Re: 10 DAYS POST OP

[Guest guest]

Donna,

Great post! Thanks for all the details. I'm pre-op myself so it is nice

to hear about EVERYTHING. Glad to hear you're feeling better and hope you

really do well in the future.

Rebekah in Alabama

BMI 50

[Guest guest]

I had that same stitch in my side feeling on both sides but worse on

one for about 2 days and then it was gone. I do think it was nerves

healing, but it was uncomfortbale!!!

Laurie

9/20/00

319/295/150

> Hi all,

>

> I am now 10 days post op. Surgery was 22Sep and I think there were

9 of us.

> I am kind of shy so I did not meet any of the other post ops, but

as I

> wandered the halls walking off the gas I saw a lot of " Dr.

Rutledge "

signs.

> Hi to all of you and hope you are doing as well or better than I!

>

> Anyway, I know how much I looked forward to reading about other

post

op's

> experiences I thought I'd add my 2 cents. Its kind of long, sorry.

>

> On Thursday my mother-in-law and I arrived in Durham. We found it

a

bit

> difficult to navigate around the city because the road signs are

posted at

> the crossings so there is really no time to get ready for your

turns. This

> can be hazardous so it is better to be prepared to do a lot of

turning

> around. We became real proficient at this by the time we left town.

>

> We stayed at the Hawthorne Suites in a 2 bedroom suite and found it

to be

> quite adequate. We were near a CVS, Food Lion and a really good

Mexican

> Restaurant which is where I had my " last supper " . I called the

hospital to

> find out my surgery time and was told " 130pm and don't eat anything

after

> midnight " . So I had a Haagan Daaz ice cream bar at 10pm and it was

awesome!

>

> On Friday morning we arrived at DRH at 715am and registered. We

went

> upstairs to get ready and found out the Dr R had two ORs so my

surgery time

> was actually 930am. Wow-that was great. Lots less time for

thinking!

> Before I knew it I was outside the OR and hooked up with my new

friend, Mr.

> IV , no problems there. Then into the OR-put me to sleep-wake me

up.

>

> I had trouble waking up because I really felt that I could not

breath.

> Someone kept asking me if I could breath OK and I shook my head no.

Then

> they said " you're fine, don't shake your head. " Well, if you did

not want

> to know why did you ask. I was so mad I started breathing hard and

it

> dawned on me that I was breathing OK. It just felt weird. Anyway,

I was

> then rolled to my room and there was my MIL. She said I looked

great and

> although she did not speak with Dr R a nurse had called her in the

waiting

> room to tell her that I was done and all went well. Dr R was so

busy that

> day that I don't think he talked to anybody.

>

> Friday afternoon is a bit hazy for me. I remember the nurses

telling me how

> to use the pain pump. I was never in pain either, I think I hit

the

button

> a total of 6 times and the last time was about 1am. I slept a lot

(in

> between the interuptions to take my temperature, pulse, meds, food,

etc). I

> know I started walking at about 5pm. I also remember my MIL

calling

the

> nurse because during one of my walks I bled all over the halls.

Gross. One

> of my ports was bleeding-the nurse changed the dressing and said

this was

> normal, there was not a lot of blood really, it just looked like a

lot. I

> also remember getting some jello, broth, and juice at some point.

I

don't

> think I ate more that 2 tablespoons total though I did keep the

juice for

> later.

>

> I had nausea a little in the afternoon and then about 8pm (my MIL

was gone

> by this time) I threw up some vile brownish stuff. That was nasty.

I never

> had any nausea again and have not thrown up since then either (yet).

>

> On Saturday morning you could hear Dr. R coming. He came in and

sat

down

> for about 10 minutes and we talked about what to expect and then

told me I

> could leave the hospital. As soon as my MIL came in I got dressed

and left.

> No fanfare. Just get out so we have a room for someone who needs

it!

> Very cool.....

>

> From the hospital we went straight to the hotel, but only to drop

off my

> stuff. We then went to an outlet mall that is near the airport. I

am not

> kidding. We opened up the place-10am day after surgery we are mall

> crawling.

>

> We went back to the hotel for lunch and then we went to a thrift

shop. I

> bought some great clothes that I won't be able to wear for awhile,

but the

> prices were right. I took a short nap that evening then we went to

a movie.

