April 5th - 9th (continued)

It was the middle of my second week home when two major issues needed addressing. I was down to my last 2 tablets of percoset by Wednesday the 9th. Before Vikki left for work I asked her to stop at the pharmacy for a refill. No sense adding to my misery today because this was the day that the mass of solid waste which had been accruing in my bowels for two whole weeks was looking for an exit. From the way I felt over the last few days it was apparent that this was an oversized load and the only passage was obviously too narrow! Without going into the gruesome details of how I spent over an hour in the bathroom, suffice it to say that it was a slow process and the pain was excruciating. The strain on my chest while I sat on the toilet rivaled that of when I was first dropped into a chair the day after surgery. Looking back at my last day at DHMC when I lied about my constipation in order to leave that day, it was a childish thing to do. The staff was only there to help me and maybe the problem could have been solved that day, while it was simply an annoyance. When it was finally over I was relieved, but thoroughly exhausted.

When Vikki called from the pharmacy that afternoon with the news that the prescription was not refillable without authorization from Dr. Jayne, I was horrified. Sure the dosage I had been taking religiously every four hours seemed less effective than the potent IV I was given in the hospital, but it was in fact tempering the pain fairly well. And I only realized this during the fifth hour now that the bottle was empty. Finally I was getting the real  pain from having my chest sliced open, my sternum sawed in half and my rib cage pulled apart like a pair of bulkhead doors just 13 days earlier! Fortunately, the decision whether or not to call John Jayne for a second prescription was an elementary one. Knowing that the percoset was largely responsible for my terrible constipation, I convinced myself to let it go and face whatever was coming. And so began my bout with depression.

First Weeks - Page FIVE

Straighten Up And Fly Right

Return To Recovery Menu

Updated January 15th, 1998