My daughter had surgery in May, requiring three days in the hospital. The process, whether you're going through it or watching it, is interesting to watch (in hindsight!) You do feel like death warmed over for the first couple of days, and that white button is so helpful. But she would have stayed in bed, keeping herself at that level of discomfort, if I hadn't insisted that she get up and walk around the halls a little that second evening, and the third day we had her doing laps. With each walk I could see the anesthesia clearing out a little more. (She had her spleen removed, due to spherocytosis, and was under similar instructions not to lift ANYTHING for several weeks). The folks down at her summer job at Dairy Queen were so good--she had the laparoscopic surgery on a Monday and was back at work on Saturday. They had her handle cash only, not even lifting food to hand it over the counter.

SRS