The next day I heard that I was going home. Yay. They discharge people by 11am usually. The ride MUST be here. I mean they really pressed that fact, in paperwork, signs, everything. Like they may leave us at the curb if our ride is late.
I went for a walk that day. Alllllllll the way down and back. That was only three walks total. I was supposed to walk about nine times. I lived so it's alright. My surgeon was to come in and talk to me before it was time to go home.
I had some broth. Yum. It didn't hurt, didn't feel weird. It was nice. They also gave me a bottle of IsoPure protein water. Not the best tasting stuff, but its protein. A little tiny bit per huge bottle but still. At the liquid stage its kind of important.
A bit later my surgeon did come in with the nutritionist. They poked at my wounds. My surgeon was on my right and took my hand and was walking about how wrong the directions on the board were while the nutritionist was poking at my drain tube. On tubes...damn, I forgot.
I had my catheter removed the previous day. Weird feeling that was, but they needed to know I could go to the bathroom on my own. I did a couple times. Woo. Had to mention that so people don't think they may be on the tube the entire time there. Anyway...back to the drain tube.
The Nut. was looking at the drain tube and she said "little pinch". My surgeon said something and I cant recall what, I said "I'll live.". Right after I said that there was a ripping sound. I'm not sure if it was the tape or the wound itself. It hurt so bad and I said "Ow". I mean it really hurt, holy moly. Owww. As if THAT wasn't bad enough, my surgeon goes "Okay funny feeling." as the tube was pulled out very, very fast.
I cant describe it. I felt a tube slither around on my guts. How can you describe it? I tell people "You know the phrase where people say they feel like a goose just walked over their grave, well that's what it felt like.". It's the only way I can describe it.
The tubes were out, I cant recall when the IV was taken out. That hurt a bit, I didn't know it was a big tube in my arm and not a little needle. The tubes were all out though. Freedom! I was given the okay to go home. I had to sign some things and get my stuff together. I called my dad and he came to get me.
Funny note, I was waiting for him, I blinked asleep for five minutes, opened my eyes and he was watching TV next to me. I mean it felt like I blinked for one second. I asked for some lortab before going home, just in case. Got all my things together, wore my new robe, it was fun.
Got a wheelchair. The nurse asked if I wanted one and I thought about walking down several halls, into the elevator, through more halls, to the parking lot and to the car. Yeah...think Ill take the chair. First time in one and it was fun being pushed around, the only hospital amusement ride. The driver of that wheelchair was funny and rather crazy. He walked fast! Wheee. Into the car and on to the road by 11am. My house was only ten minutes away. My headache went away when I got into the car.
I went home, I walked around fine. The six stairs to my room were fine. Laying down wasn't fun and sleeping was hard. I tried sleeping in a recliner but it made me nervous, I thought I would snap my cats up in the chair. I did like sitting in it though, the reason is a little different...
My tailbone was numb. It had been for those days in the hospital. It was totally numb, when more pressure was put on it it was even more numb. Standing didn't help. Nothing did. I read about nerve damage that can happen from just laying in one spot after surgery. This numbness lasted a week or two then once I was able to sleep on my stomach suddenly I felt the pressure go away and it went back to normal. Weird.
So I'm back home! This would have been December 10th I believe. I got a scale by the time I went in for surgery, I weighed a ten pound bag of sugar on it and the scale read ten pounds. I stood on it and it said 274. That was my pre-op weight and I consider it my starting weight. Why? I like to think of how much I lost "since surgery". I will sometimes add in what I lost before surgery too. I started at 289 I believe. Big change since then. Ill get to that later though, this post was just about December 10th.
Some of the next posts Ill do by week I think.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
The Day of Surgery Part II - CAUSE FOR ALARM!!
Yet another delay in my posts, a month or so, better late than never. Trying to play catch up in order to record some of the more important things that have gone on - and the update in weight loss. This will probably be a bit shorter than the other post or actually a lot longer, it just depends on how distracted I get and also because those couple days were a blur - I blame YOU, morphine!
I stayed the day of the operation, the next full day and the next day until 11am. The first day I can hardly remember, after surgery that is. I'm sure my stats were checked every so often and the nurses introduced themselves, but I cant remember at all. I know I was hitting that morphine button like it just insulted me. The pain isn't horrible, its just very awkward because you cant lean from one side to another, its just a straight line. Forget about laying flat, ouch!
Cant forget about those nifty leg pump things, wish I had a pair of those at home. They're two little "sock-like" flexible plastic tubes they put your legs in. I cant recall how big they were, from ankle to just about the knee perhaps. They would "pulse" with air, making your blood circulate. It prevents clots in the legs. So relaxing. Those I sure do remember.
