KarlaJane
Yes...I am alive!
Apr 06, 2009
Hello all!Yes, I know I have been neglecting my blog and for that I apologize!
Where to start? Well, how about the day before my surgery? Ok, so that Thursday I was nothing but a ball of nervous energy. I was jittery, anxious, excited and scared as hell the whole day! From my friends (on here and off) I knew this was to be expected. So I felt oddly calm as I went into Friday morning. Keep in mind though, I slept 4 hours and was up by 4 am ready to go to the hospital (I had to be there at 9! LMAO). My poor mother took me and I could tell she didn't want me to fret, she was doing enough of that for the both of us! I got to the hospital and parked where they told me to, only to completely forget the minute I was out of the car where I had to go from there. Luckly the nurse in the surgery center called at that exact moment to remind me!
So I get to the surgery center, not taking anything but my incentive spirometer in (like they told me to) and then almost had a complete meltdown as I remembered that I didn't have any form of ID or insurance info on me! The admissions nurse said it was all good and they got me back into the pre-op area. They weighted me and I was down 14 lbs from the pre-op liver shrinking liquids only diet they had me on for 2 freakin weeks!!! I was super excited and was pumped. I got all ready and waited...and waited...and waited. My surgery was at 11 am and I didn't go back to the operating room unitl almost 1. UGH.
In surgery, the doctor found that I was an anatomical exception. See everyone has a fatty curtain going from their breastbone to their pelvic bone to protect their organs, yeah everyone but me! So he had to position me a bit funny to get to the bowel and intestine. I woke in the recovery room crying. In pain, annoyed by the freakin tube down my nose and throat and asking all sorts of questions about the surgery. Me making sure they didn't kill me lmao...did I have to have a transfusion? Did they do it laparoscopically? Was my momma there? Had I died?! LMAO...the recovery nurse just calmly answered all of my questions and pumped me full of pain meds. The next thing I knew was waking up in my room with my Momma sitting beside me.
They next day was a lot of the usual drug induced sleep with sporatic visitors all day. During the first night I begged until they took the tube out of my nose, trying as hard as I could not to annoy the poor nurse. When she took it out, I felt like I was going to scream, but couldn't. It burned like a bitch!! My sister Dee stayed with me that first night, poor thing, my machines kept going off every 20-30 minutes and I know she couldn't have slept well! I was up and walking to the bathroom the minute they took the tube out. Surprised at the level of pain I was still experiencing. My swallow study the next morning showed some contrast that looked like a leak. They needed me to stay another night for observation and an additional swallow study the following morning. If the contrast was still there, they were going to have to go back in. I was super worried. Not to mention I had a horrible pain in my right side that wouldn't ease up no matter how I positioned myself or how much I walked.
The second night my other sister Tess stayed with me. I had quite a few visitors that day and was, for all intents and purposes, feeling a bit better. The following morning they took me for my second swallow study. I had to drink not one but two cups of barium! OMG...I felt like I was going to vomit on the radiology tech! That was the first time I felt this new full sensation, but not in a good way, I was too full. Like how you feel after Thanksgiving dinner when you definitely ate too much. I didn't like it at all. Dr Geller came in about 5 hours later and said that everything looked fine, but I had been NPO since the following day, so wanted to keep me yet another night to make sure I tolerated my liquids.
The last night I was there, I was alone. Not as bad as I had expected. I continually was in pain, not from the surgery mind you, they kept me well drugged, but from the now excruciating pain right under my rib cage. Having been off of my anxiety meds for 2 weeks, and being alone, my mind started coming up with the worst case senario. All I kept thinking was it could be a clot. When my nurse came in, she noticed the look on my face and knew right away something was wrong. I told her my concerns and they don't take that shit lightly! She promptly called the call nurse and Immediate Response Unit to my room. My blood pressure sky rocketed and I started to have a full blown anxiety attack. I had literally worried myself into thinking I had a blood clot. They did an EKG and a chest XRay. Everything was fine and all the while I apologized to them for having to put them through that. My nurse came back in momentarily to give me a shot of Xanex and pain meds. I was out for a good 4 hours, and for that I was greatful.
I was discharged the next day after eating and keeping down 3 jello cubes and 2 oz of apple juice. Boy was I glad to be out of the hospital! I had the most amazing nurses and nursing aides while I was there and I will forever be greatful for all the help and understanding they provided. It helped that the hospital I was at had a whole floor dedicated to Bariatirc patients. Everyone wished me the best of luck and told me to come back and visit. I will definitely do that.
I spent the next week with my Mother and my Aunt Jana at my Aunt's house. It was definitely a peaceful place to recover. I am so greatful for that!! Thank you Jana, Christian and Bailey!!! I spent the last week and a half at my sister Dee's with her, my Mom, my brother-in-law Scott and my two adorable nephews Tristan and Gavin. It was great being with my sister and being so close to my other sister Kris. I really got to spend some quality time with all of them! I appreciate all of their help and encouragement! And my Momma...bless her. She did everything in her power to make me comfortable and feel at home and for that I am eternally greatful! I love all of you!!!!!!
I lost 7 lbs my first week. When I had the drainage tube removed, I found out that the tube was more then likely resting on my ribcage and causing the pain I had been feeling for the past week. It was such a relief to get that sucker out!!! I went to my PCP the following monday and found out that in the 4 short days since my last weigh in, I had lost another 6 lbs. I am truly amazed at how fast it is coming off. 27 lbs in 3 weeks! Naturally, I don't own a scale, which is probably good cause I would be on it every freakin day! But that is soon to come, so I will definitely keep everyone posted!
I'm recovering nicely and getting used to my new life style, and honestly it's not as hard as I thought it would be. I'm feeling more and more normal everyday and have a wonderful support system. Thank you to all who wished me well while I was in the hospital, it truly meant the world to me to sign in and have all of your words of encouragement helping me cope. I wish everyone the best and I'll see you on the Loser's Bench!!!
Sorry for the long post...making up for missed time I suppose! Love and Hugs to all!!!
KarlaJane
