an hour.

My plans today is to move a little bit so I decided to go to the gym to do some biking and walking. No weight lifting yet just doing cardio exercises maybe. I felt very inert the previous too days because I haven't been exercising. I last hiked at Hollywood Hills last week and I already missed it, but hopefully I will resume that in two weeks time after I can ask an okay permission from my surgeon on Monday during my first post-op visit.

Today, I will still continue to change the packing every 3 hours and possibly will took a very refreshing shower trying to be careful not to wet the operative ear. It was a hard process doing it during my first operation tilting my ear on the un-operative ear soaping and shampooing my hair as well as guarding the other ear not to get wet. It took me hours to do it last time but may be all will be well.

I am planning also to visit my students at Rosecrans Care Center today under the tutelage of my best friend Ms. Aguilar because I needed to pick up some important papers from her. I missed my students already and for sure they will be surprise seeing me there thinking that I am still recuperating. Of course, I am recuperating but I am recuperating fast.

Well, have to go now and start my second day right by going to the gym. Will update you more about my recuperation in the following days. Rest assure that I am okay and thanks for all your care, well wishes, good lucks, prayers, and most importantly your unconditional love vested on me. I am so lucky and grateful to have all you around thinking of me all the time. My heartfelt gratitude and love as always. God be with me today and to all of you forever. Bye for now!