Still can't believe it happened

Mar 03, 2013

 

I’m annoyed with myself for not updating before now. So here we go:

 

Wednesday

Surgery day. Woke up early, arriving at Saint Francis by a little after 5:30. Got checked in and shown to my pre-op room where I took off all my clothes and changed into little socks with tread on the soles and a billowy gown that a nurse later hooked up to a device that pumped warm air into it. I inflated like the Stay-Puft marshmallow man, and it was remarkably pleasant.

 

There were lots of comings and goings. I had to watch a DVD about staying overnight at the hospital. Lots of nurses going over paperwork.  Putting in the IV didn’t go well. Left hand didn’t work, right hand didn’t work. Left forearm didn’t work. Each time they’d get it in and then the vein would just “blow.” I baffled the nurses! They were so sweet and so apologetic. I know my attractive collection of lipomas wasn’t helping. FINALLY they succeeded with my right forearm. Not sure what would’ve happened if that had “blown” too; I was entertaining upsetting visions of an IV-in-the-thumb.

 

My husband was back there with me this whole time which made everything better. Having someone to talk to during the downtime was great.

 

And then, after a couple hours chilling in the pre-op room, I was whisked away.  To another pre-op area where there were other patients. Got checked on by lots more nurses and received a visit from the C4WLS nurse practitioner. Got asked lots of questions (name, date of birth, which surgery I was having) to make sure everyone was on the same page. Got to see my surgeon, who was pleased to hear I was down to 206 pounds as of that morning. He seemed in fine spirits. Got to chat with the anesthesiologist.

Off to the operating room.  Onto the table, mask on, lights out. I don’t really remember much from when I woke up, aside from a very pleasant nurse feeding me ice chips. I vaguely remember getting something for my nausea, which was intense at first but then receded almost immediately when they gave me whatever it was they gave me.Then  I remember being in my recovery room, which is located in the “Mom ‘n’ Baby” wing. No babies, though, so it was eerily quiet. (Suited me.)

 

I remember nurses helping me off the bed so I could try to pee. I could not, however, pee. I think it’s an anesthesia thing but although there was pressure in my bladder, pee was simply not happening. Disconcerting. I was very, very out of it at this point.

 

The rest of Wednesday was really a blur. My husband was there with me, playing on his laptop while I dozed on and off. Every now and then I’d walk, pushing my little IV stand ahead of me. Walking felt good. I’d get injected with Heparin. I’d be reminded to keep sipping. (There were many tiny plastic cups filled with water and/or ice. I’d do my best to get them down but it was slow going.) I’d receive some PRETTY AWESOME liquid narcotics. Time lost all meaning. If someone had told me I’d been in that room for three days  I would’ve believed them.

 

My wonderful parents and sister came to visit. They and my husband hit Panera for dinner then came up to see me. I was stoned out of my mind and kept falling asleep but I managed to communicate via lots of thumbs-ups and smiles. They hung around a while which was really nice. Just hearing their voices made me happy.

 

After they left, eventually my husband took off for the night. He could’ve stayed with me overnight but there wasn’t really any need. Then it was all about the sleeping, sipping, Heparin injections, walking, and attempts to pee. Eventually I managed to pee a little and was SO EXCITED.  Sometime in the middle of the night a lab person came for my blood. During one of my walks I was weighed, and due to the IV fluids and whatnot I was at 216. Ten pounds like THAT. Glad I had read up on the OH forums and knew to expect it, or my stoned self would’ve been dismayed and weirded out.

 

Thursday

Like I said, everything kind of blurred together so I don’t have a firm idea of when Wednesday ended and Thursday began.

 

I had to drink contrast dye for a CT scan. It was kind of amazing though because they mixed it in with apple juice, which was just ambrosial. Didn’t mind that at all, but I was dreading the barium swallow. Can’t go home without that peek into the upper GI to make sure there are no leaks, so I tried to be brave.

 

Drank what I needed to drink for the CT scan and got wheeled down to do it. Now, another thing I learned from the OH boards is that it’s really common to have gas pain in your shoulder after surgery. And I certainly had. My right shoulder had experienced a fair amount of pain but so far it was pretty bearable.

 

Then I tried to lie down.

 

Oh my god. My right shoulder hurt so badly I couldn’t recline. It was like someone was taking a pair of bolt cutters to my bones.  I was very frustrated and embarrassed; they had to call one of my nurses and have her bring me a bouquet of Simethicone syringes (the kind they use for babies; it just shoots the med into your mouth. It isn’t injected.) After the Simethicone and some embarrassed pacing around the room I was eventually able to lie down. Seriously, that right-shoulder gas pain was the only pain I’ve experienced as a result of this surgery that I’d actually characterize as “excruciating.”  Otherwise, the CT scan went fine.

