I'm HOME! LONG!

I'm home!!! Got home about 10:00am. I am tired and still have periodic episodes of nausea.The pain is not that bad. Below you will find my hospital report. But first I want to take this time to give a huge thank you to all the people on this site and my family who have stood behind me through this. I especially want to thank Karen Jean, ( you got my neurotic sis to calm down..means you are a miracle worker!) Sharon Hollis ( I cried when I got the puddings and jellos...I had to fight off my family..lol. I hope you will like what I sent you!) The January surgery group has been awesome as well! Thanks to all the ladies who went before me and showed me it could be done with grace and style..lol Remember I got my surgery in Switzerland so things went just a little different then most, really though I was surprised that most things were similiar. Wensday January 11, 2006- checked into hospital at 10am. Got taken to my room and met my roommate. Then the tests started! They took blood, several vials. Now I 've never been told I was hard to stick but they insisted I was. As evidence I have two blue arms! I was given an EKG, pulmonary function test, chest x ray and got visited by the surgeon and the anesthesiologist. I got back to my room just in time for dinner, (salsbury steak, polenta and carrots). I was also give a pairt of the support hose things and shown how to use the thrombosis machine. BTW: the dreaded bowel cleanse never happened!!! All that worry for nothing! Thursday January 12, 2006- I was woken at 6am and told to take a shower. I was given special wash and stuff. A little after 7am I was wheeled into the pre op staging area. A mask was put over my face. I was told to take four deep breaths. I remember one! 9 hours later I hear someone call my name. It is my sister. I see her and my brother and fall promptly back to sleep. 13 hours later I finally wake up for good. First thing I did was try and look at my stomach to see if the dreaded open happened..IT DIDN'T!! I was in ICU and it was hell. I don't care what anyone says this wasn't easy. I felt like unadulturated crap.I had a tube in every orifice, my stomach felt like someone*****hing bag, and the nausea was overwhelming. I cried like a baby. A nurse came and let me suck on a wet swab. She gave me a shot. I woke up again a few hours later. January 13, 2006- I was taken to my room in the morning. Thank god. I kept waking up In ICU to sticks prods and the person next to me gasping for breath. I was still in a lot of pain. Misrable in fact. My roomate went home ( thank god). I wanted to be misrable in peace. I was given a half cup of bulion. It was good. January 14, 2006- This morning I passed to leak test. I had to drink the nasty stuff. It went well. When I got back to my room I was pleased to learn the Nasal tube was coming out. I got more bullion, for B, L and D. January 15,2006- First thin(hmmm Freudian slip?) in the morning they removed my cathetar. Now I just have to drain left. I have to tell you that I did not notice it at all. I was glad that I didn't have to get up. Now the nursing staff became annoyingly presistent about me getting up. I didn't make it very far the first time. I was able to take a shower and that exhausted me. What was funny was that I finally noticed that they had shaved me bald down there! Fist time since the ninties I have been bald!!! I got a thicker soup for B, L and D. Plus all the water I could drink. January 16, 2006- I was up and out of bed most of the day. The pain was minimal the worst thing was the nausea. I got good medication though so it couldnt stay around long. I was able to get my first meal. For breakfast I got Bichermuesli( Its a Swiss food) pureed. It was gross! I could eat half the bowel. I was also given some ensure plus which made me puke. For lunch and dinner I had pureed stuff. I was able to keep everything down. January 17, 2006- Today they shortened the drain. It was gross. They took out like 3 inches. It hurt but not real bad. Later in the afternoon though I began having sharp pains right under my ribcage. They were at least a 7 on the pain scale. It was right near the drain site. I hoped it was just the drain. Nurses gave me a morophine shot. Pain went away and I got high!!!..lol. Later I got a visit from the doc and I begged him to let me go home ASAP. He said the earliest would be Monday..urgh! January 18,2006- the last of the drain came out in the morning and the pain went away. Whew...I was paranoid it might be a complication. I again visited with the doc and explained to him I was positve that I would heal better at home. He finally agreed and said if my labs came back ok I would be able to go home the next day! Later he came by and said my labs were great. He pressed on my belly some, looked at my holes and declared me ready to go. He said that I would be going home earlier then any patient he had ever seen! January 19,2006-Today I got to go home. I got up, showered, got dressed and waited for someone to come get me. Well it ended up that I had to go home by my self. I took my bag and took the bus home. I gotta tell you the 5 flights up were hell. Once I finally plopped on my bed at home I was exhausted and very nauseas. It's now 4pm and I am finally starting to feel a little better. I expect to take the pain meds a couple of more days. I will get my PCP to give me something for nausea. When I see him on Monday. I will stay home untill then and I hope by Monday/Tuesday I can do my first outing. A word on smoking: I was weak and did not quit before surgery. However I have not picked up a cig since the day of surgery and I am using this golden oppertunity to quit for good. I have not had a craving for it yet! A word on Pain: The pain was less then I expected. A word on TUBES: Honestly I did not really notice them. I worred so much bout them..all for nothing A word on nudity: Those of you who have read my posts know it was one my biggest pre op fears. I was given sponge baths everywhere for the first three days. Me in all my shining glory Babay!! Didn't bother me one bit. A word on stuff to take to the hospital: I had too much stuff. Almost everything was provided. Even chapstick! WEIGHT LOSS SO FAR! I enterd the hospital at 323.5 LBS I left that hospital at 308.4 LBS

