My Bionic Arm: This is in the recovery ward straight after the surgery! A little annoyingly, this is my left hand and I am left-handed. Epic fail. Sorry if you don't like needles! I felt like robo-woman :-)
My Magic Wand! This was the suction wand I was kindly given to hold on to in the recovery ward. Now, that first night you might have a bit of blood in your mouth, like me. I think I'd swallowed a little too. Don't be alarmed - it certainly feels like more than it actually is! Or did for me anyway. Of course it's bleeding, someone just cut it into several pieces and stuck it back together! :-) It doesn't taste nice and is a little unpleasant, but it was only for that first night. So don't be surprised or alarmed, but be reassured that it won't go on for long! You can see (should you want to) that there's only a little blood in that tube. The downside is the taste of it made me feel a little sick. I was predicting feeling queasy after the surgery anyway though, so again, I wasn't massively phased. Tip: if you do throw up, just try to relax, tilt your head forward, and let it come out through your teeth. No, it's not fun throwing up when your teeth are banded together. When is it ever a ball to throw up anyway?! But it's not a massive problem - it will just drain out. No party, but no biggie :-)
Clinging on to a sense of humour with all my might: Back in my room from the recovery ward!
Smoothie ingredients! You've got banana Ensure, an actual banana, mango, peach slices, honey, yoghurt, ice cream and guava jam I got on holiday last year. Getting creative with the smoothies is fun! I know there's a lot of sugar here, and I assure you I brushed very carefully afterwards. I have a five step tooth brushing routine more. More on that later (fascinating, I know!)
My friend Rosie sent me this lovely book of smoothie recipes! I didn't always stick to them precisely, but it gave me some excellent inspiration for flavour combinations! Thank you, Rosie!
My friend and namesake Jen sent me this soothing eye-mask that you pop in the fridge! Aren't friends lovely? This was so useful, particularly when I woke up in the middle of the night and felt headachey, and hot in the warm weather we've been having. Ahhhhhhh. Thanks Jen!
Enjoying a Day 22 peanut butter and chocolate smoothie in Ed's Diner with my friend Jen! That place is so cheesy, you can't fail to be happy. Jukeboxes and pints of icecreamy smoothie? What's not to like? :-) I am still proud of my ability to suck through a straw too! It was so hard in those first few days....I will never take it for granted again!
Hi Jen! Thanks for your comment on my recent blog post! I found it very useful as I'm currently gathering recipe ideas and useful products for post surgery. You seem to be doing really well, going out and about smoothie sampling! Ed's Diner looks amazing, is it in London? (I'm about a 30 min train journey from King's Cross!)
ReplyDeleteHope your recovery continues to go well (:
B x
Beth! You are very welcome :-) I must remind myself when exactly your surgery is?! I will upload some more recipe suggestions soon; I'm still on a blended diet. I find mash is the best base - hope you like it?! Then it's all about what you add to it. You can blend it with cooked chicken cut up small and this is easy enough to eat, if you add some milk or cheese sauce whilst blending. I could eat this kind of thing after about a week or so. For the first week I was pretty much just on the Ensure drinks and the soup versions too. If they don't give you a mix, you can get Complan from Boots which is pretty much the same thing, and they do some soups as well as shakes. I recommend this because I got sick of the shakes! Mix with mash: chicken/sauce, salmon/broccoli/sauce, pesto and cheese, cream cheese, baked beans (blend if need be), spag hoops (blend) - flavoursome sauces are the way forward too - curry sauces, gravy, anything that mixes up the flavours so you don't get bored. I blended a thai curry takeaway and it was the BEST THING EVER! :-)
DeleteI went to Ed's Diner in Wandsworth but there is one in central London too! It's cheerful cheesy food and I just love the vibe in there. Very retro and the shakes are huuuuuuuuge. 2 pints I think! Best of luck as you prepare! Please ask any questions you want xxxx
Jen :-)
Ooo! I remember being on recovery ward for quite a while, although a bit of it was a blur because of the drugs.
ReplyDeleteI hated being on the drip. :( I got them to cover all the needles in my hand up with bandage. I am such a wuss! Glad that bit is over, hehe.
Glad to hear you're recovering well. ♥
Abigail x
www.maxillofacialmemories.blogspot.co.uk
Hey Abi!! Yeah I didn't like the drip either! I don't mind needles so much, but on the third day I think my vein gave up and the fluid from the IV started going into my tissues instead of my blood! My hand and arm swelled up so they were huuuuuge!
ReplyDeleteHehe recovery ward memories huh? I saw my friend the other day who saw me just after the surgery. Apparently I refused morphine! I don't even remember that! That is so typical - goodie two shoes, refusing to take drugs even when in hospital :-) And I kept asking for water, but they kept telling me it would make me sick, so I'd be like "I do not want water!!! It will make me sick!!! I don't want to be sick!!"....then I'd ask for it again two seconds later and the cycle would keep repeating! Hehe can't believe I don't remember that :-)
How are you doing? How's the eating going? Love to hear how you're getting on!
Jen xxx