 

The upper GI was thousands of times less harrowing than the first one I had when I was going through all the pre-surgery tests. Much less to swallow, and they didn’t recline me. Still unpleasant but not at all what I’d been bracing for. And, yay, all seemed well.

 

I really can’t say enough good about my surgeon, his nurse practitioner, or any of the nurses and techs I met at Saint Francis. So kind, patient, knowledgeable, and reassuring. I would recommend the C4WLS in a heartbeat, I really would.

 

Eventually I was good to be discharged. I was reminded of the importance of coughing (that had started Wednesday night; one must clutch a pillow to one’s abdomen and cough—even though it hurts—to help stave off pneumonia) and given a device to help me take deep breaths. I’ll be back to the clinic for my first checkup on March 14^th. Gingerly, I dressed myself and waited for my husband to sweep me away. The car ride home was uneventful. We stopped for a bottle of Simethicone because the gas pain in my shoulder was still pretty heinous. (Ultimately, though, I found I preferred the Gas-X strips, the active ingredient in which is…Simethicone.)

 

Then, home!

 

 

 

Friday & Saturday

Pretty laid back. Just hanging around with my husband, taking all my meds and prescribed supplements. He’s been absolutely gallant, making a spreadsheet so I know I’m taking everything when I need to—even crushing up my Omeprazole and dissolving it in water for me. First couple days I bummed around in boxer shorts and tee-shirts and just took it easy.

 

I’m grateful for my treadmill because it made the walking simple. I’d get in as much as I could at a time without feeling like I was overdoing it. So far it’s been comically slow but I’m sticking to it and just in general trying to keep myself from sitting around too much. Each day I’ve felt better and been able to do more, which is great. Saturday afternoon I showered and took off my bandages. The steri-strips over my incisions will fall off on their own, apparently.

 

The pain has been very bearable. I’ve only taken my heavy duty liquid narcotic at night. In fact, tonight’s my last night for it. It was either Thursday or Friday that I took some acetaminophen for pain during the day but since then I’ve been okay during the day and haven’t felt the need.

 

Getting in all the water I need just hasn’t been happening, unfortunately. I’d sip-sip-sip all day like they tell you to but I know it wasn’t adding up to enough. That’s why it’s important to stay on top of the nausea, gas pain, and any other pain—it’s difficult to take even a little sip of water when you’re nauseated or in pain. Writing this out I’m wondering now if I should’ve been more aggressive with the acetaminophen over the last couple days; maybe I could’ve gotten in more water if I had.

 

Didn’t have any Jell-O or broth my first few days back.

 

Today: Sunday, March 03, 2013

It is 7:27 PM and I am savoring a cup of Pacific Natural Foods - Organic Free Range Chicken Broth Low Sodium, which is rewarding in ways I never would have dreamed possible.

 

Today’s just been great. Each day the pain’s decreased but today’s been the biggest difference I’ve noticed. The incisions feel more like a pulled muscle than, you know. Incisions. For the first time my right shoulder isn’t painful. I’m still getting an unpleasant sensation behind my sternum when I swallow, but that’s improving too. I suspect I’ve had twice as much water today as I did yesterday, although it’s still not enough. However, if I keep getting better every day I suspect the water won’t be a problem very long. Just sip-sip-sip, all day.

 

For the first time since I got home I put on “real” clothes and makeup and ventured into the outside world. Walked to my folks’ house (they live one street over so this wasn’t much of a trek but it felt good, even though I had to stop a lot.) Then my husband and I drove to Bartell for more Wellesse and Gas-X strips and other miscellany. It was a good day.

 

I had Jell-O this morning but it was a little gross because I made it on Tuesday. (Oops. Figured I would’ve been eating it by now.) Then, tonight, my chicken broth. OMG. It tastes like food.

 

Speaking of food, in the interest of full disclosure I should admit that I am thinking about food a lot. I miss eating. I miss deliciousness, and bonding over meals. Food smells kill me a little. But I’m really not hungry. It’s pretty much entirely olfactory-emotional. I’m probably spending too much time fixating on What I’ll Get To Eat when I arrive at the pureed stage in a month or so. But other than that I’m really feeling great. Using my treadmill, walking outside, drinking my water: life is good.

 

Over the last few days I’ve spent the majority of the day on the internet, reading OH, checking on my favorite bariatric blogs, looking at Twitter etc. My goal for this week is to disengage from the internet and do more around the house. Lightweight stuff like folding clothes, or working on some creative projects I’ve been neglecting. (While keeping up with the walking, of course.)

 

Really, right now I’m just ready to be healed up and moving forward. 

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