Yesterday’s nurse was back again this morning, looking tired, whereas yesterday she had been totally chipper and brightened my day. I had a two-skein scarf going for whoever it was going to turn out to be for, and it was quickly clearly for her. So that’s what I did today.
No pureed foods after all, meantime. I admitted to the surgical team that the clear liquids had hurt, so they had me stick with them for now (oh joy). Broth and this super-sweet lemon fizz stuff you could use for a glucose tolerance test, and sorry, Nancy, but I despise Jello. I actually do eat a ritual half square’s worth when they bring it, trying to see if it’s any better this time. It is not.
So having that yarn to retreat to helped.
But my abdomen was hurting and I kept knitting anyway–I wanted it finished by shift change.
And I managed it. I’ve been resting since I gave it to her, and I’m doing better.
The important thing is, she was thrilled. She was totally blown away. “Now I own a scarf!” as she wrapped it around her. I explained that if she rinsed it and laid it out flat it would come out about a third longer and flatter, but she was perfectly happy.  Thrilled. “You didn’t have to do that!” (A little medical tape to wrap the yarn label in a circle around the scarf–I thought that was a nice touch.)
I have two more balls of that same yarn left. Two days to knit a scarf out of it at hospital pace. We’ll see how I do.
The 25 staples come out ten days post-surgery. I look very Frankensteined down there.