By cherieinnv
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I'm home. I think I am doing great, although energy level is waaaay down. I am able to sleep lying down, but alternate between bed and recliner (pillows behind back feel great!)
My surgery went well and they took me in 5 mins after I got there, and I got there 25 mins early. They prepped me right away and then there was some waiting before the tw Dr. Teng's came in--one brother is the surgeon and the other is the anesthesiologist. I don't remember the anesthesia at all! The last thing I kind of remember is being wheeled into surgery. It's one big blank after that. I'm not even sure when I woke up.
I had a room to myself and it was very nice. This was definitely the best hospital care I ever had. I had a male nurse the first night. It was a littlr weird being helped onto the toilet by a guy, but he was so kind and considerate, I felt like I had a private nurse. He brought me lemon swabs for my mouth and they felt so good!
I pushed myself to walk and tried to walk every 3 hours, then I would get back in bed and ask for pain meds--Demerol--which I could have every 3 hours on request. I decided, why hurt? But I never rated my pain higher than a 5 on a scale of 10. I also tried to do an extra lap around the nurse's station every time I walked.
I was given Heperin for clotting and wore stockings that inflated and squeezed my legs. It was sort of comforting. The bed was noy especially comfortable but I was told the beds were chosen because they could hold up to 1000 lbs!
It was sort of ironic that I only told my one sister I was having surgery, then the other sister called with an "emergency question." I decided to wait to call her back. Now that it's over, I want to tell my parents. The sister I told has been so supportive. I wasn't sure how she would react because she works out a lot and eats right so I thought she would tell me just to diet,
I am rambling here, but will use this for my blog and Jazzy Junes entry.
The upper GI wasn't too bad although I had to drink an iodine solution that tasted terrible. I actually missed the berium solution! But they said if there is a leak, iodine is just absorbed by the body while berium would cause problems. I asked a lot of questions! When I got back from the test, I had clean sheets and a newspaper, plus towels and a fresh gown.
Sunday morning, Dr. Teng's office manager showed up with a vase of red roses and a "Congrats on your new life" note. I haven't gotten flowers in 10 years! What a treat!
My "meals" were hilarious, I even took a picture that I will post. The guy who brought my meal was sort of apologetic, so I started being a wise ass and said, "Wow! That looks delicious!" The funny thing was that I couldn't finish my meal at breakfast OR lunch. I sipped my broth, then took tiny mouthfuls of jello. I felt some pressure and thought, "Maybe I should stop," then took another bite and thought, "Definitely time to stop." I saved my Crystal Lite for 30 mins. I never realized I gulp my drinks, That may be the hardest old habit to overcome.
I didn't get discharged until around 5 pm Sunday. A friend was kind enough to pick me up. It felt so great to be home and sitting in my recliner. I didn't even have much trouble with the stairs to my apartment, I just took them slow.
I still have gas pains and am taking Lortab solution for it. I haven't bothered with the GasX or prescription for reflux or nausea. I will probably go back to bed soon and read, then sleep. I am reading a really good, funny book called Around the Next Corner by Elizabeth Wrenn. It's about a 50ish mom who feels invisible and needs meaning in her life, so she adopts a foster puppy to raise for a year and then give to a blind person. My sister said to have tissues ready at the end!
I had lost 2 more lbs when I weighed in before surgery, but when I got home, I weighed 5 lbs heavier. I'm not sweating it, it's fluid or something. God knows, it wasn't the big meals!
I can't believe I wrote all this, I feel so blessed that everything went well for me!
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