Surgery check in

Would love to hear how all you that have surgery are doing.  Would love to hear about your day of surgery and recoveries. Time in hospital and meds needed.  Anything at all that you would like to share.  Funny stories, happy and sad stories all welcome.

I'm happy to share!  I just had RNY on Monday, January 14.

It was scary as heck going in, but my mom was there with me, so she kept me pretty much distracted.  It seemed like the activity was non-stop from the minute I hit the hospital doors...first with check-in, then getting me up to my room and settled in, all the last-minute pre-op questions, and all that.  It didn't seem long at all before the nurses were trying to start my IV...dismal failure, right there...no one could hit a vein, and the ones they did hit were blowing right and left.  So they had to call in the anesthetist to start the IV, and he was so alarmed by the number of already rising bruises on my arm that he immediately started 2 in case one blew out!

I vaguely remember when they started the Versed, and feeling sleepy already as I was wheeled back to recovery.  The next thing I knew, I was waking up and the recovery room nurses were telling me it was all over and I had done great.  I don't really remember whether I responded to that or not.  Getting me back into my room and onto the bed was a bit rough.  I got pretty nauseated.  But once I  was settled and had a chance to relax, the nausea passed pretty quickly.

I was very sleepy most of the first day, in and out of consciousness til about 5 pm (my surgery was at 9 am).  I would wake up and think I was going to be up for a bit, take a spoonful (more like half a spoonful) of ice chips, talk to my mom for a few minutes, and then go right back to sleep.  Once I was awake for more than a few minutes at a time, my nurse asked me if I wanted to try to get up and walk. 

It seemed  like a good idea at the  time...

When I sat up on the side of the bed, I immediately got horribly nauseated and very, very dizzy.  Walking didn't happen for me the first day.  We started with keeping me upright for 5 minutes, then 10, then 30, then an hour before I finally got tired enough to go to sleep again.  I thought I was never going to be released from the hospital because I couldn't even stand up.  Day 2 changed all that.

I woke up the next morning feeling like a brand new person.   I had almost no pain, and was so ready to get up and out of that bed, it wasn't even funny!  The day shift nurse had to make me slow down because he was afraid I'd overdo it.  I was quickly pronounced "far too healthy to be in the hospital any more", and the procedures for sending me home began.  I left the hospital around 3 pm on the 15th.

There have been a couple of minor ups and downs since then.  The pain comes and goes, mainly just where I had the drainage tube.  I definitely get tired faster than I did pre-op, but all in all, I'm feeling way better than I expected.  I've been prescribed liquid Lortab and Prilosec.  I take the Prilosec faithfully twice a day, or else I'm belching like there's no tomorrow.  The Lortab, I can take every 4-6 hours, but I haven't needed it more than twice a day, and today, I haven't needed to take it at all yet.

And the best part...3 days post-op, I'm already down 5.2 lbs!  This is truly the best thing I've ever done for myself.  I'm not sorry for a minute that I went through with it.  I can't wait to hear everyone else's success stories as they come in!  Congratulations to all of you on this big, but SOOOO worthwhile step!

Congratulations on getting your RNY and weight loss! 

Thank You for all the info. 

Did you have a catheter?  If so when did it come out?  When did the drain come out?

I had both a catheter and a drain, and they took both out first thing the next morning.  It felt weird, but wasn't overly uncomfortable.  They put them both in after I was knocked out, so I don't remember them going in.

Thank You!  I hope mine come out that fast.  That is what my DD and sister said gave them grief.  Theirs didn't come out until they got ready to leave.  They both said all the pain and nausea stop when removed.

So true once the cath and other tubes are removed you will feel so much better. But as soon as you can tell them you want the cath out so you can walk. I did that and was up walking the next day all around the circle in the Hurley halls. The more you walk the better. It is hard but make yourself do it. Sip sip sip on tha****er. I even took some of there little cups home with me they work to remind you you need so many little cups full. NO STRAWS. When they remove the drain tube it does sting alittle but feels like a snack is being pulled from your belly. You are going to do great. WALK as much as you can..... HUGS I'll be watching to chat agian.

Sherri

I don't think I'll be able to stand them pulling that out of my stomach.  I have never had to have a cath either.  Thanks for your thoughts and info.