I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my previous post but my room had no door. It was just a curtain. It seemed my room was connected to a supply station. IE: if you walk through the curtain to the left of my room you would see the sink and bathroom to the left and a great deal of cabinets to the right. That was fine and dandy, my room wasn't touching the hallway, I was kind of in the back. The only problem was, the nurses didn't really like to turn that cabinet area's light off, no matter what the time and at the same time never really liked pulling my curtain all the way closed. It doesn't sound like a huge deal but when you're not allowed to sleep for more than half an hour to an hour at a time, it gets rough.
The next day was really hell day, if I say so myself...and I do, yes I do. I was supposed to walk on this day, several times. All bypass people out there know our motto, sip sip sip, walk walk walk. The first one is much easier than the second. Why do we have to walk? It gets the blood flowing, it also works the guts a bit to get them going and best of all it works the gasses around.
I would say I woke up the next day but in fact the last time I slept at this point was the night before surgery. I'm telling you that for those few days and about a week after I got home I was a narcoleptic. In the hospital I would look at something one second and blink awake the next. You know how young pups and kittens will stand there then suddenly keel over because they suddenly fell asleep? Yeah, like that. The nurses must check stats every hour or so, and give you shots, and take your temp, and give more shots, and check the drain tube....will get to that shortly.
So the next day, I think I had some of my brain cells back. My stats were checked, 500 times and so we're the "wounds". It was my first time looking too. They checked all the tubes as well...lots of tubes...yeesh.
I had five cuts, the longest about an inch long. Of course at that moment I didn't see them because they were taped up with little squares of bandage. As of right now, two months later, you can kind of see them. They look like cat scratches. One, very tiny one, so tiny, is at the top of the stomach near the chest. One is directly below the last on the left side of my belly button (left as in my left when I look down at it). One is directly to the left of that. One is to the far right of the last two and one is directly to the right of the last. Two on the left, two on the right, one in the middle and one on top. Easy huh? Wha? Hmm. So yeah, those were checked. Now the tubes.
Remember my IV wasn't in my wrist or hand...wherever they put it. It was in my left arm where they would draw blood because my veins were too teenie. Connected to the IV tube of course was the fluid and the morphine, those tubes were everywhere. Then I had a catheter...yeah that didn't feel awkward or anything. First time having one of those...weeeiiiirrrdd. Then the drain tube which I didn't even know I had till they had me lean a little so they could check it. Tiny tube sticking out my left side, connected to a little pouch that just kind of...hung around. They check the drain tube or JP tube I think they called it, for fluid to see how much leaking is going on. The first day mine was dry. My surgeon doesn't like using the tube because at the end of every operation she does an endoscopy and fills the new pouch with liquid in order to see if there's any bubbling, if there is, she stitches it up. Better safe than sorry though, I suppose.
The nurses...I had many, eight or so, were suggesting I walk. I couldn't really understand all of them, but no big deal. One girl said I should sit up and prepare for it. I cranked my bed up and leaned forward. Yikes. How to describe it...dizzy, to put it lightly, odd feelings like I had no idea how the middle of my body was working, where it was, what it was doing. It felt really bad and I let them know that. So I didn't walk right away, instead I was given a shot of something to help me not feel sick (you'll get those several times). The shot was put into my IV. I'm not sure it was supposed to go there because all the other shots I had were poked into my belly. After the shot I got up for the first time, oh man talk about having to learn to walk again.
I didn't want to walk to be honest but there was an underlying factor. PAIN! Horrible pain in my shoulders, I thought it was because I was laying around in weird positions. Turns out it was gas pain, the gas rises and pushes like crazy causing so much pain. That's why I had to walk. I walked to the bathroom and sat down (didn't have to go..had a tube to do that for me!) but I had to sit down, it really felt horrible. I had to move so slowly, and drag everything with me. The little JP tube bouncing along happily at my side. I sat down for a bit. I felt so sick, so weak and wrecked. I told the nurse that I felt horrible and HAD TO go back to my bed. I wobbled back to my bed, a dozen steps or so. Before laying down or sitting I had to change my gown, little spots of blood on it no big deal. I had to stand while the nurse moved all the tubes around, buttoned this, unbuttoned that. I was dying. She kept saying "Just wait wait wait". I did, it felt like an hour, and was finally able to sit. It was the worst feeling where I did not want to walk ever again. It happened after that shot into my IV. Like I said the other shots didn't go in my IV they were put right into the skin on my stomach.
After that I just wanted to be left alone. I tried watching TV, they had a lot of good new movies on demand, and I wanted to watch them but I kept falling asleep for a handful of minutes at a time. I was able to relax for quite some time. I believe my surgeon did come in that day for a couple minutes to look at everything.