Hi Debbie, Glad you made it home safe and sound and congratulations on your weight loss so far and another congrats for not picking up a cigarette. Why couldn't someone pick you up from the hospital??? Didn't they have you on a patient controlled analgesic? Thats what I am getting so I can medicate myself as soon as the onset of pain starts. I don't want to have frequent shots. Has your nausea resolved by now? I know....lots of questions, but I go in on Tuesday, so you know how you have so many questions pre-op and we take advantage of all our post op sisters and use you guys as a guide as to what to expect. LOL Anyways, I'm happy that you are home. Take care, Deb H.

Hi Deb, The picking up at hospital was just a logistical problem. I had told my aunt who has a car that I was getting home on Monday. So she made plans to come then. (she's 77 so its kinda hard to make sudden plan changes). I have had nothing but the greatest support from my family and friends here. It just kinda fell through at the last minute! Yes I was on PCA...but I got the extra morphine shot as well. I liked the shots better actually..lol I am still a little but nauseas. If it doenst clear up by Monday I iwll ask my PCP to give me some anti nausea meds. Please don't hesitate to ask any question! I isih you the best wishes and a swift recovery on your surgery! Debbie

Welcome home, Debbie!! I was delighted to see you post when I signed on this morning, you've been in my thoughts. I am doing well, too, you'll see my recaps as you read posts from the past few days, I came home the night of the 12th. Here's to a great year ahead!! ~Tiffany

Tiffany! I really appreciated reading your re caps..We are on the way Girl!! D

YAY!!! Welcome back Debbie!!!! Sounds like you did amazingly well! I am VERY impressed with your goal of not smoking!! Be strong. It might be like a food craving and eventually come back. Just think of how much healthier you'll be thinner AND a non-smoker!! Hugs, Christina

Christina, Actually I am nicing right now..lol...but I didn;t go through this to get lung cancer damn it! I want to enjoy as many skinny years as possible!! That being said I am only human and the nicotine addiciton has had a strong hold over me for many years. I addition I live with an unreptive smoker.. But I try to stay confident!! Best wishes Deb

I'm so glad you are home and well! I have been thinking about you for days!!! Sorry about the bus and the nausea...the good news is that it is all behind you! I'm glad you didn't have a roommate...I'm the same way...If I'm going to be miserable, I don't want strangers around me adding to the misery! Take care of yourself...stay strong on the cigarettes and heal quickly! Jen

Jen, yeah well everything can't always be rosy now can it!...lol I really appreciate the good wishes! Thanks deb

Hi Debbie, Glad to hear you are home and doing well! Congrats on your weight loss. Keep us posted! ~Dawn