5 days post-op

Hi Gang! Well, I am now five days post-op and have lost 15 pounds since surgery (and 26 the month before surgery for a total of 41 pounds). My dear Cory has lost a total of 85 pounds since he started his one month-pre-op diet) so I think we are on the right track. Surgery was uneventful. I was totally convinced that I was going to have to have my surgery done open since I started out at 479 and am short (only 5 foot five inches). However, due to the pre-op diet, I was able to shrink my liver and the surgery was done lap with six small incisions. That was a blessing. I have always had trouble with anesthesia and have thrown up for days after I have ever had it and I knew that I didn't want that to happen so my surgeon prescribed a patch that went behind my ear the night before surgery. I had no nausea whatsoever so I highly recommend this to anyone who has surgery... you don't want to throw up after having this done!!!!! Surgery was on Tuesday and I don't remember much from that day. I pretty much slept the day away though I did get up into a chair that evening which wasn't too big of an ordeal. My room was hot. I had Cory put the AC all the way down to 50 degrees and they kept wanting to cover me up... I told them I was still hot and finally they brought me a fan. My poor husband was covered with two blankets and two sheets but I was halfway comfortable. Wednesday morning I saw Dr. Boustany and told him that I was still hurting so he upped my morphine and I was sent to do the leak check. I don't know what they had me suck thru a straw but I tell you, it tasted like vomit to me... that was early on Wednesday and I didn't get to drin****il Wednesday afternoon and that taste lingered... sorry but that is what it tasted like to me! After the leak check, a herd showed up from physical therapy and woke me up and said that more people were coming to help me get out of bed and try to walk... this was overkill!!!! They thought it was going to take 6 people to get my tail out of bed... they were a bit condescending and I told them to just move and I would go for a walk. They insisted that I used a walker that time and they followed behind me with this huge Geri-chair thing on wheels. They would only let me walk half way down the hall and back to my room. They then told me to sit in that nasty uncomfortable chair for an hour... I sat down in it and it hurt my back... against their wishes I changed to the regular chair in the room and was fine. I later told the nursing assistant to remove that chair-chair from my room... that I wasn't going to use it and I wanted it out of my room. Keep in mind, I was in a very small room and this thing took up the little space that was there. They parked it at the end of the hall next to my room for the remained of my stay but I didn't touch that thing. I also didn't touch the walker again after the first time of the physical therapy crew descending on my room. They took my catheter out at some point on Wednesday. At about 4:00 in the afternoon on Wednesday they told me I could start drinking an ounce of liquid every hour. I had brought my own Jell-o with me because when Cory was there the stuff they tried to pass as Jell-o tasted like rubbery salt. So, I took my own to the hospital with me... the little pre-made SF cups work great. My friend Heather from the OH board came to see me as well as my friend Norma. They were my only two visitors so it meant the world to me that they came. I got lots of beautiful flowers that are all over my house and reminding me of the many people that do love me. Well, at about 8:00 that evening they said if I didn't pee I would have to have the catheter back in. With only getting a total of 4 ounces since they let me start drinking, there wasn't anything to get rid of. That went on until at about 1:00 am on Thursday the nurse said I had until 2:30 to pee or it was going back in. Well... I finally pee'ed at about 1:30... you would have thought I struck oil! I drank as much as they would let me and I walked, walked, and walked some more. I did a big loop around two wings every hour or so. I found that the morphine kept my knee from hurting like it always does so it was the first time in about three years that I could walk without being in terrible pain so I was walking all over the place... the staff at both nurses stations on the wings that I was cruising just looked at me funny each time I went around... I guess they aren't used to seeing a 453-pound (that was what I weight the morning of surgery) woman walking all night long but dang, it was wonderful to be able to move without my knee screaming! Thursday the surgeon's PA came in early to see me and I told him I was ready to go home. He told me that I might be able to go home on Friday and I told him that I was ready then. He kind of blew me off and said I would have to talk to Dr. Boustany about that. Well, about an hour later Dr. Boustany came in and sprung me. You aren't supposed to drive yourself home but Cory is just starting to learn to drive... he was told all of his life that he couldn't drive because he is visually impaired but we recently found out that he can during the day so he is learning but he isn't ready to take it on the open road yet. So, he took things to the car and the aid walked me out.. she was supposed to wheel me out but was lazy and asked if I would walk so she didn't have to push me.. I really didn't care. She pushed a cart with some of my flowers on it... when we got to the front door she told Cory to go get the car... I just said, I really want to walk to the car... we grabbed the flowers and were out of there. We had to stop and get my prescriptions and pick up the puppies from the kennel and then we were home within about an hour. I rested the rest of Thursday. I am on liquid hydrocodon (Lortab) and am supposed to take 1-2 Tablespoons every 4 hours. They gave me a measuring spoon with it and I assumed the 1 and 2 marks on it were what I was supposed to take but on Friday Cory realized that the measuring spoon was for 1 and 2 teaspoons, not Tablespoons so I was supposed to be taking 3-6 teaspoons worth and was only taking 1 or 2 teaspoons... once I upped the pain medication to the dose I was supposed to have I did much better. Friday was uneventful. We did go to the grocery store to get milk so I could have pudding and protein shakes. Saturday we went to the mall to walk a little and to see Bewitched. And today we went to church. It took me a good five minutes to chew up the communion wafer but I got eventually got it down. I have to return to work tomorrow so I have been pushing it. I knew going into this that I wasn't going to have the luxury of a nice slow recovery. I think two weeks off would have been great but with my work situation and school situation, a week was all that I could take, knowing that if I had complications, I might have to take more. So, in the morning I go get my drain tube out and go back to work. It will be a hard day as I do get tired after being out for a few hours but each day gets easier. I am so thankful for this surgery and have absolutely no regrets for making the decision to have it done. I know that I will have hard days in front of me and am not naive enough to think that it is always going to be smooth sailing but it is a gift of a second chance to live a healthy life and I am taking it and going to run with it! 499 (all time high) 479 (start of one month pre-op diet July 2) 453 (day of surgery August 2) 438 (5 days post-op August 7)

