5th Day: Settled into a routine but not yet bored

So truthfully, it still feels like I'm on a somewhat lame vacation.  I'm waking up at almost a normal time, having a leisurely continental breakfast and taking a walk around the lake.  Without the kids here the pace has slowed way down which has been good for a while but I can see the novelty wearing off and soon. 

After stretching the painkillers overnight to 8 hours, I decided to halve the dose this morning.  Turned out well as it gave me just a little pain relief to deal with the neck and shoulder aching but didn't make me loopy.  After last night's spectacularly trippy waking dream (mile-long waterslides manned by aliens ending in a vat of mac n' cheese), I wanted to try to keep my conscious hours as lucid as possible.  I've not had any more dizziness today except for a few short episodes while on the second walk.  Up to 5 miles, day 5.  Surely I can't keep this up...or can I???

Second shower last night was more successful than the first mostly because I figured out how to deal with keeping my long hair out of the velcro of the neck brace.  While drying the plastic pieces of the brace, I reclined on the bed to let my neck air out a bit.  The steri-strips aren't showing many signs of letting go and the whole area under the dressing is still pretty rashy.  Photo below:

Incision Day 5 Post-Surgery

Day 5 Summary:  Mental status = almost returned to normal.  Phsically, lump in throat remains, albeit smaller.  Skin around incision still numb and tender, rash maybe slightly less red.  Strength a little shy of normal, ~90%.  Pain minimal, shoulders and neck a little achy.