ObesityHelp

 So today was my post op with my surgeon.  I was supposed to have seen him last week but was cancelled because he was called to emergency surgery.  I had several things I wanted to discuss.  I have started having nausea - he says this is nausea.  As long as I am not throwing up don't worry about it.  I am so fatigued.  I own my own company and have always been on the go.  It really bothers me that although I am sleeeping more than I normally do I am still so tired.  I tell him all of this and once again he says it is normal.  That I have had major surgery and I need to give my body time to heal.  I tell him I don't have an appetite and just eat because I know I am supposed to.  Again he says that is normal.  I tell him nothing tastes right and again I am normal.  I tell him I still am having some pain on my left side.  Yep, you guessed it - I am normal.  So I guess at this point I am worrying too much about little things and that I am perfectly normal.  Who knew???

Well, unfortunately I have had a complication.  I experienced severe pain on February 14.  Yep, Valentine's day.  I started with just what I thought was gas pain.  I started feeling gas bubbles roll up my esophagus and was short of breath.  I knew something was wrong and called my surgeon's office.  He said if I was in that much pain I should get checked out.  So my mother-in-law took my to the ER where I had my surgery which is 45 minutes away.  It was a painful ride.  I was checked in at the ER rather quickly.  Once back I had a series of tests, lots of bloodwork, I was cathed for a clean catch urine specimen, and a chest xray.  Then we waited and they started an IV.  Next I had a CT of my abdomen with contrast.  This showed that I had a small bowel blockage at the lower reattachment.  I was going to be admitted.  This is not what I wanted to hear.  Tuesday night I was kept comfortable with pain meds and was NPO.  Wednesday it was 6:00 PM before my surgeon came to see me.  He ordered a small bowel study.  So down to radiology I went to drink barium and wait.  Fortunately my whole study only took  1 1/2 hours.  The tech said this was very fast.  They watch for the barium to work its way to the colon.  I went back to the room late that night.  Thursday was another day of waiting to see my surgeon.  He came around that afternoon.  He said the small bowel study showed no blockage.  This meant that they type of blockage I had was an ileus or where the bowel paralyzes and can happen after surgery and then it wakes up.  So glad mine woke up.  That was an answered prayer.  But, he still didn't want me to go home.  He wanted me to start on clear fluids and see how I did and move to full fluids the next day.  Well, today is the next day and I am home.  No problems on the full fluids.  I am supposed to stay full fluids the rest of the day and add protein shakes tomorrow.  And, of course, drink, drink, drink and walk, walk, walk.  I am doing both.  

 I'm home!  So glad to be here and finally able to shower.  I sleep, slip, and walk.  I stayed on clear liquids the first day I was home (Saturday).  Sunday I went back to full liquids and am still doing that.  I don't want to take my pain medicine but find myself having to.  I know that is silly and I should just take it.  Really haven't had major nausea but have taken phenagran twice.  I think the hardest thing for me is that I am ready to be back to normal and of course I can't.  I'm not used to lying around.  I own my own business and worry about not being there.  The eating thing is weird also.  I'm not hungry but I know I have to eat to heal.  Then I don't know what to eat because I'm not hungry.  Very glad that I gave up drinking everything but water years ago.  It makes sipping so much easier.  Crazy cycle!  But I'm trying and I know each day will be easier.  

I was in hospital from day of surgery (Thursday) through (Saturday).  It all just blurs together.  Jimmy was such a wonderful caregiver.  I never knew how blessed I was.  People come in and out and I don't rest much.  Jimmy's mom stayed with me the first night.  She was wonderful.  I wasn't able to have anything to eat or drink until after my swallow test on Friday.  That was the hardest.  I learned on here to take Biotene mouthwash with me to the hospital.  That was so smart.  Can't imagine how I would have made it without it.  Went for swallow test on Friday morning but had to wait on Dr. Long to come see me before I could have anything to drink.  He got caught in surgery and it was Friday afternoon before I received some beloved ice chips.  I took my pain meds religiously.  Most pain was from drain site and continued the whole time I was in hospital.  I would walk frequently.  I used my breathing thingy.  It was hard but because of my asthma I knew so necessary.  My only "complication" I had was with urinating.  They took out my catheter before I woke up in recovery.  But my bladder would not wake up.  I was recathed during the night Thursday with an in and out and then finally with a Foley early Friday morning.  They left it in until Friday afternoon.  Even after that I had trouble urinating and learned that it could keep me from going on.  They started me on Flomax which I am still on.  I finally went enough to be released.  I also had trouble with low blood pressure which is unusual when you have high blood pressure.  They took my drain out on Saturday and that was the weirdest sensation.  But it decreased the pain amazingly.  Overall my hospital stay was uneventful.  My nurses and PCA's were wonderful.  And now on to recovery at home... 

I want to try to remember everything.

Surgery was at 7:00 so had to be at hospital at 5:30.  We left the house at 4:45.  I was very nervous.  Laxative from day before was still working.  Jimmy dropped me off at the door so I can find the closest bathroom while he parked.  I was called back immediately and the activity began.  Changed clothes into a gown that was too big for me.  That rarely happens.  Answered lots of questions.  Veronica, coordinator for the hospital, came to see me.  I love her.  So encouraging.  She talked to Jimmy as well.  Chaplain came and prayed with me and off I go.  Did I mention laxative was still working?  I had to ask for a bathroom when I got to the holding area.  They had already taken my glasses so I couldn't see anyone.  They wheeled me to a bathroom and waited outside the door.  Embarrassing but when you have to go you have to go.  Back to my holding area.  Man beside me is very hard of hearing and they have to yell at him so that he can hear.  It makes me laugh.  My OR nurse introduces herself to me as well as my nurse anesthetist, Brian.  Brian has Versed.  I like him.  :)  We have to wait quite a while on Dr. Long.  I finally am wheeled into the OR.  They have me breathing oxygen and next thing I know I wake up in recovery.  It is 12:15.  I wake up to awful chest pain.  Kept telling the nurse who kept giving me pain meds.  She finally calls a doctor over.  They have me lay flat and cough and then the pain begins to get better.  They decide it is gas pain.  I hate the gas pain!  I also had a thumb that was numb.  That is all I remember in recovery.  I woke up again in my room but don't remember how I got there.  But I had made it to the other side and now the recovery begins.