marion6366
8 Days Post-op
Jun 03, 2009
Sorry I didn't write sooner, but my computer is downstairs and this is the first day I've ventured to the basement. Thank God there's a bathroom down here - and I have no idea how long it's going to take me to be back up the stairs!Surgery.....mmmm.....didn't go so well for me. It turns out that I have a really low platelet count and even though it was on my pre-op tests, I guess no one noticed how low it was. Turns out I should have never had surgery - yikes! My count before surgery was 30,000 (normal is around 400,000!!!) and after surgery it was down to 27,000. So the same day of surgery I got a bag of platelets. Turns out that did absolutely nothing - - so they figured something in me is gobbling up my platelets, which is what helps to clot your blood.
So I get to United Hospital in St. Paul, MN at 5:30 A.M. and no joke, it takes 5 sticks to get the IV in!! Sadly, this was only the beginning. I wake up from surgery and the first thing I really remember is the Dr hovering over me telling me how long it took because my liver and spleen were large, I am anemic, my platelet level is really low, my white blood count is high, so they took a liver biopsy while they were in there. He states that if he had known it would have been like this he would have never done the surgery. WOW- a lot to take in at once.
I have 8 nice little incisions in two lines down my stomach - really sexy, to go along with the 4 I already had from my gall bladder and one from my appendix. And I am up and walking by that evening. Thank God for Morphine drips! The next day I am still in a lot of pain, they are constantly taking out blood and no one can get it without sticking me 2-3 times - OUCH! This is the day where they tell me I have to see a blood Dr about my platelets. Okay, that's kinda freaky. So the blood Dr (oncologist - like in CANCER -that scared me) comes and tells me I have to have a bone marrow biopsy!!!!
I'm not stupid - I've heard about those - they really hurt a lot! So now, I'm really freaked and still in a lot of pain and I'm getting a migraine on top of everything. Meds, please! On Thursday afternoon (Day 3) I am getting a bone marrow biopsy. That was the most painful experience of my life!! I will NEVER have another one of those done! They came and did it when my husband was not there, so I was really unhappy about having to go through that alone.....
Finally I got to go home on Friday morning. I'm still in a lot of pain, more then I expected - both of my arms are so bruised from all the sticks that it looks like someone has really beaten me up. I will say though......all of the Drs and Nurses at United were very friendly and helpful!!
So now we go home and that car ride was awful! Every turn and bump sent me crying out. I can honestly say I don't think I would ever go through all of this again. My husband tells me that I will feel better about everything a month from now when I feel better - that may be so, but as of right now - even 8 days out, I still feel pretty crappy.
And talk about eating---aaah. I had a week of clear liquids: water, Popsicles, broth, and jello. Which still left me hungry - it was weird. So now I was excited to get to full liquids this week! But my first meal, tomato soup, I could only eat 2 spoon fulls before I thought I was going to explode. and I felt horrible all night! The only thing that is really working is fat free, sugar free instant pudding. I can nibble on that - still I can't eat hardly anything. That is really frustrating, so meal time is not normal for me yet. I'm nibbling here and there, not getting in "3" meals a day yet.
Medicine is really hard. I have to cut every pill in 1/2 and it tastes awful, and it's not like I have a lot to drink it down with! Sometimes I can feel them getting stuck in my throat - yuck.
My husband had to prop up the head of my daughters bed with tons of blankets to raise it up for me, more like a hospital bed - that's the only way I can sleep on it.
Sorry to sound so negative everyone - - I'm just still in a lot of pain and can't do a whole lot. I see the oncologist tomorrow morning - so I'll let you know how that goes!
**positive note - I have lost 20 lbs in 7 days!!!!
See ya- Marion
3 Comments
About Me
Hammond, WI
Location
23.2
BMI
Surgery
05/26/2009
Surgery Date
Mar 11, 2009
Member Since