That is so wonderful. I am glad you are doing so well. I go this Thursday for my surgery date. Dr. King will be putting me on shakes before surgery also to shrink liver. I am really scared of blood clots because of my age (50). I weigh a all time high of 350. I only pray I do as well as you have. Congrads again. Here's a dance for ya.

Regina, They will likely give you Heparine shots while you are in the hospital. I was worried about clots because of my size. My blood was REALLY thin tho... when the nurse took out my IV she didn't bother to put anything over it and I had my hand sitting at my side... after a few minutes I felt something wet on my hand and held it up... it was covered with blood as was my gown, sheet, and the floor... it was a mess in only a few minutes... I guess they had me really thinned out. As soon as she put a band-aid on it and pressure for a few seconds it stopped but it made me realize how thin my blood was. They will also have air stockings on you that will pump the blood from your legs. Also, if you do ankle flexes every time you think about it, it will keep blood from pooling. I only had the air stockings the first night because after that I was up and moving way too much to be tethered down... I really wanted to move move move. You will do fine! Patti

Congratulations!!!!!!!! You're doing great. Take it slow at work.

hi fribby, thanks for taking the time to post your whole WLS experience. It really means a lot to us pre-ops to see that someone has a pretty easy time at first. ive heard so many horror stories but i try to focus on the positive ones like yours. Take good care of yourself while you convalesce. let us know how things are going for you.

Bridget, I know what you mean about reading lots of horror stories. I really didn't find it too bad. Yes, it hurts like #@#$%# but I have been in constant pain from fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis for years so I am familiar with pain. I worked the month before surgery to make some lifestyle changes so it wouldn't be such an abrupt change all at once. I did protein shakes for two meals a day and tried to eat reasonably in the evenings and was able to lose 26 pounds the month before surgery. I also gave up caffeine and soda (I used to drink at least a six pack a day of soda). I tried to drink lots of plain old water and that is what I am wanting now... I really am not wanting much besides water (such as Crystal Light or Propel.. have been drinking on a Propel for three days). I know that there will be hard days ahead but my advice is try to make as many changes as you can pre-op so that you are physically and emotionally as ready for this as possible. And, once you have surgery, try to get your water, protein, and walking in. It is hard but you can do it!!!!! Patti

Fribby, Congratulations on your weight loss thus far and I thank God for your uneventful surgery. I truly wish you continued success in your journey. Georgeann

Sister, I give God all the glory for my uneventful surgery. I know I was high risk and I had absolutely no complications whatsoever during or after surgery... the hands of the master were on the hands of the surgeon!!! I know that God is knitting me back together as I type and that He has big plans for the new me! Patti

Fribby, congratulations on a successful surgery! I appreciate the time and effort of typing out your surgery experience. It sure does help to know exactly what is going on and how you feel. I am waiting for ins. approval myself. I wish you lots of luck and a successful future! Lori

Lori, I will be praying for your insurance approval. That was a four year battle for me and the hardest part of my WLS journey thus far. I pray that it goes smooth for you as this is a wonderful tool that should be available to everyone who it is appropriate for. Patti