Sleeved on 6/21/2011, my experience with surgery and after...

Jun 25, 2011

So, I did it. I had my surgery on June 21, 2011 at North Austin Medical Center (St. David's). I must first say that the staff at this hospital was completey and utterly amazing. I did not have one nurse or one person that I spoke to that wasn't 100% pleasent and reassuring and just genuinely good people. You know how you can tell when people like where they work? These folks must love it. They really are an amazing group of people. I simply cannot say enough good about the staff. 

We arrived in the morning, went to a little room where I changed into a paper gown thing for surgery. I started my period that morning (of course!) and they don't let you use tampons so I had to use their pads and these weird mesh undies thing. Whatever. It was fine. We waited around and froze. I sent the husband out in search of a blanket because it was easily 10 degrees back there. We waited quite a bit, I was getting nervous and then all of a sudden people start coming in quickly. I'm not even sure who all we saw, but first was Dr. Ganta and then the flood gates opened, nurses, OR nurses, Anethesiologists, at some point, the nurse gave me a pill. I can't remember what it was, but I think it was to help me calm down. Heck, the pope might have come in at that point, there were so many people coming in and out and asking me all the same questions over and over again.

I remember hubby giving me a kiss, being wheeled back to the OR, feeling nervous but not wanting to get upset like last time (because I woke up feeilng the same way). I noticed that there was a sign on the OR door that said "latex free" - Yay! And then I was being asked to scoot over to the other table. People started strapping me down and I heard the anethesisologist go by my head and said "you're going to feel a little funny, I just slipped you a mickey", I giggled and next thing I know she's telling me to breathe deeply through the mask and...

Next thing I remember is waking up in recovery. They were telling me where I was and that everything was okay and I was just there to hang out. I don't remember much, just dozing in and out and them coming by and apologizing that my room still wasn't ready. I do remember the lady in there was SO nice to me. She noticed I was a little cold so threw another blanket over me and kept apologizing. I was fine.

To the room, we went a couple of hours later where the husband was waiting. I wasn't nauseated and I had dialiuad for the pain on contininusous and I had a little button I pushed. I just kept pushing the button when it lit up because I'm a wimp like that. I pretty much stayed in bed for the rest of that afternoon/early evening. I would get up to use the restroom, but I was not very steady at that point. I dozed in and out, sent a few text messages and talked to the husband.

I sent the husband home that first night to get some sleep and woke up around midnight and felt pretty good. I coughed and I saw a dark spot hit my gown and freaked out. I called my nurse for a fresh gown and she came in and we saw it was old blood. I wasn't expecting that, but apparently it's not uncommon. It was old. She said I may have swallowed some into my lungs during surgery but it was old and nothing to worry about. I coughed up a little more, but it eventually stopped. She was really good at making sure I knew it was okay and not freaking out on her. *laughing* We walked the big loop around the ward a few times, I got really tired and went back to sleep.

Hubby came in the next morning and they took me down for the barium swallow (leak) test. OMG. I hadn't had anything to drink yet and they give me this disgusting stuff and tell me to gulp it. It hurt. I won't lie, I started crying a little after because it really hurt going down. No leaks, so back we go where I'm allowed ice chips, then water.

I made hubby walk the halls with me several times and we waited for Dr. Ganta to come and release me. They let me have some broth and jello, which went down reasonably well. The doctor hadn't shown up by dinner so they let me have some more broth and jello. Again, no problems. We walked some more. The doctor showed up around 8:30 or so, maybe later, as I recall. He was in surgery at another hospital. I thought it was awesome that he still came in to see me and make sure I got released.

As far as the hospital goes, again, my level of care was TOP NOTCH. If I ever need to go to the ER, I'm totally heading there. I was amazed at how amazing St. David's North Austin Medical Center was. I never felt looked down on, I never felt silly for any concerns or questions I had and any time I really needed someone, they were there. I will also say that checking in and out was really easy. I'm not sure if that is because I was self-pay or what, but it was a breeze.

It's been 4.5 days now. I was expecting the incison pain and to be tired, but I have really bad abdominal pain under my largest incision on the right. It feels like a badly pulled muscle. It only hurts when I stand up or sit down or otherwise use the muscle so I'm guessing it was either cut into or bruised really badly. It started hurting the day we got home and is only slightly better now. It helps if I push my hand against it when I'm walking or getting up/down. I cannot wait for that to stop. It's making it really difficult to walk around :(

I did call the doc about the pain and he called in Celebrex, but I realize I cannot take it. It's a type of sulfa drug (albeit I might not have a reaction to it, I'm not taking a chance of getting hives on top of everything else right now LOL). Not his fault, I called after hours and he said he didn't have my chart in front of him, I just forgot to mention it because I was in pretty bad pain. I'm just taking the Lortab liquid and dealing with it for now. Lortab isn't really helping much, but I'm hanging in there.

As far as being home... I fall asleep just sitting in a chair. LOL. I'm really tired. To be expected. What I didn't expect is that my blood pressure has been pretty low (for me). Like 90/60 or 105/70 or so. I haven't taken my blood pressure medication since I got home and am monitoring it. I suspect it has to do with the surgery, IVs and pain meds. I'll start back on it when it goes up, but until then, I'm just leaving it alone. One of my steri strips already fell off (on day 3). I took the dressings off the day after we got home because I have reactions to adhesives. Good thing becase there are already several places that had little blisters. Ugh. Dealing with the itching it caused without messing with the steri strips. I had 6 wounds, two tiny 1/3" ones, three that were maybe 5" and one big one that is probably 1.5". The big one is where under the abdominal pain is.

Other people eating doesn't bother me. I still LOVE the smell of food, but I have absolutely no desire to eat any of it. I've been having Isopure clears, broth, jello, SF popsicles, etc.

Because I was self pay (insurance didn't cover), I'm now worried about any after complications so I'm following all the rules. Eating only what I'm supposed to and doing everything I'm supposed to be doing. I'm getting in right at 64 oz of fluid. It does burble a bit going down, but no real pain. I have gas bad (seriously, my first born for a fart, people!) and I'm walking as much as my sore tummy will allow.

So, that's the update!

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