My Surgery Story
Protein anyone?
Hi there! It's been two weeks since surgery and I am feeling really rood today. I went back to work today and have been really tired by 2 or 3, but I have managed to stick it out, ending up both days staying late. I feel better every day, today being the best. So you want to know the surgery story?
9.17 - 5am get up and get ready. I hadn't finished packing my bag so I did that and brushed my teeth. I was so tired and still crampy from the night before's 'prep'. I was cranky and nervous so I ended up taking the keys and driving so I wouldn't be that bitchy backseat driver I can turn into. After all it would be a while until I could drive my car again.
We ended up being LATE to the hospital, I was supposed to check in by 5:45 and didn't get there until 6. So I checked in with admitting, then security and they told us to wait. We (my husband and I) sat there for about 5 minutes then they called me and another man to go with a nurse. We all walked over to the elevator and went down into the new gastric surgery clinic they have. From the lobby I had to leave my husband and go into a room with the other guy. It was divided with curtains and had a bathroom. She told me to take everything off, put on the gown and use the restroom for the last time. I went and peed first, then drew the curtains and changed. I put my clothes and flip flops into a bag tat was there for me and strategically plopped myself onto the table, trying to cover myself with the tiny gown they gave me.
In a few minutes she came back in to take my vitals and ask a few questions. When I told her I was in for gastric bypass, she looked at me and asked "are you big enough for that?" I had to laugh, heck yeah I am! "I have 165lbs to lose, it's deceiving because I am tall" Typical, making excuses for my weight right up to the point of surgery. She was very nice, and friendly. Then another nurse came in to talk to me, ask more questions, and she gave me a heparin shot, IN MY THIGH that hurt like a mother! I had a bruise for a week!
Not long after two anethesiseologists came in, one resident and the attending. They chatted with each other and asked me more questions. Then the one started my IV - IN MY WRIST! That hurt too! They all went scurrying about their business and the nurse led my husband in to see me, to my surprise he was followed by my friends April and Greg (our Pastor). I was so happy that they got up and came to see me at 6am! We all chatted and laughed for a few minutes, then Greg prayed for me and we said our goodbyes. I got a little teary, then alone my husband and I kissed and good-byed too. We both cried, God I love that man.
Then they wheeled me into the OR, all the lights and sounds and fans were going, more people scurrying. They asked me to slide onto this little table, it looked like they had pushed three little pieces of tables together, it was odd. There was also a bolster, like rolled up towels under my lower back (I guess to help in the surgery) that was pressing into my back. About 2 seconds later they placed a mask on me and said 'this is just oxygen', what they don't tell you is that they're spiking your IV at the same time with sleepy drugs! I was OUT!
The next thing I knew, I was in the recovery room and had pillows under each arm over my stomach and the morphine pump in my right hand. A new nurse kept saying really loudly, "you're pump is in your hand, push the button". Oh boy did I! I wasn't sore yet, but I knew in time I would be! I faded in and out, Patrick was there eventually. He looked so concerned. I asked if everything went okay and he said as far as he knew, but the doc hadn't talked to him. It turned out that it took 5 hours (an hour and a half longer than they had planned) because it was hard to see a doc told me later. So the surgeon had to go straight from me to the next case, whom he was late in starting because of that.
They took me from the recovery area in the surgery clinic I was in, to the regular recovery area (there were no joke, 25 beds). Then they wouldn't let my husband in because they thought I was just out of surgery, not realizing I was a transfer. I dozed in and out, pushing my button! Eventually my husband came in with my mom and dad and I tried to talk to them but kept fading in and out. I don't know how long it was until they started to take me to my room. When I got up there they brought me into the room and tried to move me to the bed. That was not fun, I was jostled and it hurt! The aide kept saying "push your button" DUH! "I
ALREADY DID! Then the nurse (idiot) went to pass the IV pump from one side of my bed to the other aide, and when the second one wasn't ready, the nurse SET IT ON MY STOMACH! I screamed, and all they did was look at me and say "push your button" "I ALREADY DID!!!" I was getting so pissed. They called for help to move me. I offered to move myself to avoid the jostling, but they just treated me like I was an idiot. A few moments later I was in the bed, settling down and my parents and husband came in to find out what the screaming was about. I told them, you should have seen the pissed off look my dad had. They all stayed a while and then my parents decided to leave. They headed to my house to feed and walk the dogs for us. My dad ended up going every night to walk and feed them, he's so great!
I dozed in and out for a few hours, all the wile Patrick was there. I felt guilty because all I was doing is sleeping. He eventually left around 9 I think. Thank God he had Tetris to keep him occupied! I did walk twice that night before he left, IV stand and catheter bag in tow. They gave me the spirometer too before he left. I put in my earplugs and went back to sleep. After 11 I was waking up every 20 minutes, push the button, breathe 5-6 times in the spirometer, then doze off. This went on all night!
9.18 - Patrick came back in the morning to see how I was doing. I got up and walked again and kept breathing. About 9 they came in to get me for my leak test. We were surprised it was so soon. He went with me (and all my junk in tow again) to radiology. They set it all up so that I only had to stand for a minute or so, no waiting around. A few x-rays, then the dye test. It was live, and they let Patrick watch. I could see it out of the corn of my eye but not very well. I drank the few sips of contrast and they gave me the pass. Patrick was tripping out. He said he could see my insides as clear as if he was looking at them firsthand. He wanted a DVD of the leak test, he was so impressed by being able to see the contrast move through my new stomach into the intestines.
We went back to my room and a few hours later they came and took out my Foley, and brought broth, Jell-O and juice. I stayed away from all of it, all I wanted was water. If I never drink broth again it will be too soon. Patrick had to leave at 11 to go to work, after that I dozed in and out. My friend April was back to see me around 1, she stayed for almost 2 hours, she brought me flowers, a card and some reading material! We chatted and laughed for a while, it was nice to see her. She left and about 20 minutes later our friend Mark (the other Pastor) came and spent some time chatting. He prayed for me too, and left after about 20 minutes. I have the best friends! Then my mom came about an hour later. She stayed over an hour. It was so nice to spend the time with them, instead of alone. Not too long after she left my husband called. He had to work that night and the next am at a show he couldn't get out of. By then I was tired and wanted to sleep.
I tried walking every two hours or so, getting myself up to 4 laps at a time. My mom was surprised that I was doing so well. I was still on the pump and taking full advantage of it! There was no reason to be in pain! The resident came to see me that night and said that they would take me off of it soon and go to liquid lortab. So I started to back off of it. I had also spiked a fever. Not unusual they said, but they were concerned. That evening I walked a few more times and slept with my blessed earplugs.
9.19 the nurse woke me up that morning, my favorite one Nancy. I was supposed to go home that morning. The resident came in and said they would be sending me home, despite the fever. Then a few minutes later the surgeon came in and said, I was staying another day. But didn't offer any more info. I asked why and he was almost incensed by my asking him. "why?" "yes, Dr. Lee said I was going home, and you're telling me I'm not?" "well what I say goes, I am your doctor" "is it the fever?" "yes" and then walked out. I was SO frustrated. I cried and got mad. Not long after that Dr. Teng (who is the BEST) came in on rounds (students in tow). I expressed my frustration to him and he offered a lot of information. He said they would keep an eye on me to see what was going on and make sure I was okay.
to be continued.....
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