Staples are Out!

Staples that were used to hold the incision together were removed yesterday - essentially two weeks post surgery. There were 30 of them holding the main incision together:


I was a little anxious about the possibility of pain when getting them removed, but with the exception of three or four of the staples, the removal felt more like a slight pinch each time a staple was removed.

I was kind of hoping that once the staples were removed, the irritation that I had been feeling would go away, but not the case. Everything itches so much!

While at my appointment, I was able to discuss a couple other things that have been concerning me:
  1. Fatigue: I've been sleeping a lot this week. Not just at night, but taking 1-2 hour naps sometimes multiple times a day. Doctor (actually NP) said this is normal and to expect lower energy level for about 6 weeks. No concern.
  2. Freezing: As I write this, OC is in the middle of a heat wave with temps in the upper 90's during the day. In fact, at 8AM, it's already 77 degrees. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here in a sweatshirt and fleece lined slippers. I've just not been able to get (and stay) warm. Once again, the NP said that this is also normal and probably related to blood loss during surgery. The plan will be to check labs at the end of the six week recovery period and look at Hb and anemia results. No concern.
  3. Weight loss: My final concern is my weight loss and lack of appetite. I've dropped 20 pounds since the surgery (compared to pre-surgery). Kind of makes sense given the size of the tumor, but my concern is just an overall lack of appetite. I struggle to eat 2000 calories a day. Once again, the NP had no concern about this, saying it was pretty standard to lack appetite at this point.
So apparently, everything is progressing satisfactorily at this point. I'm not going to complain (except for the itching).

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