Anyone else a total basket case after surgery?

My surgery was the 15th of this month.  Main complications at first was my nurse would not come to my room to give my pain meds.  So finally after hitting the nurse button twice and waiting I called my Mom crying.  So she called.  They said no one everyone told them I wanted my pain meds.  I was released Thursday afternnoon and felt great.  Friday was great until the evening.  Then everything went downhill.  Started with fever blisters.  Bad one on my lips and what we thought was thrush so I did what the Dr told me to.  Had to wait until Sat since we could not find it on Friday night.  She wanted me to gurgle with gentian violet.  Which has always worked great on thrush for me in the past.  This only made it was and I felt like my throat tongue and everything was on fire.  So I put up with it for most of the day until it got to were I could not drink/swallow anything.  I went to the Er which the Er Dr was not listening to me.  Turns out I had fever blisters on my tongue and down my throat no clue how far down.  What my Dr calls the dirty incision had also started to get really painful/red and extremely swollen.  I started having trouble getting up again.  The Er dr was just going to give me fluids and forget about the fact I could not swallow.  We finally convinced him I had no business going home.  My Dr did not realize how bad it was either.  They agreed to watch me over night.  When she saw me the next day she said she could not let me go home until I could take in liquids.  She also said my side was normal.  Turned out she was wrong there.  Sunday came and she could still not let me go home.  Sunday night while my nurse was in my room my gown started getting wet and something smelt like it was burning.  It was so sick.  My incision broke open and it is infected.  I know my body and when something is not right.  I feel very unattractive now, depressed, and to top it off with infection I look pregnant.  When I was in the hospital it was like I did not even exist for my family.  It seemed like everyone else had a roomful of visitors but I had no one.  My hubby would come with the kids once a day.  I understood that handling a 1 year old and a 3 year old in a hospital room is not easy.  My parents said they were busy putting up a ceiling fan one time and my sister just couldn't make it.  I emailed my church pastor several times and never got a response until I asked if he was recieving my emails that I have sent.  "I got it".  That is all he said.  I just want to cry.  I don't mind the all liquids I just thought I mattered to more people.  My hubby has even done some incodierate things after doing something to make me feel better he said he thought I only wanted the first night and then he took off without me.  Then he comments that he will make a new one we can do together.  This is WOW worlf of warcraft in case you are wondering.  I told him no.  Got a little snappy and then he had the nerve to ask if I was taking my zoloft.  I had to cancel my counseling apt for last night due to still being in the hospital.  I called them several times today and they had a cancelation and are able to get me in tonight.  Thank goodness I did not give up.  Well I guess that is about it for now.  Everyone that has the surgery am I alone in these feelings did anyone else feel this way? 

You have definitely had a rough road and I'm sorry your doctors were not more responsive.   I did have some moments of "OMG!  What have I done to myself!" but nothing to severe!  I'm sorry we didn't know about your surgery because we have some people on this board that are good about going by to visit.

Please keep posting here!  We will give you support and friendship at a time when you need it!

I hope things start to look up for you and please let us know how you are.  You are part of the  Oklahoma weight loss family now!

Kim

Wow, you have had a rough start!  I promise it will get better!  I am glad your incision did break open so the infection could drain!  I know it is yucky but you don't want that stuff to fester inside.  You should be proud of yourself that you stood your ground until the medical professionals listened to you!  That is tough to do!

I am sorry your family and church family haven't been there in your time of need.  I don't even know what to say to try to excuse their lack of attention.  You can post here anytime you need support.  We try to take good care of each other.  Post early and often!  We care!

Denise

I know you must have been just miserable. I am very sorry that the people that you needed to come through for you have not been there for you. Your frustration is very understandable and you have every right to be upset. But listen, this surgery is a very big event in our lives and needing emotional support and good medical attention is should be there...without question. Concentrate on getting better, do what ever is necessary to make this a sucess. THEN!!!!! have a meeting with the doc, the husband and the parents and the church. Make your feelings heard. You may not change a thing but you will feel more powerful and the next time you are in need hopefully they will have a clue. I am sorry if I am sounding a little pissy but damn it! BTW I will be praying for you....for strenght...perfect health and sucess in your weight loss.
HUGS
Cheryl

Thank you all so much for your replies.  They mean alot to me. 

Stephanie

Whew girl, you've had a rough start.  I had my surgery, in Mexico, alone and the thing I remember most was the icky bloated feeling...for me it took weeks to go away.  How rude is that-you are having weight loss surgery and they blow up your belly even MORE?  Now, it's neccessary, but that alone can make you feel sideways about the whole thing.

I hope counseling helps get things set for you-it always does for me.  I'm a big believer in DRUGS AND COUNSELING and wish I had gotten started sooner after WLS because there are just things that are gonna come up.

It's funny how different people are-when I'm in the hospital I don't want visitors-I just pretend I'm at a spa and enjoy people waiting on me, especially if I'm in any kind of pain.  Now, gotta stand up for hubby-small kids and hospitals don't mix and couldn't be both places at once.  I dated a gamer for awhile and making a world would be considered a big romantic thing-the romance out of the way-he'd want to go off and play.....so again, that's a guy thing.

If you feel like you are having a bad case of PMS-it's probably hormones from weight loss, let down that you woke up from surgery "the goal" and realized the "journey" wasn't over yet-it was just beginning.  Sucks, but true.

I'm just throwing out random thoughts/memories to answer your question-yes, I felt that way too.

I'm sorry you had such a difficult start to your new opportunities and health. I have frequently visited patients at Norman Regional after their surgery and would have gladly come up to visit if I had known you were there. 

Please take advantage of all the counseling services that are offered so that you can maximize your physical and mental health as you become healthier. It sounds as though you need the extra support now since it has been so difficult a start for you.

I'm so glad you're on the road to recovery and better health every day. 

Wow, Stephanie. I've never heard of such irresponsible medical behavior in my life! That's awful, and don't get me started on your family.

First of all ((HUGS)).

Secondly, I feel your infection pain. It had abeen 6 months since Dr. Walton had 1, and of course, I got it. I told him I just needed extra attention. LOL My main incision had my whole abdomen screaming in pain, but it wasn't red or anything. I put up with it a week before I decided to go in.

He opened the incision and drew out infection, and I felt instant relief. To make a long story short,  it was packed daily. Almost healed by Thanksgiving when it reinfected due to stress of DD's wedding and no one to change the dressings inside regularly. FINALLY, it healed in December. I dressed around that patch from Oct-Dec, but I'd go through it all over again because I've never regretted this surgery for even one minute, had buyer's remorse or thought, "What have I done to myself?"

Take care of YOU and stick around. We listen and care, and when you need it, we give you a booty kick too!