If you didn't notice by now this is probably my most unorganized post, its very hard to remember those days because there was a large cloud around me. The things I remember may not have happened at that same time or in that same order. Just a warning.
I believe that day was the day I was put on the drinking cycle. My nurse wrote the directions on a little board, sadly she wrote them and explains them wrong. My surgeon came in the next day and saw the directions and said no no no. The real sipping directions are...
1 Medicine cup of liquid within the first hour, not faster, not slower.
2 Medicine cups of liquid during the second hour...in that order. That sounded very confusing to me so let me say it like this....
At 10am I was to drink one medicine cup until 11am. At 11am I was to drink 2 medicine cups until 12pm. At 12pm I was to drink three medicine cups until 1pm. I hope that helps a little bit more.
That is to help stretch the stomach out just a teenie bit, you really cant stretch it like normal at that point. Its just to help it expand and process. I didn't follow the directions because they were written wrong. I just drank whatever until whenever. I lived so its alright.
Another little device I got was a tupperware looking thing with a handle and a spout. You hold the handle and blow into the spout, the air lifts a little plastic thing inside the tube and it measures the pressure of your breath. You're supposed to practice with it. I forgot why, just to help you breathe and stretch things out I'm guessing. It hurts so don't try exploding a lung right off the bat.
The rest of the day were stat checks, shots and oh...oh yes, ALARMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Worst part besides the pain were the alarms. Whenever my arm would bend the IV alarm would trigger once. I mean if I moved my arm a little tiny bit. If the alarm beep sounded three times...it would never stop till a nurse shut it off. I got some guff from a couple nurses, I mean seriously come on. Right after major surgery, feeling like poo, cant move around too much, and they want me to keep my arm in one spot and NEVER move it? Lead by example, if they could do it for two and a half days then I would try harder. The rest of the nurses didn't mind. The alarms sounded off...a lot. All the time hehe. At one point the alarm sounded but no nurse was around so I clicked the call button. A voice came over the intercom behind me asking what I wanted, I said an alarm was going off in my room. The female voice said "Ill let a nurse know". She never did. I had to hit the call button again after ten minutes of alarm going off. Oh there's more alarms...more.
The leg pumps I told you about before, heavenly little leg huggers. I had the greatest itch of my life and had to take one off for a second to scratch, I then tried putting it back on but the alarm went off. I had a nurse come in to reset it. I asked her to put them back on if she would, that I just had an itch that was driving me crazy. She proceeded to say a few things that I could not understand. At all. Basically if she does put them on Ill have to live with the alarm or if I take them off again the alarm will go off...something like that. I simply said I wouldn't take them off again. Finally she put them back on. Why wouldn't she? I didn't want to clot and die, yeesh.
Also the IV and leg pumps would set off an alarm when they were empty (IV/Morphine) or when their cycle was done (pumps). Also the pumps would sound off if they were moved in an awkward way, I think I tried crossing my ankles just to stretch a little and it sounded an alarm. Nurses would have to come in and reset/refill those things when the alarms went off. It was a lot to deal with at the time.
Around the middle of that day my head starting pounding and killing me, mini naps made it worse. I whined so much that they finally contacted my surgeon who said to give me Lortab (This is also the medicine I had waiting for me once I got home) because morphine can cause headaches. I mean the headache lasted a day and a half straight it was torture. They took away the morphine machine and gave me a medicine cap of lortab. I took the whole thing and within five minutes the headache was masked. I say masked because my head was throbbing still, but no pain. That was fine, just fine. I was able to sleep for a few in peace.
Later still I went for a walk again, this time down the hall and back, felt pretty bad, headache was back. Went back to my room, sipped on some really good broth and had more lortab. I think that was all that happened that day as far as I can recall.
The night was the same. I sleep with a fan on because I like the noise and air on my face, always have always will. I asked a nurse to turn on the fan and she did, it was so nice. I would get all happy whenever my curtain was closed all the way, it was nice and dark and breezy. I listened to my iPhone for a while, it was very peacefu
l. No real pain at that moment.
Speaking of pain, every hour or so during my stat check I was asked my pain level. 1 to 10. During my bad headaches I said eight. After lortab I said 0. That night I was saying 0.
I had to get up every hour or so for stat checks, all night long. Like the previous night. The night nurse was alright, he had a sour sense of humor and scoffed at a poem another nurse brought in for me to read. It was the famous anonymous little poem about gastric bypass "Twas the Night Before Bypass" I can post it sometime later. My nurse said something like "people will turn twas the night before Christmas into anything wont they". Rather insensitive I think.
There you have it, the first two days in the hospital. My next post (coming right away not in the month!) will be a bit shorter I hope, its about the half day when I went home.
