Hey guys!

well, the first 2 days i was laid pretty low, so i figure now that i am half human again, its a good time to give everyone an update! I had my surgery Monday at 1:30, at Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, FL. We got there and it was pretty much strictly business, and from what i have read before.. it really seems like the hospital you are at really makes the biggest difference... I was really dissapointed because quite frankly my nurses were idiots who didnt really listen to me, and kept doing things backwards, so that was sort of a pain. The surgery seemed to go very very quickly, but the anasthetic make me very sick, so i was throwing up for most of the day, and i stayed at the hospital until about 10:30 that night. I went home pretty frail, puny at best, and the lortab (thank the L-rd for that lortab!) put me right to sleep. I would recommend that you ask your dr. for your perscriptions before the surgery so you can have them there for you when you get home... because you DEFINITELY dont want to be waiting in line for drugs on that first day.

I was really thankful that i slept the entire night... since that first night i have been on a schedule that whenever its time to take my pain meds, i get up and walk the dog around the block. Granted, that means i am only walking every 3 to 4 hours, but it definitely is something. I also got a heating pad which really made the biggest difference for the gas. The gas is one thing that was really really rough for me since the lortab doesnt help with gas... those GasX strips did help, but only to a certain extent... I really just had to suck it up and walk as much as possible. Drinking has been difficult because my chest has felt pretty tight, but i found popcycles to be an easier alternative when it was at its worst...

The one thing i would say to those of you getting your surgery soon is that the very best thing you can do is be prepared! Have everything you can get beforehand there so that its all at your disposal...I was lucky to have family here to walk me and medicate me, i hope you can have that too! Ultimately the first and second day for me really really REALLY sucked. I knew it would, everyone said it would... but it really was horrible, lol. The good thing is, is that eventually it did pass, i just tried to stay in bed and stay drugged! It is the evening of the 3rd day and i have lost 6lb since surgery! I will be durned if i know how that happened, but i know this these last few days have definitely been worth it! I hope everyone else has had an easier time then i have, and lets all be thankful that we have each other here to whine, and rejoice with! I look forward to the rejoicing part soon!!!!!

Nikki

Starting Weight: 252.8

Pre-Op Apt Weight: 238.6

Day of Surgery Weight: 236

3 days Post Op Weight: 230!!!!!!:w00t:

Sorry you've been feeling crappy Ichatter but it seems you have made it through the worst of it!! I totally understand the staying medicated and sleep manner of dealing with feeling crappy!!...I will definitely keep this post in mind if I am having difficulty with the pains!!

Yknow im reading it now, and i totally dont want to come off like a baby... lol... some moments are definitley worse then others... one more quick update since its the 4th day:

I am noticing that the swelling is going down, but my stitches are drying out, so i am having incision pain that i didnt have before... they are all still taped up, and they arent turning funny colors or anything, so im just staying on top of the lortab and hoping for the best! I started being able to drink protein shakes today! YEY!!!!! Food is awesome. lol, its INSANE how full i am on like nothing!!!! I had 1/2 of an atkins shake and i am genuinely stuffed! Last night i had 1/2 of a Jell-o and that was all i could take. lol it was awesome!!!!!! As for my first small victory, i noticed that the rolls on my back are like gone!!!! My mom was rubbing my back last night and she was actually the one that mentioned that there used to be a roll right in the middle of my back, and now her hand could go from the top of my back to the bottom without being inturrupted by rolls! YEEEEYYYY!!!! Small but great victories!

Sorry you had such a rough couple of days. It sounds like you are through the worst of it. Isn't nice to eat a couple oz of jell-o and feel full!

Hope you get to feeling better!