Post Op Update

[bobbyswife 862]

I'm posting this because when I was pre-op I wanted to hear about everyone's experience, so hopefully this will help someone. Thank you to everyone that has been checking on me. I really feel the love

So, my surgery was Thursday, Dec. 18th. When I got to the hospital they took me back to get changed into a robe and they weighed me, started my IV, and I answered the usual repeat questions (name, what surgery are you having, etc.). Then, they let my husband and best friends into that room with me. The anesthesiologist came in to introduce himself and we chatted for a little bit. I was scheduled for 2 pm but they must have been running early because about 1:30 they were telling me it was time to go. I walked into the OR with a team of nurses that were so sweet and got myself up onto the operating table. You lay with both arms out to your sides on separate arm boards to stabilize you. The last thing I remember the anesthesiologist and the nurses were asking me if I was ready for Christmas and I was telling them that I had finished all my shopping before the surgery so I didn't have to worry about that. The next thing I know I'm waking up in the OR in a lot of pain. I remember moving my arms around a lot and trying to sit up and hold my stomach and the nurses rushing to me and telling me to lie back down and try to relax. They must have knocked me out again because my next memory was being wheeled into my hospital room where I would stay the night. I don't remember much about that except that my husband was there and my best friend. I just remember saying over and over again that my chest hurts.

As it turns out I had a very large hernia that needed to be repaired. The dr. said that if he had not repaired it, my tiny new tummy would get pulled up into my esophagus because the hole from the hernia was so large. I truly believe that hernia has been the cause of most of my pain. I had access to a morphine pump that I could push every 6 minutes if I wanted it. That was heaven. I took every advantage of that thing, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I took the approach that I am normally a very strong woman, but at that moment I was at my weakest and I was going to allow myself to be comfortable and not feel bad about hitting "the juice" every chance that machine would let me. When I started waking with less pain I would space out my "hits" on the morphine drip. Then I transitioned into liquid Lortab, and managed fine with just that.

Apparently I was peeing into my catheter like a champ because every nurse commented on how often they had to empty it. They said they wished every patient peed as much as me. I guess that's a good thing so I didn't retain too much of the constant fluids I was receiving.

They had me up and walking a few hours after surgery. They would hook this strap around me, just under my boobs and the nurse held onto it just in case I was falling or passing out. Walking felt really great. Much better than I thought it would.

Friday night about 6:30 pm I was discharged and came home. Since then I've been living in my recliner and I get up to walk as often as I think about it. Usually every hour or so. My husband has been my hero. He fills a small medicine cup with liquids or Liquid Protein and has me sip on it constantly and refills it every time it's empty. I takes about 6-8 sips to finish one medicine cup.

The gas pains are no joke at all. I never got them in my shoulders or back, but my abdomen and chest have been very tender and painful, and you can hear my tummy making sounds from across the room. I've been living on Gas-X strips which do help a little and I have to take my spasm meds around the clock to control the spasms. Because of the hernia repair, each sip feels like a golf ball that is trying to travel down very slowly. Today is the first day that feeling has started to dissipate. Now, the most frequent pain I get is from filling up too much on liquids. Last night I tried a Jello. It was one of the small cups of the ready to eat kind. I ate about 1/2 of it and I'm not sure if it was dumping or what, but I had a horrible experience. My left ear starting ringing, and then my hands, feet and face starting tingling like they were "asleep" and I got really hot, dizzy, nauseas, and short of breath. It was pretty terrifying. My husband was able to walk me outside to get some fresh, cool air and it started to get a little better. When he finally got me back inside and into my chair it subsided even more, but it took about 30 minutes to get over it. If that was dumping syndrome from eating too fast or too much, rest assured I will NEVER do that again.

I slept through the night last night for the first time since I've been home and today I'm doing a better job of tracking my Protein in addition to just the liquids. So far today I've had about 40 gm of protein and that's not too shabby for 4 days post op if you ask me, but I'm shooting for 60 by this evening. I feel like today I am getting over the hump and finally recovering well. The lack of energy is the biggest challenge now, as just showering and the usual daily regime is too much sometimes. I'm taking it day by day. I don't know how people go back to work after 1 week, they are truly amazing creatures to do that. I go back on Jan 5th.

Hope this has helped some of you newbies understand the post op process a little more, but remember that everyone is different.

[wannaBthinsoon 1,634]

Thanks for the honesty! Glad you felt up to writing. It means a lot to many of us out here. I hope to be joining you in a month or so! Merry Christmas!

[bobbyswife 862]

Merry Christmas to you, too! You will do great, keep us posted!

[bobbyswife 862]

@@collinus Welcome to the club!

[BitterSweet* 835]

Great update. I'm so glad you're doing well. =)

[roundisashape 712]

Gosh, it sounds like you're a lot more with it than I was at 4 days! Welcome to the other side, I'm so glad you're home and doing better

[athena3127 199]

I am so happy to read your now on he flip side and doing ok! Just a suggestion.... Have dear hubby give you a message. The day I got discharged from the hospital they had a huge health fair and I was able to get a chair message. I really feel that helped me work out the gas which may been lingering in my system. It was wonderful. And I never looked back. And after all it is he holiday season message would make a great gift