Home from the hospital

Oct 22, 2011

A quick summary of my days...

On Thursday (10/20) I checked into the Short Stay pre-op area to get prepped.  I didn't have to be there until 8:30 AM as my surgery was scheduled at 11 AM. PreOp consisted of blood work, urine sample, blood sugar test, IV lines, dressing and weigh-in.  My official pre-op weight was 247.7.  Not bad for someone that once weighed 298.

The surgical team came one by one to introduce themselves and share their part in the procedure, which was nice.  They were all calming and quite charming, except the anesthesiologist. With him I felt like "next in line".  No big deal, but he made quite the announcement about needing me to be awake in recovery to remove the tube from my throat.  Well if I was, I don't remember it.  I don't remember opening my eyes until being wheeled out of recovery past the family wait area where the doctor spoke to my mother.  I think I remember an elevator ride, but that's it! I was in my bed and in agony until the next shot of morphine. I slept alot and need a great deal of help to do anything. 

At some point I walked a little, but every attempt I made walking then and after made me nauseous and was painful.  Then came the dry heaves.  I could've live my whole life without experiencing that. The heaving was so violent, it bought me an extra night in the hospital. On top of that, I had major trouble swallowing when that time came for two reasons...

Let's talk gas. Oh! My! Lord! I prayed for relief. So many people write about this, but the feeling was excruciating when trying to swallow.  I couldn't pass it no matter how many bags of liquid equivalent of Previcid they hooked to my IV.  And just to make matters worse, I hadn't known that my surgeon needed to repair a hiatal hernia.  Every swallow was battling two enemies.  Then when I got it down, it triggered nausea and dry heaving.  I barely swallowed enough to pass the contrast test, which had one reliveing side effect, I belched and threw up some of the contrast. Victory for my esophogus.  Good work little buddy, because I was beginging to believe I couldn't do that anymore.

After lots of sleep, some walking, lots of drugs and being able to hold down 8 plastic spoonfuls of liquid, I was cleared to go home...after I sat for 4 and a 1/2 hours to fulfill my doctors last request, which was to bring my potassium levels up via IV and some to swallow.

WARNING: Do not drink the potassium. I tried to take two swallows and finally told the nurse that I was compliant with everything else, but not that. EVER! She giggled and agreed. She said I got more than that little cup could offer by sitting with the IV potassium for those hours. She wasn't sure why he even asked for it. Oh well, just one more test on how well my tummy would handle nasty meds.  It didn't.

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