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Steph951

LAP-BAND Patients

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Blog Entries posted by Steph951

  1. My Surgery 1-11-11

    · Steph951 · 01/14/2011 19:42

    This day was a very early one for me. My boyfriend Mike of 6 years couldnt take the day off, but he slept with the the night before and took me to surgery at 5:30am. He continiously asked me if I really wanted to go through with this, but I had no doubt in my mind. I even told him that if I were to say no to this surgery, it meant saying fat for the rest of my life. I know I need this tool to help me reach my goals. The IV scared me, but more so a man came in to take my blood, and he just grabed my arm mid air and took blood, and it hurt!! I am 3 days post surgery and have a huge bruise on my arm. The IV made me very nervous, and I have a record of running away from things, like i ran outa my doctors appointment to have my wisedom teeth out. But I held strong, and I said my goodbyes, and was wheeled off. I was told that i would wake up in a recovery room, not to my mom and that bothered me. I got into the room and the anesthesiologist started a conversation about where I went to school as they strapped down my arms. I dont remember if he told me to count backwards, but he told me that it would burn coming into my hand and then poof I was out. I woke up and had a mask over my face and kept trying to take it off, and was being yelled at and tried to compromise by having it on half on and half off but they werent having it. I dont remember being in any pain at that point, but as they rolled me into my room they told me about every bump they ran over and I kind of felt those in my tummy. I got into my room and they told me about my morphine button and was put on oxygen and I passed out. I woke up when my mom came in, but shortly feel asleep again. I woke up having to pee, and that was an adventure. My mom called in the nurses and they unhooked my leg squeezers and my arm and had to help pull me up because it hurt soo bad trying to get up. When i got into the bathroom i was so dizzy and nausious that I didnt want to get up, I just wanted to sit there, I felt so sick. I was told that I was not allowed anything to drink, no ice chips, I couldnt even garggle water. My mouth was so dry and so were my lips, I was constantly peeling off dead skin off my lips. I didnt do too much that day, just push my morphine "snooze" button and pass out. People were coming in and out checking my blood pressure and breathing, and a physical therapist came in to try to get me up to walk. I got up and took a few steps down the hall then started started feeling dizzy, almost like I was blacking out. I closed my eyes and he yelled at me to wake up, I guess when you feel dizzy the worst thing to do is to close your eyes. He helped me back into the room and I felt like I was being drilled but he told me all the things I should be doing, like squeezing my calves and my feet up and down to help not get clots. It must be a serious thing, because I had two shots in my tummy, plus the leg squeezers plus I had to keep moving around to avoid clots. I got up a little later with my mom and we walked around. I held my stomach up, I felt that it was more comfortable that way, and I had this theory that if I let my stomach hang that it would pull on my holes. So we walked a little, did 2 laps plus these little practice stairs. Around 6 my hunny showed up and we walked around 4 times, then we both fell asleep in my room. I had my own room which was nice. He left around 10 and I kept pushing my button to go to sleep but it seemed like people kept coming in and out of the room constantly, which got pretty annoying, real fast. That and I had to pee ALOT and the nurses were nice and knew which side of the bed was easier for me and helped me get up, but twice they sent in a man who just unplugged me and then went out, where as the nurses would move my IV to the right side and help me up and wait for me to get done and hook me right back up. So once he didnt come back and my IV things battery died and it was making this horrible noise. I got a little bit of sleep, and at 8am they finally took me for my xrays. I was very tired and feeling cranky, and had to pee through it but I got through it and got back up to my room around 9, and thats when my mom came back. I went and brushed my teeth with just water, and it felt so good to have some moisture in my mouth!! Then I went back to sleep and got like a full hour in, and my mom and I went on a walk around, and a little bit later a different physical therapist came in and we went on another walk and she said I was doing great and I should be ready to go home soon. My doctor came in and just asked if I was ok and if I had any questions, then he left. I got dressed which made me feel a little dizzy and the lady came in to take out my IV, and she walked away as my hand was GUSHING blood, and i asked her to come back and she took off the soaked bandaid and it was just POURING out ugghh it was horrible and it made me sick to my stomach. She went away again and I started dry heaving as the bypass/lapband nurse came in and she was like OMG does the doctor know this is happening? and I couldnt even shake my head no but she took off running. I felt so horrible it was the worst feeling ever. She came back alone and I was feeling a little bit better, and laid down again. She talked to me about my diet, and she showed me pictures of her success with the bypass surgery and she was really nice. I left soon after, and got home and just hung out on the couch. I have liquid vicodin but didnt feel it was helping, but it mostly just hurt whenever I got up. Getting out of my own was very hard, and sleeping is very difficult for Im a side/stomach sleeper and this is forcing me to sleep directly on my back. My bandages are still on, they are what hurts, not my stomach at all, just the incisions. I cant shower until the 3rd day, ugh, so Im feeling pretty gross, and im kind of scared to see whats under my bandages, if its gonna look gross or look really bad. They are not red around them or swollen at all. I didnt weigh myself that morning like a dummy so I dont really know how much weight Ive lost, only weighed myself yesterday. Last night i felt REALLY hungry and had some pudding and that helped. Having the lap band is a weird feeling, like I take a drink and i can feel it go all the way down. I have lots of gas, but havent pooped since the day before surgery. I slept better last night than i did the first night being home. I tried to turn myself over the wrong way and it hurt really bad... I think i sleep better on the couch.. but everynight it seems to get better..
     
    I took some pictures right before my surgery, but they are pretty horrifing and i dont think I will post them until i lose lots of weight!!

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