I'm switched and finally back online. :-)

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

Sorry it has taken me so long to post but I haven't had a computer

since my switch. I was switched on June 18, 2001 by Dr. Gagner. I am

afraid to say this out loud but I have been doing pretty well. I go

for my three week visit on Wednesday. I do still have pain and the

gas pain is tremendous. The one thing that surprised me most about

the surgery was the amount of pain I was in. That little pain button

just didn't do the trick. I also was expecting a certain degree of

numbness. I had a c-section in 1999 and I am still numb.

Unfortunately, I haven't had any numbness at all. I am happy to say

that the pain does get better, although it was hard to think past it

for awhile. Like Terri Hassiak, I have the pain above my belly

button when bending over and at another incision site. I am very

anxious for that to stop hurting. I am suspecting it has to do with

what I have eaten because on Friday I had no pain at all.

I vomitted once in the hospital and that was it. I threw up the

barium they had me swallow for the leak test...I knew it was going to

happen. I scared the crap out of the ultrasound technician

because it was really bloody. His panic made me panic. (Especially

being the huge hypochondriac that I am..lol) But they finally told

me the blood was normal due to the surgery. It felt much better to

get that out of my stomach.

Some days I do better than others with my protein intake but I am

trying not to beat myself up with it. Today was not such a good day

for that but tomorrow is another day. I have been doing well prior

to this so I hope that one day won't make a difference with my labs.

Fluid intake has been okay for me as well. I feel very thirsty

though...I wonder if that is normal? I could kill for a diet coke!

LOL Ice pops were definitely a life saver in the beginning.

The only other problem I had was waking from the anesthesia. I could

hear my husband and the nurse telling me to lift my head, squeeze

their hands and open my eyes but I just couldn't do it. I could hear

everything they said and I was scared. I was also aware of being on

the respirator. It was a very weird feeling. Finally the nurse gave

me something that counteracted the anesthesia and I was awake. That

was when they took the intubation out...gag. I really would rather

have not known all that was going on...Thank God it is over. LOL

I happy to finally be home with my boys and cannot wait to see Dr.

Gagner on Wednesday to find out how I am doing. Is anyone else going

to be at Mt Sinai that day? I also have to go on the 19th to see Liz

the nutritionist because she had no openings for Wednesday.

Anyway, I have rambled long enough here. Thanks for listening. Good

luck to all the pre-ops. If a hypochondriac with panic attacks like

myself can do it, so can you! Congrats to all the post-ops too.

Thanks to my Angel, Terri Hassiak for checking in on me and to Sue

for visiting me.

Hunter

BMI 61

BPD/DS 6/18/01 Dr. Gagner