I stayed the day of the operation, the next full day and the next day until 11am. The first day I can hardly remember, after surgery that is. I'm sure my stats were checked every so often and the nurses introduced themselves, but I cant remember at all. I know I was hitting that morphine button like it just insulted me. The pain isn't horrible, its just very awkward because you cant lean from one side to another, its just a straight line. Forget about laying flat, ouch!
Cant forget about those nifty leg pump things, wish I had a pair of those at home. They're two little "sock-like" flexible plastic tubes they put your legs in. I cant recall how big they were, from ankle to just about the knee perhaps. They would "pulse" with air, making your blood circulate. It prevents clots in the legs. So relaxing. Those I sure do remember.
I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my previous post but my room had no door. It was just a curtain. It seemed my room was connected to a supply station. IE: if you walk through the curtain to the left of my room you would see the sink and bathroom to the left and a great deal of cabinets to the right. That was fine and dandy, my room wasn't touching the hallway, I was kind of in the back. The only problem was, the nurses didn't really like to turn that cabinet area's light off, no matter what the time and at the same time never really liked pulling my curtain all the way closed. It doesn't sound like a huge deal but when you're not allowed to sleep for more than half an hour to an hour at a time, it gets rough.
The next day was really hell day, if I say so myself...and I do, yes I do. I was supposed to walk on this day, several times. All bypass people out there know our motto, sip sip sip, walk walk walk. The first one is much easier than the second. Why do we have to walk? It gets the blood flowing, it also works the guts a bit to get them going and best of all it works the gasses around.
I would say I woke up the next day but in fact the last time I slept at this point was the night before surgery. I'm telling you that for those few days and about a week after I got home I was a narcoleptic. In the hospital I would look at something one second and blink awake the next. You know how young pups and kittens will stand there then suddenly keel over because they suddenly fell asleep? Yeah, like that. The nurses must check stats every hour or so, and give you shots, and take your temp, and give more shots, and check the drain tube....will get to that shortly.
So the next day, I think I had some of my brain cells back. My stats were checked, 500 times and so we're the "wounds". It was my first time looking too. They checked all the tubes as well...lots of tubes...yeesh.
I had five cuts, the longest about an inch long. Of course at that moment I didn't see them because they were taped up with little squares of bandage. As of right now, two months later, you can kind of see them. They look like cat scratches. One, very tiny one, so tiny, is at the top of the stomach near the chest. One is directly below the last on the left side of my belly button (left as in my left when I look down at it). One is directly to the left of that. One is to the far right of the last two and one is directly to the right of the last. Two on the left, two on the right, one in the middle and one on top. Easy huh? Wha? Hmm. So yeah, those were checked. Now the tubes.
Remember my IV wasn't in my wrist or hand...wherever they put it. It was in my left arm where they would draw blood because my veins were too teenie. Connected to the IV tube of course was the fluid and the morphine, those tubes were everywhere. Then I had a catheter...yeah that didn't feel awkward or anything. First time having one of those...weeeiiiirrrdd. Then the drain tube which I didn't even know I had till they had me lean a little so they could check it. Tiny tube sticking out my left side, connected to a little pouch that just kind of...hung around. They check the drain tube or JP tube I think they called it, for fluid to see how much leaking is going on. The first day mine was dry. My surgeon doesn't like using the tube because at the end of every operation she does an endoscopy and fills the new pouch with liquid in order to see if there's any bubbling, if there is, she stitches it up. Better safe than sorry though, I suppose.
The nurses...I had many, eight or so, were suggesting I walk. I couldn't really understand all of them, but no big deal. One girl said I should sit up and prepare for it. I cranked my bed up and leaned forward. Yikes. How to describe it...dizzy, to put it lightly, odd feelings like I had no idea how the middle of my body was working, where it was, what it was doing. It felt really bad and I let them know that. So I didn't walk right away, instead I was given a shot of something to help me not feel sick (you'll get those several times). The shot was put into my IV. I'm not sure it was supposed to go there because all the other shots I had were poked into my belly. After the shot I got up for the first time, oh man talk about having to learn to walk again.
I didn't want to walk to be honest but there was an underlying factor. PAIN! Horrible pain in my shoulders, I thought it was because I was laying around in weird positions. Turns out it was gas pain, the gas rises and pushes like crazy causing so much pain. That's why I had to walk. I walked to the bathroom and sat down (didn't have to go..had a tube to do that for me!) but I had to sit down, it really felt horrible. I had to move so slowly, and drag everything with me. The little JP tube bouncing along happily at my side. I sat down for a bit. I felt so sick, so weak and wrecked. I told the nurse that I felt horrible and HAD TO go back to my bed. I wobbled back to my bed, a dozen steps or so. Before laying down or sitting I had to change my gown, little spots of blood on it no big deal. I had to stand while the nurse moved all the tubes around, buttoned this, unbuttoned that. I was dying. She kept saying "Just wait wait wait". I did, it felt like an hour, and was finally able to sit. It was the worst feeling where I did not want to walk ever again. It happened after that shot into my IV. Like I said the other shots didn't go in my IV they were put right into the skin on my stomach.
