Jiliana2
Surgery Day and My Stay at Ottawa's WMC
Mar 31, 2014
My surgery was February 3, 2014. I had a VSG with Dr. Yelle and I had no complications. I was 43 years old with no co-morbidities but my BMI was 50 when I started the Opti.
My surgery was scheduled for 8 a.m. on that Monday morning. I went with my husband to the Ottawa Civic Hospital upstairs to the designated waiting area. I was there before they opened at 6 a.m. and there were a lot of folks coming for day surgery too. (It's 'day surgery' but we get admitted for a night or two while most of the others head home.)
They put a hospital ID on my wrist, and another wristband indicating my allergies, and Hubby and I headed through a door to the back area where I was given a bed. They closed the curtain and I stripped down and put on the gown they gave me. We get a Bariatric or Bari Bed (wider and set up for people who are larger) and Hubby had a chair to sit in next to the bed. I got under the blankets and I was chilled; they gave me warm blankets.
I had a nurse come and talk to me there, verify the information on the computer next to the bed that was in my file, and they gave me a valium (or similar) type of medication so I could relax a little because I was so nervous about the IV. They had me put on booties on my feet, and a hair covering for my hair. I went to the bathroom for the last time and they took a moment to weigh me (at my request) so I could see how much I had lost on the Optifast (26 lbs in 3 weeks!).
When it was time, Hubby kissed me good bye and a porter wheeled me off to the hallway just outside the OR. There, I saw my doctor, assisting surgeon, nurses, and I met the anaesthetist who would give me the IV. He'd read my chart and he promised he wouldn't do the IV until I was in the OR and settled. He was Scottish; lovely fellow. I do remember that. Funny as anything.
They had me get down from the bed, and walk into the OR with a sheet over my back, covering the opening of the gown. I walked in and got up on the table myself, and they undid the back of the gown to give them access to my tummy when the time came. It was there that I chatted a bit more with the nurses, anaesthetist, surgeons, etc. They put in the IV, put a mask over my face and before I knew it, I was out.
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I woke up in recovery; Hubby isn't allowed back there. He tells me that he left the hospital and came home. My surgery was for 8 a.m. and they called him at 8:56 a.m. to say that everything was good, and I was on the way to being awake and I was in recovery. He had to call back around noon to get my room information. He called at 12:15 and they told him that I still didn't have a room, but he went to the hospital anyway and by the time he got there, I was in a room.
They had wheeled me from recovery up to my room, and I got down off the bed (with assistance!) and walked to the bed in my assigned room and got comfortable with their help. The nurse introduced herself (Bea was spectacular!) and wrote all sorts of pertinent info on the whiteboard at the foot of my bed.
The bari patients are only two per room. There is no other option. Two beds per room and two rooms for WLS patients at the Ottawa Civic. The rooms are located in the Trauma (aka Secure) unit. You have to ring to get inside and the nurses can push a button to open the doors. Hubby saw me early that afternoon and stayed for an hour or two before leaving for home again. That evening, he came back with our 4-year old daughter and by the evening, I was drinking apple juice mixed with water and a bit of chicken broth. The two other ladies who had surgery that day weren't up to drinking much yet, but they did manage some juice by the evening hours.
It was SUPER quiet because we are in the Trauma unit. I didn't need ear plugs. It was very good. But to each his/her own. Bring them if you wish and know you may not need them. Rules regarding visitors: It's a secure area. As long as you have only one visitor, he/she can stay later than the 8 p.m. curfew. Especially your spouse; that's not a problem.
Hubby came back the next day and helped me take a shower. There's a toilet and sink in your room (for the patients only) and a shower in another room across the hall in the Trauma unit with loads of space in the shower room to have someone assist you to wash up. I changed into my own pyjamas after the shower and was immediately more comfortable. Many patients are concerned with having a catheter or drains. I did not have either of those. I was able to go to the bathroom a few hours after I got in my room, and as per standard, the nurses measure your urine output to ensure you are not dehydrated. I did, however, have an IV which was removed right before I took my shower, the day after my surgery.
I walked the halls in the Trauma unit by myself back and forth, and when Hubby was there, I walked down to the cafeteria with him to get out and stretch my legs a bit. That felt really good. I had my iPhone and my iPad with me and a charger with a long cord; it's a secure unit and I had no trouble leaving them there (hidden from view) while I walked around. There is a narrow cupboard as well with space for a carry-on type suitcase and clothing/coats.
Without complications, I stayed for two nights in the hospital and was discharged around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, February 5, 2014.
I hope this all helps you. I know how nerve wracking it all can be. But hang in there. You can get through it. So many of us do and you will do great! By all means, if you have any other questions, do get in touch. I'll only be too glad to help you and try to answer anything that might be nagging at you.
