Removing the Dressings

I woke up at 8 AM to two nurses introducing themselves. Though I still felt intensely bloated, I felt recharged enough with my sleep that I was emotionally able to cope again. The nurses told me that today was my discharge day, my compression dressings were coming off within the hour, and I would likely be out of the hospital in the late morning. After such a traumatic night, I was ecstatic and so grateful that relief was around the corner.

Shortly after, the nurses took off my compression dressings completely. The moment they were removed, my bloating disappeared. The nurses discovered that my catheter tube had been held in a kinked position under my dressings. Suddenly, the intense discomfort around my catheter tube made sense.

With the dressings removed, I was able to see my body for the very first time. It wasn’t a very flashy, over-the-top moment. It was a subtle one. I felt like I was calmly welcoming an old friend. My dysphoria was entirely gone. I felt like everything had been set right. 

Standing up After Bed Rest

The nurses prepared me to stand up and cautioned me to take it as slowly as I needed. The human body needs to slowly reacclimate to being vertical after 48 consecutive hours of bed rest. I never imagined that I would need to move comically slowly. I felt like a turtle cosplaying as a sloth. I sat up in bed and felt wildly lightheaded, then I laid back down. I managed to swing my feet over the side of the bed before the lightheadedness took over again. I bowed my head and rested. The nurses put a walker in front of me for me to use as I find my balance. In total, it took about ten minutes for me to go from laying in bed to being able to stand up for short periods of time. I had to be very patient with myself as I took many sitting breaks while conditioning myself to stand again.

Using the Bathroom and Hospital Discharge

Eventually I was able to walk short distances using my walker. Once I was walking, I immediately realized I needed to poop. The nurses helped me get situated at the toilet and reminded me that wiping from front to back is a firm rule. They gave me wet wipes to wipe with since they are gentler on the sensitive area. They reminded me not to “push” and to take my stool softeners.

After the nurses gave me a briefing about how to tend to my catheter bag, they left to collect my discharge paperwork and medications. My friend helped me pack up everything in my room back into my go-bag. Around 11:30 AM I was on my way out of the hospital on a wheelchair.

Reacclimating to Home

I arrived home at 12 PM and the ride there was a little uncomfortable because the natural bounciness of the car felt magnified. My friend helped me up the two 4” stairs between the driveway and the front door. I’m grateful that there were no additional stairs to tackle. 

I made a bee-line for my bedroom because my first priority was to sleep. I tried getting in my queen-sized bed with a semi-soft mattress. I found it very difficult to get my whole body in the bed, nevermind under the blankets. It was too large and far too squishy for me to leverage myself in. I instead resorted to napping in the recliner. 

That night, I found that the couch was much easier to get in and out of, though I still required the help of a friend to go from sitting to standing. I am grateful to have had a friend come stay with me and my roommate for the first week of recovery. They helped me prepare my food, manage my meds, run miscellaneous errands, and keep me company.