After that I just wanted to be left alone. I tried watching TV, they had a lot of good new movies on demand, and I wanted to watch them but I kept falling asleep for a handful of minutes at a time. I was able to relax for quite some time. I believe my surgeon did come in that day for a couple minutes to look at everything.
If you didn't notice by now this is probably my most unorganized post, its very hard to remember those days because there was a large cloud around me. The things I remember may not have happened at that same time or in that same order. Just a warning.
I believe that day was the day I was put on the drinking cycle. My nurse wrote the directions on a little board, sadly she wrote them and explains them wrong. My surgeon came in the next day and saw the directions and said no no no. The real sipping directions are...
1 Medicine cup of liquid within the first hour, not faster, not slower.
2 Medicine cups of liquid during the second hour...in that order. That sounded very confusing to me so let me say it like this....
At 10am I was to drink one medicine cup until 11am. At 11am I was to drink 2 medicine cups until 12pm. At 12pm I was to drink three medicine cups until 1pm. I hope that helps a little bit more.
That is to help stretch the stomach out just a teenie bit, you really cant stretch it like normal at that point. Its just to help it expand and process. I didn't follow the directions because they were written wrong. I just drank whatever until whenever. I lived so its alright.
Another little device I got was a tupperware looking thing with a handle and a spout. You hold the handle and blow into the spout, the air lifts a little plastic thing inside the tube and it measures the pressure of your breath. You're supposed to practice with it. I forgot why, just to help you breathe and stretch things out I'm guessing. It hurts so don't try exploding a lung right off the bat.
The rest of the day were stat checks, shots and oh...oh yes, ALARMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Worst part besides the pain were the alarms. Whenever my arm would bend the IV alarm would trigger once. I mean if I moved my arm a little tiny bit. If the alarm beep sounded three times...it would never stop till a nurse shut it off. I got some guff from a couple nurses, I mean seriously come on. Right after major surgery, feeling like poo, cant move around too much, and they want me to keep my arm in one spot and NEVER move it? Lead by example, if they could do it for two and a half days then I would try harder. The rest of the nurses didn't mind. The alarms sounded off...a lot. All the time hehe. At one point the alarm sounded but no nurse was around so I clicked the call button. A voice came over the intercom behind me asking what I wanted, I said an alarm was going off in my room. The female voice said "Ill let a nurse know". She never did. I had to hit the call button again after ten minutes of alarm going off. Oh there's more alarms...more.
The leg pumps I told you about before, heavenly little leg huggers. I had the greatest itch of my life and had to take one off for a second to scratch, I then tried putting it back on but the alarm went off. I had a nurse come in to reset it. I asked her to put them back on if she would, that I just had an itch that was driving me crazy. She proceeded to say a few things that I could not understand. At all. Basically if she does put them on Ill have to live with the alarm or if I take them off again the alarm will go off...something like that. I simply said I wouldn't take them off again. Finally she put them back on. Why wouldn't she? I didn't want to clot and die, yeesh.
Also the IV and leg pumps would set off an alarm when they were empty (IV/Morphine) or when their cycle was done (pumps). Also the pumps would sound off if they were moved in an awkward way, I think I tried crossing my ankles just to stretch a little and it sounded an alarm. Nurses would have to come in and reset/refill those things when the alarms went off. It was a lot to deal with at the time.
Around the middle of that day my head starting pounding and killing me, mini naps made it worse. I whined so much that they finally contacted my surgeon who said to give me Lortab (This is also the medicine I had waiting for me once I got home) because morphine can cause headaches. I mean the headache lasted a day and a half straight it was torture. They took away the morphine machine and gave me a medicine cap of lortab. I took the whole thing and within five minutes the headache was masked. I say masked because my head was throbbing still, but no pain. That was fine, just fine. I was able to sleep for a few in peace.
Later still I went for a walk again, this time down the hall and back, felt pretty bad, headache was back. Went back to my room, sipped on some really good broth and had more lortab. I think that was all that happened that day as far as I can recall.
