Friends and illness

It's always fascinating how friends, colleagues and acquaintances react when you are ill.
This time the two people who I thought would pop in, no matter how briefly, seem unable to, as if they want to stay away and avoid being contaminated... guess I am angry but still.... not all the time...
And it has been some colleagues and others who have been remarkable.
I was just thinking the other day that the best thing to do when someone is ill/indisposed is to contact them and say: " I am bringing lunch tomorrow. Doesn't matter if you don't eat it then - whenever - what would you like?" or "I am at Woolworths/this deli/bakery/whatever and then popping into you; what would you like?"
And that is exactly what someone did. "I am going to Woolworths later. What would you like?" And so I got julienned beetroot (unsurprisingly, they didn't have the Norwegian salmon or tuna and cucumber mousse I also wanted) but I was able to get what I wanted and I paid her for it. What a touching thing to do.
My first response had been (in my head): pick me up and I will do my own shopping then, but of course I cannot carry a basket or push a trolley so cannot shop on my own.
Did online grocery shopping (the Easter weekend is a crappy time to go to the shops here, too busy... and some shelves deserted from what I have heard) but it was one hell of a pahlava. The only online shopping that works in South Africa is shops that exist purely online, eg Yuppie Chef and Kalahari.net, but guess the bulk of the groceries did arrive even if it took endless calls and screaming and angry tweets before the order happened... anyway....
Am badly constipated again today so eating everything in sight, hoping it will make me go to the toilet but ....
Anyway, guess friends cannot cope with illness but do appreciate the SMSes. The two I thought would visit, well, the one has not even bothered to SMS and I phoned for a chat...
Ja well no fine, as they say in these parts......

Thanks to unwashed prunes

Today has been my best day since my hysterectomy last Monday (two Mondays ago).

I have suffered from intense constipation, unlike anything I have ever known, and after two lots of Movicol yesterday and one more dose this morning, sat down in sheer desperation with about a third of a punnet of unwashed prunes and ate them.

It worked. A few days ago I had about eight and it didn't work. This time I had the runs which was better than the intense pain I have been under.

In fact, today has been my best day post-hysterectomy.

Last night I got into a panic. I kept thinking: I am being so negative that I am not going to heal and if I am not careful, will end up back in hospital.

So trying....

Oh, and don't have results of urine test to see if I have a bladder infection. The lab is closed tomorrow - Good Friday - so doubt will hear any more re it till Tuesday.

I have to get better. This has been agony. But unlike the cancer treatment I had, during which I just gritted my teeth and did what I could in order to get better, this operation has been the most devastating physical experience of my life.

I am still waiting for the report, so still don't understand how the fibroid could cause "negative cells" and what they means but fakking hell, this has been one hell of a journey and am still devastated how I have been so struck down - despite having no cancer or pre-cancer.

But I need to laugh and smile and be happy - so I can get better.

A few things...post-hyterectomy

* The gynae and I are now talking, thank god, 'cos after very bad constipation post hysterectomy (a problem which might not yet have been solved in fact), am now onto my second post-hysterectomy problem: a potential bladder infection.
He sent me for a urine test today and phoned a series of people to take me and luckily solved the problem and got there and back pretty quickly, with one friend taking and another fetching. I spent R450 on taxis the other day, and that was just two one-way trips, and this depot was just down the road. We have tuk-tuks in Joburg now but they are too bumpy and not the best for post-abdominal surgery I don't think.

*Am in intense pain. Just taken some more pain killers. Oh that was another good thing re gynae talking to me. I needed more painkillers. Have hardly been taking them. But now bugger that and taking them 2 to 3 times a day.

* The worse I feel, the crosser I become re this. Re having had the op. I am ok and can deal with it when ok but when have pain like this, just see red... to use a blady cliche.

* I do not think I am ready to do any work from home. Work was prepared to set up the work system at my home - I asked  - but really, not well enough to deal with people, think coherently, do whatever. I still have to inform them. The Yoga Man told me not to worry about this till next week.

* I know I just did online shopping and tweeted re it so work will probably think am ok to work but I cannot. I need to sort myself out.

Hope I don't have a bladder infection. Feel like chopping my head off. Oh, by the way, The Yoga Man says I was much sicker when I had chemo so my previous post is inaccurate.

And the reason the doctor hasn't sent me the bill - so I can send it to the medical aid (I asked for it to be made accurate and the "maligant..." to be removed) - (I have already paid it)  - and the reason he hasn't sent me the report is that it is at his home.

Feel like having a few drinks but don't think they will go well with the painkillers.

Feel like screaming. A little.