Entry two: Bypass surgery

I didn't think I'd have an entry so soon, and while still in the hospital, but here we are. It's Saturday, the fifth day after surgery. Hoping to be discharged later today. I've been moved from ICU, to a step-down, intermediate care unit. Or, as the nurses put it "where we actually let you sleep for four hours at a stretch instead of bugging you every hour." I'm sure as with any field, they take that approach with some levity. ICU is where patients are freshly brought in from surgery and are in immediate/intensive care. Their vitals need checked every few minutes if not every hour, medication needs to be dispensed and so forth. They are pretty much as helpless as newborn babies, completely and totally dependent on those caregivers around them. They are vulnerable.

Today I've been very restless. Sleeping for hours on end would tend to do that to anybody. I've alternated between laying and sitting down. About six or seven times - since 2 a.m. I've even paced along the foot of my bed. Since I'm limited by the length of cable that the heart rate monitor I'm hooked up to, I've been taking 6 steps one way, turn around, take another six steps. They've been easing up on medication, and I've chosen to back off from any more pain medication as is totally necessary. While these may be potent and effective pain meds, they are totally non-addictive. I still don't want to have to depend on them, or use them as a crutch. I'd rather just depend on my body and its natural ability to heal and care for the pain.

I cannot feel my ring or pinky fingers on my left hand, just a tingling sensation. I wonder if it has anything to do with my left side and how it's hooked up to the heart and everything else catching up to the newly re-routed connections, or maybe just a side effect of medication. But, I'll be sure to mention it to the doctors next time they make their rounds. To give you a comparison, I can make a fist with my right hand and feel like I can crush a walnut. On the other hand - pun intended - I can make a fist and doubt if I can even crush a grape!

I'm feeling rather tired now so I think I will continue this at a later time. Stay tuned.