Newme4sure

thank you!!

woo hoo

I'm here all gowned and IV'd up. I'm the last patient today so the Surgeon is running a little late. I'm hungry now. Even with the iv....I'm sooooo thirsty.

Sorry guys!!!! I am still alive and kicking!!! There were a few bumps but the nursing staff was proactive on everything and the things that popped up, they handled it so fast its like there was never an issue.
I must have started waking up when I was actually leaving the recovery room, because I don't remember anything past them starting anesthesia. I woke up enough to remember them sliding me on my bed in my room. I asked the nurse if I still had a folley (i felt the urge to pee) and she said yes and I also had a pain button, call light and iv fluids. They took my vitals and asked me my pain level. They said they have already called my 2 points of contact so there was no need for me to bother calling anyone. And just rest and relax and get familiar with my bed surroundings by touch so I could rest my eyes.
My back, chest and shoulders were the only thing hurting. My back was hurting b4 surgery. I go round and round with my back. We have never really got along! They explained why but took a quick ekg anyways just in case. I didn't feel anything in my tummy area. All this was Friday July 13th around 9pm ish. (I was the last surgery)
They check on me and did vitals every hour on the hour. I walked @ midnight-ish( felt like vomiting) but it passed really quickly. The nurse gave me nausea meds b4 they got me up. Every 3 to 4 hours after that they walked me, gave shoulder, and back massages. The leg pumps helped and I did range of motion stuff while in bed. I had Water and ice chips but I don't recall wanting anything til they brought Breakfast of chicken broth, watered down Apple juice, sugar free Jello and Ice milk type of lactose free ice cream stuff. I sipped on bits and pieces of that (mostly the broth). I felt my limitation but no pain.
Every hour they did vitals they reminded me to use my spiralmeter breathing exercise thingy. Fast forward til about 10am Saturday morning...the nursing assistant got me set up for a shower so I could freshen up. They taped and gloved my iv and told me its ok to get the bandages wet just not soaked. So I showered backwards. I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I felt like a million bucks. Soap and water is some powerful stuff.
I went for my swallow test. That was the worst part of my whole visit. That stuff was so nasty and toxic tasting I was nausiated to the max. Instant headache. But it passed as quick as it came.
Later in the afternoon they started giving me meds to help pass gas and poop. They took out the folley when I started drinking more water and sipping more broth. They took my pain button cuz I was using it for back pain, shoulder pain and that trapped gas pain but not that often. They started me on liquid oral pain meds every 4 hours.
I think I took 2 or 3 showers there because once I finally had some kind of bowel movement I went home. It was around 7pm ish on Sunday. I handled Clear liquids really well. I was doing my walks by myself (got lost 2 times). I've been on clear liquids since then @ home. On Thursday I started with my GNC lean shakes and light muscle milk (lactose free). I drink this clear liquid Protein drink as well. But I'm still on the liquid phase. I'm not really that hungry so I don't know when I will start the mushy part of the diet. I see the surgeon on Tuesday morning. Talking with him, the nurse, and nutritionist...we will decide how to proceed. I walk here @ home several times a day. Not for speed or weight loss purposes. Just to stay active, limber, clot free and all that jazz. Keep my lungs open and get fresh air. I haven't open the bottle of pain meds they gave me when I left the hospital. The only pain I have had is trapped gas related.
When I was @ the hospital those 2 days I saw the surgery team of doctors about 4 or 5 times. They checked on me, my surgery sites and reactions to medication and anesthesia. Basic stuff, advice, predictions. There was a doctor on duty all day and night. So one or two came in a couple times a day or night. I had 2 nurses and 2 nursing assistants per day. On Sunday b4 discharge a nutritionist came in to re confirm what to do @ home. The nurse took kit the staples on the outside of my incisions. They were seen from the inside but to give extra support while healing, they put staples on the outside.
I had a reaction to the pump pain meds. It was not severe enough for me to want to stop the pain meds so I opted or benedryl and topical ointment. After I got off the pain button...it was clear that was the allergy cause. I had slight Fluid in my left lung but I felt that b4 surgery. I should have said something but I did want to stop the show. It wasn't enough to kill me but who knows. Anything could have went wrong by me not speaking up. They got that out in a matter of minutes. Like I said, they were prepared for everything and anything. And things that popped up they solved quickly. I might have left the hospital on Saturday evening or Sunday morning if I had a bowel movement. That's how well things went.
Now....I didn't poop again @ home for many moons. But when I did....honey hush...!!!!!! Best feeling in the world.
Today I am 1 week and 2 days out. Feeling good. No pain other than the bothersome trapped gas crap but its tolerable. No medications but my chewable and liquid Vitamins.
I am still trying to get more water in. I'm not at the recommended amount. I will try using the oh so taboo straw after Tuesday. The swallowing of large humps of air without a straw couldn't be worse than using a straw. I can't believe that. Idk....I think a straw will help me drink more water and swallow less air. Even when I swallow saliva I swallow air unintentionally.
The soap they had me bath my stomach area in starting two days b4 surgery...I still bath my stomach in. It's germ killing surgery soap. I think that the soap too has allowed speedy healing and trouble free incision sites. Plus I paid $11 for it.
Let's see.....I think that's it!!!! Any more questions or to clear up something I said...just ask. I'm an open book. I might have missed some stuff. It's midnight here and I'm using my cell phone. Pls excuse misspelled word, grammatical errors, etc....
I honestly don't know how much weight I've lost. I put my scale a box in the closet for now. I do know that for the 1st time in my life I'm not worried about how much I'm gaining. I know I've lost something. PJ's fit looser. To me 1lb lost is a lb not gained.
I dream and think about food all the time. Stuff I want to cook and stuff others with. Every since I started the diet process aka life style change... I grew addicted to stuffing the faces of others. I got pleasure out of seeing others bellies swollen with foods I had cooked.
Thanks for the Luv everyone. I am seriously doing lovely. No pain. No real hunger. Shhhh.....don't tell anyone though. *pinky swear* I don't want to go back to work yet!!!!!!
I don't go anywhere really. I don't feel like being bothered by people. I don't know my tolerance level yet. And...I don't want to wear myself out. Mostly...I don't want to be bothered by people yet. I was told to not have any stress or anything for 1 to 2 weeks. So...I burrow here at home. Drink/eat, sleep, day dream, walk, sleep, text, web surf, sleep, tv, Face Book, write, sleep and sleep. I have no thought to night and day anymore.
I wish you all continued success and if you are nervous or on the fence about the sleeve. I say....JUMP!!!! (this is why I lost my job @ the crisis hotline) This is the best ting I have done for myself since my last shoe purchase. I feel great. I have no regrets or buyers remorse. The trapped gas pain is a bit of a stiff....but little bitty babies have the same issue and they don't even get pain meds. So.......Jump on over to the losing but winning big side. It's all well worth it!!!! Do your homework (research) know everything about everything. The more informed you are the more comfortable you will be about the decision.