Small Birthday Dinner
Posted on November 14, 2026 by Ching under Life.
We had a small impromptu dinner at the Belmont with the Terneses on my actual birthday this year. It was just 10 days after my surgery so Brian and I didn’t make any plans. We didn’t know how I would be feeling. That same week Susie suggested dinner and, since we didn’t already have anything going on, we set a date.
Brian got me my favorite cake from Whole Foods.
I don’t want to jinx myself but my recovery has been pretty smooth. I had surgery on Tuesday, October 20, and within a week, I was already off pain meds. For pain management, the doctor prescribed me ibuprofen and oxycodone and I didn’t use them. I just used our normal, over-the-counter Tylenol. I started taking Tylenol at 6 AM on Wednesday morning and took them every six hours that first day. The next day, I took Tylenol three times. Friday, I took Tylenol later in the day and only took it twice. I started the Tylenol later and later in the day to the point where I was only taking the pain medicine once a day. I think Tuesday, October 27, was the last day I took any Tylenol.
I didn’t think I would be feeling as well as I did only a week later. We didn’t make any plans because we thought I would still be feeling pretty bad and not up for doing much of anything but I felt fine so we figured it was safe to go to dinner.
I still had cramps that would come and go and my abdomen still felt funny whenever Brian would hit bumps in the road while driving but I wasn’t in much pain overall. If anything it was mostly discomfort so I didn’t feel the need to continue taking Tylenol. The cramps would come and go and were worst when I had to go to the bathroom but they weren’t unbearable. I also had gas trapped in my belly from the surgery that was still trying to escape of my belly felt funny for several days.
The things I read recommended walking around the house and so I did that but then we progressed to walking in our neighborhood. The first time I walked outside, Brian and I only walked a third of a mile. The next day two-thirds of a mile and the third day I was able to walk a mile. Granted the mile took 30 minutes but it felt good to be able to do it.
By the time my two-week followup appointment came around on November 5, I was feeling almost normal. I still couldn’t run or jump because my belly still felt funny (probably from my organs shifting and settling in the cavity vacated by my giant uterus) but I felt fine other than that. I told Brian I thought there might be something wrong with me because I don’t feel like there’s anything wrong with me, which didn’t really make any sense. We were both baffled but Brian said this is a testament to the my doctor doing a great job with the surgery.
At my two-week followup, my doctor released me to return to work the following Monday, November 9–work from home for the first week and then back to my normal hybrid (at home Mondays and Fridays; and in the office Tuesday through Thursday) work schedule the following week. The doctor still wanted me to lay off pickleball and Zumba until after my six-week followup which is not until December 7. Let me tell you, I am so ready!
Ereymi is covering my Zumba classes until the end of the year but I told her that I would attend class as soon as my doctor releases me. I am counting the days. Thank you so much to everyone who has checked in on me, prayed, and wished me well. I appreciate all of your kindness, thoughts, and prayers.
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