The night was the same. I sleep with a fan on because I like the noise and air on my face, always have always will. I asked a nurse to turn on the fan and she did, it was so nice. I would get all happy whenever my curtain was closed all the way, it was nice and dark and breezy. I listened to my iPhone for a while, it was very peacefu
l. No real pain at that moment. Speaking of pain, every hour or so during my stat check I was asked my pain level. 1 to 10. During my bad headaches I said eight. After lortab I said 0. That night I was saying 0.
I had to get up every hour or so for stat checks, all night long. Like the previous night. The night nurse was alright, he had a sour sense of humor and scoffed at a poem another nurse brought in for me to read. It was the famous anonymous little poem about gastric bypass "Twas the Night Before Bypass" I can post it sometime later. My nurse said something like "people will turn twas the night before Christmas into anything wont they". Rather insensitive I think.
There you have it, the first two days in the hospital. My next post (coming right away not in the month!) will be a bit shorter I hope, its about the half day when I went home.
Friday, January 2, 2009
The Day of Surgery Part 1
I am almost one month out and finally have the energy and focus to update my blog. Here is Part One.
I woke up early, showered, crammed a few things into my bag and took off to the hospital with my parents. We get there, get into the prep room and I'm given a bag for my clothes, a gown and slippers. I changed, and got up on the bed, those things are weird feeling. My parents came in, sat with me. Did I add that I was freaking terrified? Man I was scared to death laying on the bed. A couple nurses came in and out, set up the IV bag, but didn't put it in yet. We waited a long time, mainly because we showed up early. After a while a nurse did come in and set up my IV.
Now the IV is usually put into a vein in the hand, well she said my veins were too small so it was placed into my left arm. I was told to keep my arm straight. It did hurt a bit, strange feeling.
After another long while I was finally wheeled out, my parents had to stay behind. I was placed in the recovery room to wait. It was a dark little corner. I was so tired, with a huge headache and my heart pounding. The anesthesiologist came in and gave me a little rundown of what was going to happen. He asked if I was nervous I said yes, he asked if I was scared, I said yes, he then asked if I was very scared and I told him that whenever the bed was wheeled around my teeth would chatter and my limbs would shake. He said okay and vanished, leaving me in my dark corner with the curtain pulled. Above me was an aqua/sea-scape light, I think the light moves and it looks like the fish are moving, my lights were off however, it made my headache feel better.
My surgeon came in, checked how I was, asked if I was ready, I simply said I was nervous. She told me what was going to happen and things like that, things I cant remember now since I'm almost a month out and was very scared then. She left, said she would see me in a few. The anesthesiologist came in again and told me he was giving me a shot of something into my IV that would make me feel a little funny. Indeed it did. After he left I laughed quietly to myself for a minute straight, and to my great relief my fear really toned down.
Finally it was time. I was wheeled into the OR and they told me to move myself on to the table. I did actually, they said I was doing good while I was moving, they were very nice and so was the medication I was given. The last memory I have before the big black was moving on to the second table, I don't even remember laying my head down. I don't remember anyone telling me to lay back and count backwards or anything. That was that.
Waking up I felt nothing but pressure and pain. I was so confused. Im not sure how much time went by. I remember whispering "excuse me" to all the nurses that were near. One heard me, I remember asking if there was anything to do to help the pain. Im not sure what he did, if anything, and Im not sure how much time had passed before I asked for help again.
The next nurse to cross my path was a female who stood to my left and proceeded to tell me that the pain was normal and such. Nothing was done, dont know if anything could be done. I drifted in and out after that.
I was told a few times they were going to move me any second once a room opened up, after a while one did. Lucky me, a private room set in the back, I heard it had a great view but my bed wasnt far enough back to see out the window.
So there is part one, tomorrow I should be updating on part two.
I woke up early, showered, crammed a few things into my bag and took off to the hospital with my parents. We get there, get into the prep room and I'm given a bag for my clothes, a gown and slippers. I changed, and got up on the bed, those things are weird feeling. My parents came in, sat with me. Did I add that I was freaking terrified? Man I was scared to death laying on the bed. A couple nurses came in and out, set up the IV bag, but didn't put it in yet. We waited a long time, mainly because we showed up early. After a while a nurse did come in and set up my IV.
Now the IV is usually put into a vein in the hand, well she said my veins were too small so it was placed into my left arm. I was told to keep my arm straight. It did hurt a bit, strange feeling.
After another long while I was finally wheeled out, my parents had to stay behind. I was placed in the recovery room to wait. It was a dark little corner. I was so tired, with a huge headache and my heart pounding. The anesthesiologist came in and gave me a little rundown of what was going to happen. He asked if I was nervous I said yes, he asked if I was scared, I said yes, he then asked if I was very scared and I told him that whenever the bed was wheeled around my teeth would chatter and my limbs would shake. He said okay and vanished, leaving me in my dark corner with the curtain pulled. Above me was an aqua/sea-scape light, I think the light moves and it looks like the fish are moving, my lights were off however, it made my headache feel better.
