Day 3 post op..ouuuuch!

Apr 22, 2012

I want to start off by thanking everyone from the bottom of my heart for all of the warm hearted messages and well wishes. I read them in the hospital but thanks to my dear friend Mr. Morphine drip, I wasn't lucid enough to write back and make any sense. Forgive me if this runs a little long, a lot has changed in the last 3 days.
I went in for my gastric bypass at 6:30am on April 19th. The night before watching my husband eat dinner as I gagged down more chicken broth I was completely overcome with emotion. I am a cook. I love food. I love nothing more than to fill people's hearts through their tummies. It all sort of hit me that my life won't ever be the same and it was a little more than I could handle on a liquid diet lol. 
I was able to get some sleep and after getting all situated in my gown at St. Bernadines Hospital, they wheeled me from my husband and back to a smaller room with people who were getting wheeled straight into the O.R. everything was so busy in that room and I sat in silence crying. Out of nervousness, confusion, exhaustion, hunger, and just really upset that I had let myself get to this point. Out of all of the hurry, an old woman came to my bed side and held my hand and said, I'm a nun. can I pray with you? I closed my eyes and she put me completely at ease. A warmth washed over me and I was ready. The next thing I remember is my nurse asking if I was cold when we got into the O.R. and then waking up violently gagging post op and them throwing a towel on my chest.
Dr. Fedorka was there and told me that everything went well and I did really good and to rest. Thanks to the morphine drip button, I don't remember much from that first night other than the nurse in my recovery room telling me Fedorka asked that my catheter be taken out asap so I had to get up and walk to the bathroom (GRRRR lol) and me asking for water everytime I saw someone haha. Dry mouth post op is terrible. 
The first night I woke up around 3am (the nurse did checks around every 2 hours at night to let us sleep) and I was covered, literally drenched with fluid. The lights were off in my room so when I dragged myself into the bathroom and saw that I was actually covered in blood I pulled the nurse button and said "im bleeding and i don't know where it's coming from!" that may sound dramatic, but it scared me to death and I really was soaked. My nurse ran in and after checking my incisions, noticed that it was coming from my iv..I had a blood clot creep in and block it and it was a combination of blood and iv liquid..after she changed me and put me back to bed I didn't have anymore issues like that :) 
The walking for me was an issue in the hospital, and it wasn't until the 2nd day post op that my nurse saw me push the morphine AFTER dragging myself crying into the bathroom and down the hall for my walk..that she told me to push it once or twice BEFORE getting out of bed, then again when I make my way back to put me to sleep...that took my pain from an 8-9 to a 1-2 which really made a difference in my mobility.
When I got home yesterday, I was able to shower..but when I got my incisions wet (they are sutured and glued) it made them so tender that it felt like fresh wounds and it took everything I had to not pass out. I got into bed and my husband gave me my pain meds and I knocked out for 6 hours. 
At the six hour mark I woke up in such terrible pain I couldn't move. He had to get me more pain meds and rubbed my head until they kicked in. He has been so wonderful I can't even begin to explain how much he has helped me with everything.
My incisions seem to be mostly painless except for one..the one on my lower left side. It is so painful that when I try to get up, I need my husband to lift me and I still see stars from the pain.
I knew going into this surgery that it was life changing and major surgery, but I can honestly say that this amount of pain did not cross my mind once. I mean, I've pushed out a 9.2lb 21 inch monster and I can remember telling my nurse I would have rather pushed him out again haha.
I am doing good on my fluids, still haven't passed gas other than burping and hiccups (which hurt like all HELL btw) but I am optimistic. When I got out of the shower today my husband said, your hands and legs already look so much thinner! So I did what many said not to and weighed myself before the week point...I am 3 days post of and down 13lbs. For those who are getting ready to have their surgery, please know that the pain is worth it, but I felt I should be completely honest about my experience so that you know that not everyone is up and around so soon after surgery. I still can't stand up straight, and I can barely use the restroom alone. Just know that this is worth it, the pain is temporary, and gets a little better everyday. I am keeping my eyes on the prize and am so excited to start living my life.  

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