Kathi_B
Be Prepared!
Feb 27, 2009
For those lightweights (and all others) who are considering bariatric surgery, please consider all options before settling down on this very serious surgery. There is a reason why Kaiser Permanente puts all bariatric patients through such an intense, rigorous, life-changing program before actually allowing them to have the surgery. This surgery is not a walk in the park. All I’m suggesting is that more than just, “Oh, I can’t lose weight, so I’ll have surgery” thoughts happen in heads before even going for a consultation. I might be a bad case to consider as I was actually sick the week before my surgery and started my period. So, I was not up to par to begin with. However, I was not going to let my surgery date just pass me by. I was having a lot of gallbladder pains, and it was all ready decided that they were not going to take it out. So I babied my stomach all week and took my vitamins and iron (ferrous gluconate, not the other one), by the time I stepped on the scale, I was ten pounds lighter in a week! My surgery was not until 2pm, and while we (my husband, my mother, and I) were waiting in the surgery waiting room, I was starving. I thought for sure my blood sugar was going to plunge and I was going to go into a coma! Additionally, I was very scared that the anesthesia was going to make me nauseous. Finally, they took me back into the surgery room and the little nurse noticed I still had my panties on. Well, I felt stupid, but I did still have my period, right? She made me take off my panties so she could put a “folie” in only after I was out. I remember talking to the anesthesiologist about his surgery hat. He had made it himself in Guatemala, I think. Then I don’t remember anything. I was waking up to the recovery nurse saying, “Breathe, honey, breathe. When you hear that dinging noise, it means you have to breathe.” I said that I have to throw up and the nurse said, “Well, you can try. But there’s nothing in your stomach!” I started wrenching then I hear my mother. “I need to let her know I’m here for her and give her a kiss.” As I’m wrenching and trying to breathe to quiet the machine, I had terrible thoughts of Nurse Crachett escorting my mother out of the recovery room with security holding her by her arms and her feet a foot off of the floor. Not what I thought recovery would be like. Finally, I calmed down and they cleaned me up for my family. I was laying there thinking, “Oh My Goddess! What the hell did I do to myself?” I barely remember my husband and mom coming into the recovery room and being wheeled to my room. I do remember pushing my pain relievers button every chance I could. The second day I was able to go home. Everything in my house smelled like garlic. Not the good-smelling cooking garlic, but the left over garlic you smell on people you have been out drinking and eating the night before. OMG! Terrible smell to have stuck in your nose! I’m four-days post op and I still feel very uncomfortable. I’m still taking the pain medication and trying to keep up with all of the requirements Kaiser asks of me. It’s been really hard to get my entire food intake in. I’m always full, and I can’t get comfortable. The third night, I could not sleep. Not a wink all night. I fell asleep about 7:00am Thursday morning and slept until 10:46am. It’s 7:35pm now and I’m still wide awake. I’m hoping I fall asleep fast tonight. Anyway, I am not second guessing my decision. But, I think I would have prepared myself better. That’s the word I want all bariatric patients to know. PREPARE. You can never prepare enough. I do suggest a belly binder as I feel like one of those zombies in a bad horror movie with their guts hanging out of their stomach! It’s not a good feeling. And it’s still hard to get out of bed. Prepare all of these things. Prepare your food before you go in for your surgery. Exercise to keep your body up to par before you go in for your surgery. Take your vitamins daily and faithfully. Take yoga classes to learn how to relax and meditate. For the women, remember your breathing exercises from when you had your babies. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. ~k
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About Me
Stockton, CA
Location
23.9
BMI
Surgery
02/23/2009
Surgery Date
Aug 14, 2008
Member Since
Before & After
rollover to see after photo
My heaviest! Yuck!
250lbs
