Sensations

I've said that I've been pain free and that indeed is true but I suppose it depends upon your definition of pain. Pain to me is something which is debilitating - a sharp sensation of hurt which prevents or deters me from doing things. What I'm experiencing these days is, I suppose, a soreness and it's interesting that it has changed its incarnation over the past few days. There are the sites of the two drains and the scar, both of which are to a certain extent sore. But now however I'm experiencing some new slight internal soreness which hithertoo had been absent - or maybe just masked by the residue of the various pain-killing drugs I received. For the first time I have some awarenewss of soreness in the remaining bit of my lung.

There's little advice around on what or what not I should be doing. I have a pain relief leaflet and an "after your epidural" leaflet but not a "what to do after a thoracotemy" leaflet. The University of Southern California has the most complete advice online - better than Macmillan.

One of the issues it's difficult to determine is when I can drive. I could drive now, perfectly well and very safely because it's apparent that I'm not in the sort of pain that many people obviously are (if the managing pain leaflet is to be believed) following surgery like this. In fact the doctor said I could drive when I feel like it - but he then mentioned a period of a month and said I must tell the insurance company. I asked the insurance company when I renewed last week and they said it was up to the doctor. Circle complete. So now I'm trying to ring the insurance company (that appears to be the only way they will accept communication) to notify them. Whatever, it will be well over a month when I'm back from holiday so I reckon that as long as I feel able and up to it and I've notified the insurer, then I should be OK.