Jennifer R.
I've been banded!
Oct 25, 2009
I had the lap band surgery on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009 and I'm almost one week post-op. The day of surgery, I arrived with my girlfriend, Karin, to Orange Coast Memorial Hospital at 5:00am. I signed some paperwork, had them bill me for my $200 co-pay and then waited a few minutes for the nurse to take me back. I was immediately asked for a urine sample and then I changed out of my clothes into a large gown that was very accomodating. I was put in a slightly uncomfortable bed (but really, at that point I didn't care) and they began to hook me up to an IV which took 3 tries. They let my family in the pre-op area which was kind of set-up like an ER - lots of beds with curtains but no privacy of walls and doors. Everyone was prepping for different surgeries and I could hear the nurses asking the same questions they had asked me.The anesthesiologist came by and gave me something to ease my anxiety (even after I told her I wasn't nervous). That did immediately help me become calm and a little loopy. Dr. Francis came in and told me that because my BMI was high, if she could not do the procedure laparoscopically, she would stop and not do an open procedure. This surprised me but I couldn't really argue with her. A few minutes later they took me to the operating room and had me scoot onto the table which I remember being hard and they had a pillow under my knees and a rubber headrest. I was told to breathe in the oxygen and then I was out.
When I woke up, they told me everything was fine and they were able to do the procedure. It felt hard to breathe like my chest was very heavy and the machine kept beeping telling them that I wasn't getting enough oxygen. They had me swallow pain medication which didn't initially help because the primary pain was gas. The nurses let me lay there for a while and then they wanted me to sit up. I had a lot of nausea and the last thing I wanted to do was sit up. They were persistent and once I sat up, they started dressing me. I was thinking that this seemed really fast and I just wanted to lay back down. Once I was dressed they had me go to the bathroom. Mind you, they didn't ASK me if I had to go...they just sent me. Once I came out of the bathroom, they had a wheelchair ready for me. I felt like I was only out of surgery for about 30 minutes!! Of course it had been hours since my surgery was at 7:30am and we were leaving the hospital at 11:30am. Karin pulled the car around and off we went. Looking back, there was nothing I could have done at the hospital that I couldn't do in my nice comfy bed.
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About Me
Fullerton, CA
Location
40.9
BMI
Surgery
10/20/2009
Surgery Date
May 13, 2009
Member Since
