5 days post op

Oct 20, 2012

 Wow, this surgery has been WAY harder than I ever imagined.  They weighed me right before surgery and I was at 269.  I remember waking up and being in a lot more pain than any other surgery I've had (although gallbladder was close, especially since with that one I vomited for 2 hours!).  They tried various pain meds until they found something that helped a bit.  I don't remember a lot, was kind of in and out the first day.  Thankfully no vomiting, just lots of pain.  The next day they took me down for a swallow test.  That was awful.  That stuff is so nasty to drink and having to stand there still and hold my breath...uggg.  But I survived and didn't throw up!

I was on oxygen and continued to be on it until Wednesday mid-day.  They had to adjust the pain meds a bit too, morphine didn't help at all and a lot of pain meds make me sick.  I can't remember what I ended up on, but it was ok.  Lots of headaches though.  Got to have jello and broth after the swallow study.....I chewed the jello even.  Didn't really want to eat, but forced myself to take in some.

I was suppose to go home Wednesday morning, but since I was still having trouble breathing and getting around, the doctor kept me another day and had PT come up to work with me on walking around and I kept on using that annoying breathing exercise thing.  Couldn't get the stupid thing to work right, but used it....  

Thursday I was discharged around 2pm or so.  Stopped at the pharmacy on the way back to my parents house for the liquid pain med and nausea med.  Of course they were not finished, then had trouble with my insurance....I was waiting in the car, so couldn't even help with the insurance mix up.

Anyway, it's now Saturday and I'm getting around so-so.  Still really sore, but having the most trouble with headaches and a sore stiff neck.  Can't sleep very well because I just don't sleep well on my back.  Uggg..  Going to try back on my bipap tonight  and maybe that will help.....I doubt it since I never really have been able to tell a difference, but you never know I guess.  Still worried about the amount of pressure into my new stomach, but hopefully I'm  healed up enough now not to cause any issue.  The doctor said to wait 4 or 5 days.  Normally they don't even stop people on cpap or bipap, but I often got so much air in my stomach during the night that I would wake up in a lot of pain.

Not liking this JP drain much, but hopefully the doctor will remove it on Wednesday.  I had a scare Thursday night with it!  Woke up early in the morning Friday and there was blood all over my nightgown and the bed.  I thought that I had pulled it out or something!  Went in to see the surgeon that afternoon so he could check and said it was ok, just keep an eye on it.  So that's what I'm doing.  Quite a bit of drainage around it, but not enough to soak through the dressing.

Getting in all the fluid and protein is hard, but I'm working at it.

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