I'm Back!

[Guest guest]

I'm Back!

From: RAltman813@...

Hi Gang! I'm finally back online. Thanks to everyone for all the calls and

emails about how I was doing.

A note to my friends and family on this email list. This messages is written

for all of you as well as my many weight loss surgery (WLS) friends here in

land and across the country. Thus, this message may be a bit graphic.

WLS patients are used to it and we share very intimate details of our

recovery. I will try to keep the graphics to a minimum.

As usual I did not make this surgery simple. I do not do anything in

moderation. Starting with a 4+ hour surgery instead of the planned 2, and a

longer time in recovery I guess I started imitating last year's surgical

scares. Dr. Marcus found 2 hernias, not just one, although he only removed

about 4.5 pounds of skin in the abdominoplasty. I've lost so much weight

(over 200 pounds) that there was not a lot of fat in the flap. Dr. Marcus

says that I am a bleeder and I proved him right again. He said it was

messy.

As Ellen's emails said I was making great progress on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I got up and walked as much as I could. After the ruptured artery in last

year's gastric bypass I was determined that this hospital recovery was going

to be uneventful. Unfortunately, I don't do anything in moderation or

simply.

On Wednesday I got out of bed to take a walk. I still had the epidural in

my

back for pain management. It made my left leg go numb. I didn't realize how

numb it was since I had been up and walking earlier that day. It was totally

numb and when I shifted my weight to my left leg I fell with my left leg

buckled under me. Jeanne (from Dr. Marcus' Office) was with me and was

grabbing for me and trying to reach the call button at the same time.

Several nurses ran in and got me back in bed. They stopped the epidural and

the felling came right back to the leg. They took out the epidural and I

used

Percoset for pain. Dr. Marcus came back and an Orthopedic Surgeon looked at

my left knee, said it felt " squishy " and ordered x-rays which found some

abnormalities. They ordered a bone scan to see if it was broken.

On Thursday afternoon I continued the excitement. My pressure suddenly

dropped and I was in a lot pain. I remember a lot of nurses running around

hanging fluids and blood and the surgical resident putting in a central line

in my groin because they couldn't get a vein in my arm. After a couple units

of blood I felt much better and by late Thursday night I was OK, but I ended

up needing 6 units of blood between Thursday and Saturday. Still don't know

it this episode was related to the fall or not. Needless to say I did not

get

out on Friday as planned.

On Monday I had a bone scan which showed that my kneecap was cracked! It

didn't hurt, it was just stiff. I was released from the hospital late Monday

night. I went to my own orthopedist on Tuesday morning and he wasn't sure

that the knee was broken. He did not want to immobilize it because of fear

of

blood clots from the surgery. So I hobbled around on a walker and a cane.

I have been back to Dr. Marcus' office twice for staple removal. I am still

draining from a couple sights in the incisions which Dr. Marcus is pleased

about. I go back Monday for more staple removals and possible aspiration of

the sites where old blood is still collecting and draining.

The hernia repair and abdominoplasty is much more bloody and nasty after the

fact than the original WLS. I am cut from hip to hip and chest to groin.

Most

of it is healing quite well. I am still wearing the heavy elastic binder to

hold everything in place. There is still a lot of swelling and I may even

need a little nip and tuck in a couple of areas that Dr. M can do in the

office. Overall it looks pretty good. The huge hernia is gone (I used to

look

like I swallowed a football) and I am fairly flat even with the post op

swelling! No Flap! And no infections under it. When all the swelling is gone

I hope to have a 34-35 inch waist (it was 36-37 before the abdominoplasty)

and I should weigh around 178-180. I actually have to put a couple of pounds

back on and will go to the gym and start a weight program to build up more

muscle tone. I've actually added a few more CARBS back into my diet to slow

down the weight loss and reach my equilibrium.

For all those who wonder about the hernia repairs and the abdominoplasty and

all the horror stories about the surgery: it is nastier than the WLS, but

not

as bad as anticipated. I even hope to be back at work on the 29th which is 3

weeks post op. The key is to have a great caregiver to help you and to

change

your dressings which get very bloody and nasty. I cannot say enough about my

wife who has again reinforced my love and respect for her. After 34 years of

marriage I still am amazed at Ellen's courage, strength, and love. While

she

doesn't let me get away with anything, she is still there as my rock and my

strength. She has made this recovery much easier, although it has again

taken

a great toll on her both mentally and physically. All of WLS patients need

to

take moment and reflect on their support systems and those people close to

you who have helped you through all the years of obesity, surgery, and

recovery. Stop and reflect on the stress they go through and in any way

possible say thank you.

Well, that's enough for now. I am on my way back and better than ever! Hope

to speak to all of you online. And to Ellen, and all of you...my heartfelt

thank you for being there. I hope my experiences have helped, and will

continue to help some of you.

BobA

[Guest guest]

Welcome back Bob!

[Guest guest]

Well, the Pike family are back. We had a very nice holiday in North Devon

(Woolacombe) and had some very good weather. We've even booked next year's

holiday (as we get it at this year's price!).

Silly me forgot to go no-mail so had 50 odd digests (from various NCT lists)

waiting for me. Have just about read them all now. Just got to catch up on

the boring household chores now...

It's good to be back - I've missed my virtual friends! Look forward to

seeing some of you at Sam's on Wednesday...

Kim Pike

Area F Rep - Region 5, Trainee PNDL, Exp. Reg. and Librarian -

Wallingford/Didcot

SAHM to (24.05.1996) and (27.11.1997)

Holistic Therapist... and in my spare time DW to Colin (11.04.1963!)