1.5 weeks from the laparoscopic appendectomy for the man's ruptured appendix, the keyholes have scabbed over, and the Steri-Strips are doing their job. The two courses of antibiotics are completed. His appetite has returned, and the bowel movements have normalized, indicating that the trauma and shock to his gut microbiome have settled. I'm making sure that he gets sufficient Vitamin C, fruits, yoghurt and lots of hydration. His skin and tissues require loads of nutrients to heal.
The raw hole is the one that we have to be careful about. It's the one that intra-abdominal drain tube was inserted; the tube was taken out on the day of discharge, and the gaping hole needed time for a superficial skin closure. To our great relief, it began healing nicely. Upon removal of the tube and discharge from hospital, the gauze dressing held clean for 48 hours at home. The dreaded pus and inflammation are kept at bay. We followed up with a daily change of dressing and wiping down the area with saline.
The man is able to get in and out of bed easier. He had needed the support of a walking stick for the first few days, but it's not necessary now. While driving, the stomach doesn't hurt so bad whenever he goes over bumps and uneven patches. The man needs to rebuild his core. He would muscle scarring and he needs to minimize that as he slowly heals. A trip to the supermarket earlier exhausted him. He has learnt that his stamina is totally depleted and if he strains, he breaks out in cold sweat or tear his healing muscles. Ugh. NO GOOD.
At this juncture, he can't walk Choya on his own yet. When the 7-kg dog pulls at her leash, he can't run with her or hold her down. He definitely can't pick up her poop. He's unable to walk the whole route with us as well. The heat and humidity add to the exhaustion. He'd have to sit down to wait for us to be done. He is getting stronger day by day though. We take it slowly then. He can start with simple gyrotonic stretches and rotation in another three to five days.
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