June 16, 2010 - Day 2

I have been waking up all through the night but have been relatively "comfortable" other than my back which aches from lying down for so long.

Then around 5 a.m. I must have shifted in bed a bit too much.

I woke up moaning in agony! I had just hit the morphine drip (can only do so every 5 minutes). The night nurse heard me before I managed to hit the button to call for her. Two of them came in and because I was so comfortable until then they weren't sure what was happening but finally determined it was gas pain.

Gas
I'd like to point out that by 'gas' I don't mean in my bowels (there is *nothing* in my bowels). It's the air they had to pump into me for the laparoscopic procedure that is trapped inside my body. The only way it comes out is with time, really.

The nurses said all I could do was breathe through it. I outstretched my chest like I wanted it to open up to escape. It was so painful! Finally I could hit the morphine again but it takes a few minutes to kick in. That was the worst bout of pain ever! I proceeded to make every effort to do what I can to not experience that again. Walking will help (but I wouldn't do that for 2 more days).

Along with breathing deeply as much as I could myself, the nurse increased my oxygen to alleviate the discomfort.