Well....here I am.  I got home yesterday(12/23) in the middle of a major snowstorm.  It dumped 9 inches of snow in our area, and dumped it fast.  I was so holding on to dear life while my husband drove us home.  Thank goodness he is a good driver, because I was an absolute wreck by the time we got home.  That was not good for my fragile nerves, to say the least.  

About surgery.....arrived at 10:30am like I was told...set in the lobby waiting to be called back to a preop room, and finally at about 11:15am I got called back.  I was taken to my preop room, and given my gown....once that happened...I was really freaked out.  I mean, I was standing in the bathroom saying to myself "I cannot do this!"  I thought I was going to run out of there kicking and screaming.   No lie.  

I managed somehow to put my gown on, and climb up into bed.  I was not crying yet, but just taking slow deep breaths to try and calm myself.  I kept thinking "did I try hard enough on diets" and this is an elective thing?  I was thinking "what is wrong with you that you are risking your life for this?"  I finally realized that I was risking my life by not having this surgery.  My family helped me to calm down, and they remained calm for my sake.  

Fortunately, I was lucky in that the preop staff moved pretty quickly once I was back.  That gave me a little less time to stew over things....I was so thankful for that.  The nurse came in...I signed all the forms, and she asked me a few standard questions....they got my IV going(2nd try) and I told the nurse I had to have something for nerves.  She was so sweet, and said she understood, and said she would get it as soon as anethesia came in.  Anesthesia came in and we discussed my terrible history of nausea, and emesis....and he said he would do whatever he could to help me.  They gave me a Scopalamine Patch behind my ear, and premedicated me also with Zofran, etc.  I think it made all the difference in the world, as I had little nausea.  Whatever they did differently, it worked.  I was so relieved and happy.

Once they got all that going.....I got my Versed for nerves, and in came an OR nurse who said my Dr was ready when I was.  So off I went about 40 minutes early!  I was so ready, and I can recall bits and pieces of the OR, but not much and not for long.  I was pretty calm in the OR.  It apparently went just like it was supposed to.  I was in surgery for 1.5 hours, and then in recovery a little over 1 hour.  I was sent to my room, and don't recall much until later that PM.  I was in quite a bit of pain....mainly my left side...and my right side.  Those were the two main places where I felt pain.  I had morphine for pain every hour, and took it up until they gave me orals day following morning after surgery.  Those were fine, but they spanned them out 6 hours, and that was hard after having something available every hour.  The liquid Lortab is somewhat stronger, and lasts much longer in terms of keeping the pain at bay....but still, once I needed it..I needed it.  I was not shy to ask for it either.  I started walking overnight, or about 12 hours or so after my surgery.  I guess I was way too out of it to safely walk, but once I did....I kept going as often as I could stand it.   It helped a lot, and I was out much sooner than the other 4 cases that were on my floor.  They were still in bed, and I was walking....had to...had to get rid of the gas pain.  

I can say..all in all, I was lucky.  I am doing fine getting in my fluids...I am on clear liquids another few days, and then after that can move on to 2 weeks of full liquids.  I know it will take awhile to get this all sorted out as to what I can eat and not eat.  I keep hoping it all works out and I enjoy my losses and new lifestyle.  It is not an easy way out, and anyone who says so is seriously not well-informed.  How can doing what we have done be easy?  It is learning a totally new lifestyle...what to eat?  Not eat?  How to live?  It is just a completely different way to survive.   I wish everyone who embarqs on this journey the best of wishes for healthy and happy new year, and many to come.  I will update more later.  RIght now....Rest, Fluids, and Walking are the story of my life.  Happy Holidays EVERYONE!