32 Mommy of 1- 9/8/16 - Breast Reduction & Lift w/Implant to Regain Fullness After BF - Cartagena, CO

Well, I'm OK. Waking up in recovery was the worst!! I could feel my incisions and I was shaking uncontrollably (which is apparently normal) They didn't want to give me extra pain meds because I had lost a lot of color and was very pale. After 6hrs I was finally allowed Vicodin and it was huge help! They say day 1 is the worst and it gets better from there. Today I'm very sore, swollen and getting up unassisted is tricky...but I made it! I havent looked under my garments either. I was in so much pain last night I was afraid to see what I had done to myself. Now I'm feeling a bit curious, they say to keep the compression garments on or I'll lose blood pressure and could pass out. Having a night nurse spend the night with me which was a HUGE help and totally worth the cost. Waking up to someone checking my pulse, temperature, oxygen and blood pressure is comforting. She got me soup last night, breakfast this morning and is checking on me in the afternoons. I let her sleep in my bed. Poor thing fell asleep in an uncomfortable plastic chair. I bought her breakfast here at the hotel, they wouldn't let her in the restaurant area since she's not a guest.
Getting up is the worst! I tried to bend over for a dropped phone cable and almost fell...charger is now taped to the night stand! My nurse came to see me, I got a lymphatic drainage massage and they changed a few bandages and put me in clean compression garments the ones from yestersay were all bloody with drainage. Just wiping down with a baby wipe and changing feels good. I'm trying to just walk around my room for movement. I'm not ready to venture outside yet. Finally had a look at myself and not quite as bruised as I expected... I do expect to get worse before I get better. I never knew compression garments would be such a blessing in disguise.

Let the countdown begin! This feels so whirlwind. I don't feel jitters or nerves at all yet. Today I registered with the hospital, had my final consultation with Dr. Campbell (who is a gem) and bought all my garments and medication. I let Dr. Campbell know i wanted to meet another patient so we could communicate during recovery here in Cartagena. I got lucky and met his next patient in the waiting room who is having a very similar procedure. She goes in day after me but it was refreshing to speak with someone who is going through the same experience as me. I took my bedtime Xanax to help me sleep and it's taking effect....until tomorrow...pray for me, send me healing vibes! I think the hardest part of my journey will be waking up completely alone in a foreign country feeling my worst with no familiar faces to support me.

After 8 hours and 2 planes I finally arrived in Cartagena this afternoon. I had a little culture shock and felt very lost for a bit. I also learned I really need to brush up on my Spanish. My driver didn't Speak any English and I don't speak Spanish. When I got to my hotel there was a big language barrier. The front desk staff spoke broken English and there was a lot of communication errors. 1st they told me that my room would not be available until 10:00 p.m. Then they told me 3:00 p.m. ... it was 1:00 p.m. at this point, and then roughly 20 minutes later they brought me the key to my room. I was very confused and I felt very overwhelmed. I contacted Andrea at doctor Campbell's office and she immediately sent Cristina, another nurse, over to help me gather my bearings. Christina took me to a few local shops as well as a place to get my currency exchanged for Colombian pesos. She took me to a local mall that I could go to for shopping, food and let me know where to find the local grocery store for necessities. She also provided me with several tips so I don't get scammed by anyone trying to take advantage of a foreigner. I got settled into my hotel and acquainted with a few local places to pick up food & water.
So far everyone has been very nice. Dr. Campbell's staff makes me feel really comfortable with being in a foreign country. I'm excited for my pre-op consult tomorrow, I will pick up medications and post-op garments with Andrea and then spend time relaxing before the procedure on Friday afternoon. The level of personal care i have recieved so far has really put me at ease. I'm hoping it stays this way for the remainder of my visit.