I stayed in the hospital until yesterday and it's probably a good thing because I have breathing issues and I had a lot of pressure from the air they blow your stomach up with. Having never had a laparoscopic surgery, I did not appreciate just how much they put in there. You would think someone would come up with some ingenious idea to let the air out.

Another good reason for me to not have done this follow-up is that, apparently, I was drunk texting people, which is never a good thing. And, yes, my friends and family happily have been torturing me with these various text messages. So my public service message is; don't morphine and text!

My musings of the surgery is that it is not something to take on lightly. I did a lot of research prior to doing the gastric sleeve. I have had many surgeries due to hernias and intestinal strangulations so I did not just decide to do this. I can only speak for myself, but the actual surgery has not really caused me a great deal of pain, however, I have been quite uncomfortable. The pressure, for me, has been extreme and caused havoc with my breathing. The solution to relieve this is, yes folks, passing gas. Not pretty or very lady like but a necessary evil. Unfortunately, you have to get mobile to get the engine going and that is a problem for me so I'm still fairly uncomfortable but it is getting better.

I was shocked when I looked at my stomach for the first time. Part of the hospital procedure is to give the patient a blood thinner every 12 hours. It's interesting to see what this does. Every where I got a shot, I have a big bruise. They don't hurt but they look gnarly. My other incisions have no stitches but are instead super glued! They are mildly tender but really are of no consequence.

Probably my very worse experience was yesterday when they had to remove my drainage tube. I am really glad my husband was not in the room at the actual moment it was removed because he probably would have gone ballistic. There is a small balloon that keeps it in your body and cannot be deflated. It has to just be yanked out quickly. I will not sugar coat it... it hurts like a s.o.b.!!!! My husband and sister-in-law came in just after while I was still in my throes of pain. Not a pretty site I'm sure. I really felt bad for my sweet little nurse because she felt so guilty but it was a necessity.

I think I will go back to bed now and rest. Hugs to all!!