My surgeon came in, checked how I was, asked if I was ready, I simply said I was nervous. She told me what was going to happen and things like that, things I cant remember now since I'm almost a month out and was very scared then. She left, said she would see me in a few. The anesthesiologist came in again and told me he was giving me a shot of something into my IV that would make me feel a little funny. Indeed it did. After he left I laughed quietly to myself for a minute straight, and to my great relief my fear really toned down.
Finally it was time. I was wheeled into the OR and they told me to move myself on to the table. I did actually, they said I was doing good while I was moving, they were very nice and so was the medication I was given. The last memory I have before the big black was moving on to the second table, I don't even remember laying my head down. I don't remember anyone telling me to lay back and count backwards or anything. That was that.
Waking up I felt nothing but pressure and pain. I was so confused. Im not sure how much time went by. I remember whispering "excuse me" to all the nurses that were near. One heard me, I remember asking if there was anything to do to help the pain. Im not sure what he did, if anything, and Im not sure how much time had passed before I asked for help again.
The next nurse to cross my path was a female who stood to my left and proceeded to tell me that the pain was normal and such. Nothing was done, dont know if anything could be done. I drifted in and out after that.
I was told a few times they were going to move me any second once a room opened up, after a while one did. Lucky me, a private room set in the back, I heard it had a great view but my bed wasnt far enough back to see out the window.
So there is part one, tomorrow I should be updating on part two.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Hospital Pre-Op
I went to my pre-op appointment. I had no idea what to expect but it wasn't bad. I had to go to the registration area and meet with a lady who gave me paperwork about my rights, what to expect in terms of what the bill looks like (like literally looks like, a photo of an example), a booklet with a lot of topics such as T.V, Housekeeping, Espresso Cart (I wish!! but no), ah what else...meal hours, things like that. I was given my advanced directive to fill out. That was pretty much it.
I was sent upstairs to another floor to wait in the pre-op room to meet with the pre-op nurse. She seemed a little busy, even though there was only one other person ahead of me. I thought she might be a little intense, you know? Just a job, no personality. However, once I got into the room with her she was really nice, asked me if I was excited, I gave my normal answer which is basically yes and no, that I'm trying to take it very seriously (you know, not get my hopes way up and spaz out about it, I'm not sure why, I think this is a protective measure, like a defense barrier in my head) and she said yes, but am I excited about losing weight and I said big time.
She asked me a lot of questions. Family history, drug use, do I drink, smoke, etc. She said I was pretty easy because all my answers were no.
I was given a list of things not to do. Do not drink after midnight on Sunday, not even water Leave all jewelry at home. Wear clean, comfy clothes. Showing the morning of surgery because (other than the obvious) it helps the skin heal and increases comfort level. I am also to leave my bag in the car for the first day because I wont get assigned a room until the next day.
About the op - I'll get a breathing tube, so my throat will be scratchy or sore possibly. Ill be woken up by the staff. Ill have a pain button. If the pain does not go away then I need to let them know.
Really that was all. Paperwork, some side notes.
I think Ill make one more post before I go in, probably about the liquid diet and such. That should be it.
I was sent upstairs to another floor to wait in the pre-op room to meet with the pre-op nurse. She seemed a little busy, even though there was only one other person ahead of me. I thought she might be a little intense, you know? Just a job, no personality. However, once I got into the room with her she was really nice, asked me if I was excited, I gave my normal answer which is basically yes and no, that I'm trying to take it very seriously (you know, not get my hopes way up and spaz out about it, I'm not sure why, I think this is a protective measure, like a defense barrier in my head) and she said yes, but am I excited about losing weight and I said big time.
She asked me a lot of questions. Family history, drug use, do I drink, smoke, etc. She said I was pretty easy because all my answers were no.
I was given a list of things not to do. Do not drink after midnight on Sunday, not even water Leave all jewelry at home. Wear clean, comfy clothes. Showing the morning of surgery because (other than the obvious) it helps the skin heal and increases comfort level. I am also to leave my bag in the car for the first day because I wont get assigned a room until the next day.
About the op - I'll get a breathing tube, so my throat will be scratchy or sore possibly. Ill be woken up by the staff. Ill have a pain button. If the pain does not go away then I need to let them know.
Really that was all. Paperwork, some side notes.
