Compulsive hoarding is a mental disorder that is just beginning to be understood. As a hoarder, I have acquired things over the years with a specific purpose in mind at the time of the acquisition, used some of those items for their intended purposes, forgotten the goal for different objects, but now that I find that they have outlived their purpose in my life I am struggling to rid myself of those same things.

You can read the start of my journey here.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Just call me, 'Patches'.

Zero dark thirty came and went just like I knew it would. 

Way too early.

The surgery went well. Both tonsils had decided to make a reappearance. Granted, they weren't very big, but it was a good thing I got them yanked. The abscess was still there. It didn't surprise me. I told Hubster a few weeks ago that I didn't think it had cleared up completely. My throat felt a little different the last few days, but it didn't hurt, so I didn't think much of it. Now I think that I'd have likely been back on antibiotics by the end of the week, if I hadn't had surgery. 

I'm sort of hoping the surgery will result in increased energy and focus. Walking around with a low-grade infection all the time can't be good for a person. So there it is. They're out. 

Not only are my 2nd pair of tonsils out now, but something equally similar in greatness happened today. Today, I was introduced to a motion sickness patch that is going to revolutionize my life!

I get nauseated at the simplest things. If someone walks on a loose floorboard, and it causes the floor to buckle even the slightest, I feel like I'm going to get sick to my stomach. Forget about watching anything that spins - ferris wheels, carousels, camera angles where they decided to get creative and swoop 360 degrees around a couple who is smooching. I can't handle it. I should have known what lay ahead when I was in 5th grade, and Fantasia was playing in the classroom. I ended up throwing up when the scene with all the numbers swirling came on the screen. 

Drugs and alcohol affect me much the same way. I would never make a good drunk or drug user. I can't stand the way either makes me feel. So I really don't do well with pain medicines or anesthesia after surgery. I don't think I've ever had a surgery before today that I haven't gotten sick to my stomach multiple times. 

Keywords: before today.

Normally, I have to have all sorts of anti-nausea medicine administered all sorts of uncomfortable ways to try to get it under control when I've had surgery in the past. Shortly before they wheeled me back today, the nurse put a motion sickness patch behind my ear. Oh. My. I cannot believe the difference it made!! Not only did I not get sick, my mouth didn't even water! What a foreign concept! 

As a result of the patch, I not only did not get sick, but I was home a few minutes after noon. My surgery was at 7:30. The nurses all figured I'd have to spend the night because of my asthma and mild sleep apnea and tried to prepare me for the eventuality before I was wheeled back. They were very happy for me, when I didn't have to stay. There is no doubt in my mind that I would have had to stay overnight, if I had traveled my typical surgery path. I liked being discharged at 11:30 a.m. instead of staying overnight. 

A lot.

I made a decision shortly after coming out of surgery that I will never, ever go without a motion sickness patch when it comes to being 'sliced and diced', as my friend, Ami. Mental., puts it.

Never. Ever. Ever.

Amen.

2 comments:

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