I had a nice chat with ChunkyMonkey last night (honestly, is there anyone better to talk to than a small baby? No arguments and you can pretend they agree with everything you say). I'd like to share it with you.
Me: You know kiddo, it's not that you're not worth every minute of pain and suffering I've endured. You totally are. But the fact that the pain is now continuing and is in fact WORSE, well, I think that means something. Like possibly you'll discover the cure for cancer? Or at least work for Doctors Without Borders?
CM: Ahhhhhhh.
Me: Okay, glad we sorted that out. Also, if you could work on sleeping for longer periods, that would be great. Because I am freaking WORN OUT, honey. This whole lump turning out to be an infected abscess? The PAIN? The GROSS DRAINING? THE FACT THAT IT IS GOING TO BE OPEN FOR A WHILE? Not only disgusting but exhausting.
CM: uuuuuuuuuuut.
Me: You know, I wish someone - like maybe Dr.Bitch when she checked my scar three weeks ago? Or a nurse? Or the literature? - had told me that a lump could be bad news. But everything said "fever" or "drainage" and I didn't have a fever until this weekend - and it was so low they said it didn't really matter - nor did I have any drainage until the Doc yesterday started draining the lump that I honestly didn't think I could have an infection. But I do. And it's nasty and painful and I'm pretty pissed off. Especially since Dr. Bitch said last week that I "couldn't" have an infection. Can I sue her?
CM: Ahhhhh.
Me: No, seriously. Or maybe I could sue everybody for not noticing the lump? I mean, even THREE Tylenol don't help the pain and I actually hurt more today. I pop Percocet so I can sleep and I'm not holding you as much because it hurts more. I've been a psychotically crabby bitch to the rest of the family and I've hardly even apologized because I've never been in this kind of pain for more than a day. Every time I leave the house or talk on the phone I feel like I am barely holding it together.
CM: Uuuuuuut.
Me: I hope you never feel pain like this. Of course, if you or one of your siblings did I would have fought with the doctor a lot more than I did last week. In fact, I think part of the reason I'm so crabby is that I'm pissed at myself. I should have argued with Dr.Bitch. Not that I wanted anything to be wrong, but I knew there was. I should have listened to my body instead of assuming everyone would follow the same checklist for infections.
CM: Ahhh.
Me: You're right, I should put this info in my blog. I mean, Top Ten Signs You're Pregnant is the most popular post on the site. And God knows I couldn't find anything useful online about this. So here it goes:
If you have a hard lump on your abdomen after a c-section, make the doctors pay attention. And if it hurts? It's already infected. You may not have fever or drainage yet, but you will. Make your doctor help you immediately.