I think Ill make one more post before I go in, probably about the liquid diet and such. That should be it.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Pre-Op #1
A couple days ago I had my pre-op with my surgeon. I had read that sometimes people have to attend a pre-op class, and I was wondering how that would be. However, I arrived to find its just a one-on-one. The $2,995 fee was also due and paid. Some papers had to be signed. Basically one said I so-and-so allow so-and-so and others to perform gastric bypass on me, etc. Also I had to read over the complete list of complications. WOW. I know there are so many, and they vary from person to person. I went down the first page (NOTE: I found it so funny that DEATH wasn't the first risk, it was near the bottom) I was ready to sign, I turned the next page..the list continued! More risks all the way down the page, I turned the next page and it was filled with complications too! The final page was for me to sign, and I did.
I waited a little bit before being called in. Waited in the room for a bit before the Nut. came in.
She asked if I had any questions, I said no, she said I lost another two pounds. There was really nothing to talk about. She did in fact say I would have to drink a tiny bottle of laxative the day before surgery. That's not so bad after I've heard horror stories about people having to drink a jug or more of the stuff.
Also I don't have to go on the two week/one week liquid diet like most people have to. Mine lasts for one day. That's not bad at all. My surgery is at 10am, so I should have to be at the hospital at around 7am. At least the sun will be up and it wont be all scary. She listened to my lungs and such for a minute before showing me again where the cuts will be.
There wasn't really anything to talk about. I didn't have any questions. I've been on forums and reading personal stories/accounts for more than three months now. I feel like I know too much, which may be good later to post about, just the facts of what I learned.
I'll go into surgery around 10am (Ive heard horror stories about waiting a long time so who knows). I don't know what tests I will be getting before that. That day I think she said I wouldn't eat or drink anything. She said my goal for that day will be to walk by later in the afternoon. She said that the next day I'll get something to drink, walk around a bit and if I feel better the next day Ill go home.
She said she would bring my surgeon in to say hi (lmao, just the way she said it was funny). It took about 15-20 minutes for my surgeon to come in, always cheerful and positive. She's really a blast. She said I am very healthy (other than being overweight I suppose) and very young so I should be up and around in no time. She's so nice. She said I am expected to be one of their big success stories and probably one of the people they would ask to attend and speak at a seminar that people attend when they're wondering about WLS. It was nice to hear.
The girls at my surgeon's office are so kind and sweet. It's not faked or forced either, it's so natural. The visit itself was basically over, I checked out, got my post-op visit date and also a sheet to get blood taken which I finished later that same day. I didn't have to fast for that blood test, weird huh!
I need to fix my countdown timer now that I know my surgery "time". Right now I have it set just for midnight of the 8th. So Ill try to get that done now I suppose.
Nothing left to update on, have my next pre-op on the 4th, at the hospital. I register and such there, find out what tests I have to take and all that fun stuff.
I waited a little bit before being called in. Waited in the room for a bit before the Nut. came in.
She asked if I had any questions, I said no, she said I lost another two pounds. There was really nothing to talk about. She did in fact say I would have to drink a tiny bottle of laxative the day before surgery. That's not so bad after I've heard horror stories about people having to drink a jug or more of the stuff.
Also I don't have to go on the two week/one week liquid diet like most people have to. Mine lasts for one day. That's not bad at all. My surgery is at 10am, so I should have to be at the hospital at around 7am. At least the sun will be up and it wont be all scary. She listened to my lungs and such for a minute before showing me again where the cuts will be.
There wasn't really anything to talk about. I didn't have any questions. I've been on forums and reading personal stories/accounts for more than three months now. I feel like I know too much, which may be good later to post about, just the facts of what I learned.
I'll go into surgery around 10am (Ive heard horror stories about waiting a long time so who knows). I don't know what tests I will be getting before that. That day I think she said I wouldn't eat or drink anything. She said my goal for that day will be to walk by later in the afternoon. She said that the next day I'll get something to drink, walk around a bit and if I feel better the next day Ill go home.
She said she would bring my surgeon in to say hi (lmao, just the way she said it was funny). It took about 15-20 minutes for my surgeon to come in, always cheerful and positive. She's really a blast. She said I am very healthy (other than being overweight I suppose) and very young so I should be up and around in no time. She's so nice. She said I am expected to be one of their big success stories and probably one of the people they would ask to attend and speak at a seminar that people attend when they're wondering about WLS. It was nice to hear.
The girls at my surgeon's office are so kind and sweet. It's not faked or forced either, it's so natural. The visit itself was basically over, I checked out, got my post-op visit date and also a sheet to get blood taken which I finished later that same day. I didn't have to fast for that blood test, weird huh!
I need to fix my countdown timer now that I know my surgery "time". Right now I have it set just for midnight of the 8th. So Ill try to get that done now I suppose.
Nothing left to update on, have my next pre-op on the 4th, at the hospital. I register and such there, find out what tests I have to take and all that fun stuff.
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