I have been a bad blogger these days. Too much going on to keep up with obviously. But I do so want to share my experience. So I will give you a surgery update in as much detail as I can muster.
2 weeks prior to surgery I went in for a weigh in. I lost 10 pounds on the liquid protein diet. They wanted me to then just go straight to liquid only with no solid food. I have to say that it was very hard to do that. A few days I did go ahead and eat 1 solid meal. I still ended up losing another 4 pounds for a total weight lose of 14 pounds on the liquid diet.
Lots of preparation went into surgery day and the time I was in the hospital. I had to figure out childcare for the kids on surgery day and also for the days following so that Tim could come up and see me. I had a great group of friends and family that were willing to change around their lives to help us out. Sarah and Roselyn and my Mom watched the kids the day of my surgery. They got them up. ready for school, and transported them back and forth. They were amazing! On Thursday Char watched the kids and did drop off and pick up and kept Harlie all day. And on Friday Sara watched the kids. Also my Mom came here every night after work and made dinner and got the kids ready for bed. It was alot of scheduling and willingness on the parts of my friends and family to keep things covered while I was gone. I wrote out a 4 page schedule, menu plan, emergency contact list, etc... Who knew that 1 person leaving her "job" would require so many people to replace her! LOL!
Day of Surgery, October 19, 2011. Tim Sara and I left my house around 4:30am. I checked into the hospital at 5am. Wow that was early! I barely slept that night. I was nervous about surgery and worried about my kids. When we got to the hospital we did the normal check in stuff. Then they separated me from Tim and Sara so they could get me "settled". I got into a hospital gown and into bed. The nurse tried to place an IV. I asked for Tim to join us. She said "it will only take a minute" for the IV so I could wait. Then she blew out my vein. I started to cry and asked again for my family. She got snotty and then finally went to go get Tim. She still wouldn't let Sara be with me. She tried again with Tim holding my other hand. She blew that vein as well. She finally gave up and told me the anesthesiologist would have to place it. The nurse finally allowed Sara to come in at that point.
The Dr came in and I signed the consent forms and chatted with him briefly. Then the anesthesiologist came in. He was like a ray of sunshine. He had us all laughing and talking and relaxed within a few minutes. He got the IV placed quite easily. It was very refreshing! And as soon as he placed my IV he gave me some valuim to calm me down. I was in bliss! Very soon after that I said goodbye to Tim and Sara and they wheeled me into surgery.
Once in the surgery room they had me move from the bed onto the surgical table. After I moved and they got me strapped down I don't remember anything until I got to the recovery room. I do know that they placed a urine catheter while I was asleep. And of course they did my surgery. :)
Once in the recovery room I woke up in PAIN. It was awful because I was still very drowsy and not fully "there" yet. I just feel yucky. The recovery room nurse gave me my pain button and I pushed it. There was instant relief but it only lasted about 10-12 minutes. I would have to push it again to get another dose of pain meds. But the problem was that I would fall asleep in those 10 minutes and then wake up 20 minutes later in PAIN again. I was moaning so the nurse finally gave me an extra dose so that I was "caught up" on the pain and from there forward I was able to stay ahead of the pain. It took a while for the hospital to find me a bed. They do have a gastic bypass wing but I guess that was all full. Instead I got floated to the Cardiac intensive care unit. It was odd being in that wing with the super sick old people. But my roommate had also had gastric bypass surgery so it was OK. She was about 1 day ahead of me. She gave me hope that it would get better.
Sara had to leave around 2pm. Tim stayed with me until much later in the day/early evening. He got my laptop set up for me and got me connected to the hospital wifi. The nurse wanted me to walk every hour. Tim walked with me in laps around the CICU. I started out doing 1 lap at a time. But over the next 2 days I worked up to doing 6 laps at a time. On Thursday I was super relieved when they took out my urine catheter. I really hate catheters. I also started to eat some liquids at this point. I basically just kept trying to increase my stamina and slowly get rid of the wires and tubes they had on me. I was using nasal oxygen when I slept because my oxygenation would go down. They thought it was probably because of the narcotics I was on for pain. I used the oxygen while I slept until I was discharged.
When I got home my recovery was fairly easy. I slept alot. Tim took care of the kids. My Mom helped with dinners for my family. I lived off tomato and other cream soups, yogurt and protein shakes. I struggled to get all 48oz of water in. But somehow I managed. My 9 days post surgery I was off all of my pain meds and felt pretty good. Tim was especially great during teh week after surgery. He took care of everything for me. I am so blessed to have him as my husband.
I will update more in a few days. I have before and now pictures to post. I also want to post about "dumping" and other food issues I have been having. And weaning Harlie. So much has happened in the 6 weeks since my surgery.
