Poor me

Okay, pity party. Just tellin' ya'.

My incision is rashy, due to the latex free (Mom, I did tell them I have a latex sensitivity, so everything was latex free, and I had a flagged bracelet and everything. Did that horrible scratch test when I was little show a latex allergy? Or did we just discover it along the way?) I digress. Let me start over...
Due to the type of surgery, I have to wear a belly binder. (I made the nurse laugh when I called it a belly wrap on the phone yesterday during my panic.) It is like a wrap around girdle to hold everything in place. It makes me look thinner, I suppose. :) In any case, I have to wear this thing 24/7. Now, I have tender skin, and am prone to rashes. My tummy itches, badly. Then, Darrell changed my dressing and I had a yellow mark between my incision and the drain. (Oh, yes, I have this tube hanging from my gut that is just so delightful to encounter.) So, I called the doctor's office. Fear about going back turned in frustration due to the following. I can remove the dressing from the incision, but not the drain. (Leakage issues.) This was okay, because then I should wear a shirt between my belly wrap and my skin. This sounds okay. Here's the thing. With the mass removed, my skin down yonder is flappy. Thus, creating a cave for my incision. I won't go there, you can only imagine what that was like several hours later. So, now I am dressed, which I did on my own yesterday, but do not have the opportunity to get into my comfy nightie, which I am currently longing for but because I will be too hot wearing it over my shirt, thus making my tummy more itchy, I am not changing. I have a folded hankie filling in the cave. I sleep on the couch, and have created a nest there. I must say, I have resorted to tears and Rolos.

Sharing the couch with Sam has not been hard. He understands that sometimes I just need my space, and he willingly gives it to me. Yes, I am talking about the dog. Brian just grabs his pillows and lays on the floor to watch TV. I find this sweet. DJ offered to take me out to Wally World, where I could drive one of the carts. Darrell has been running around like a chicken with his head chopped off. Ruth, well, she is getting excited. Singing Christmas songs, and wrapping gifts she has taken from her closet. I love that. Last night, we played UNO and then made several presents for teachers and staff taht work with her. We curled up and watched Shrek the Halls and one of my fav's , How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Ruth pointed out that "Every year, when it gets to that part, why do you say 'Poor Max' ?" Yes, it is true, when he is pulling that heavy sleigh out of WhoVille, I feel like crying for the poor thing.
Ah, well, this loading off has helped, so if you made this far, know that I am feeling a little better. My tummy doesn't itch as much as 30 minutes ago, and I ma ready to maybe sit with Darrell for a cup of something hot to warm my toes. (The cat peed in my slipper last week. How gross!) Socks are okay, but still. :)