>

> On Sunday we went to church and then to the Arboretum. It was very

humid,

> (sorry Southerners) and I had to sit down a couple of times, but I

really

> thought the Arboretum was a good outing. My MIL is an avid

gardener

so she

> got a big kick out of it. I just thought is was pretty and restful.

>

> On Sunday afternoon we drove to Burlington just for the heck of it.

We were

> a bit bored. When we got back we went to Food Lion for some juice

then back

> to the hotel where we watched an old tear jerker. Please be warned

the

> Hawthorne Suites does not give you any tissues so bring your own or

be

> prepared to mop your face with TP.

>

> Monday we went to another couple of thrift shops where I bought

more

clothes

> that don't fit. Really beautiful stuff. Another movie Monday

night, but

> not a tear jerker. One a week is enough!

>

> Tuesday morning we went to clinic, but we did not get there until

about

> 1030am. Dr. R was doing his thing, going around the room with

introductions

> and questions. I was at the back and he asked how I was doing and

I

told

> him I was good, just a little tired. He told me to increase my

sodium and

> then I weighed (lost 7 pounds) and he took out my staples. I asked

if I

> could go home because I really missed my family and he said to wait

another

> day. So, I went home anyway-sorry Dr. R. To you guys reading

this-don't go

> home early! Stay the full 7 days-see next paragragh.

>

> Tuesday evening I got home to the dirtiest mess I ever saw...of

course I had

> to start cleaning. My husband wrecked my car while I was gone.

> Wednesday-no problem, Thursday no problem ( I was even thinking

about going

> back to work because I wanted to get out of the house). Friday

morning I

> woke up with a pain in my left side right under my ribs. It felt

like the

> stitch you get in your side when you've run or exercised too hard.

IT HURT!

> Anyway, I was brave and did not call Dr. R until about 6pm when

my

husband

> said-call or else!

>

> Dr. R said that I probably just had an irritated nerve from a port

site and

> I should monitor my pulse and temp. He said I could go to the

hospital and

> have them check for a leak if it would make me feel better. If I

had been

> in Durham I think I would have went to the hospital on Friday

morning-I

> think I would have saved myself and my husband a lot of anxiety.

>

> I had the pain on Saturday and on Sunday it started lessening and

today it

> is all but gone. My pulse and temperature never waivered and I

never felt

> sick at all.

>

> I have been on the liquid diet since day 1 with saltines which

really taste

> " uncommonly good " . Today I had a pack of " nabs " , but I've only

eaten 3. I

> like V8, chicken broth, Gatorade (fruit punch-red tongue), and of

course

> water. I have not felt hungry once. Also, for the first time in

years I

> have slept all night without going to the bathroom for 3 nights

straight. I

> have developed a yeast infection (guess where) and so I am going to

my PCP

> later this afternoon for that.

>

> I stopped taking OTC meds for headaches 1 month prior to surgery.

I

reduced

> my caffeine intake to 1/2 to 1/3 by 1 week prior and then no

caffeine by 1

> week prior. I did gain weight before surgery because I was eating

everything

> that was not nailed down. I have always been an emotional eater

and

I think

> at some point I will have to deal with this. I have had to deal

with head

> hunger while I was reading or watching TV. I have gone to the

fridge

> countless times only to remember I could not eat and then realized

I

was not

> " really " hungry anyway.

>

> I know I have a long way to go. I am back at work today and

everything is

> chaotic. Its nice to be missed, but sheesh!

>

> I would be happy to be a contact for anyone, but I have to say that

pre-ops

> should really try to talk to people who are further out than me.

My

> contacts were 80% over 1 year and 1 was at about 3 months and the

other was

> at 4 months I think. If you are a pre-op I guess the best advice

you will

> ever get from any post-op is to educate yourself. Any WLS a

serious,

> drastic step and no WLS is 100% without complications.

>

> Well, I am outta here since my lunch time is over. Good luck to

all

of you

> pre and post ops.

>

> Best Regards,

> Donna Schanzenbacher

> 264/250/125

>

> PS-first number is beginning weight, second is current, last is

goal-wishful

> thinking-probably should really be 150 or 160!

>

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