Don't Read This if You Don't Want to Hear Whining

I had my open hernia repair last Friday.  The whole hospital experience wasn't good, starting with waiting like 6 hours for the  surgery and then while the anesthesiologist was just about to start the epidural the surgeon comes in and says he won't be able to do the surgery until Thursday.  I was so upset thinking about all I had to set up as for as my kid and I lent my car to someone and I didn't know if I could get a ride.
The only reason I wasn't terribly upset at having surgery was because my surgeon told me he could remove some of my excess skin on my upper abdomen.  I already had the skin removed below the naval but I still had it above the navel and there is no way I can afford plastic surgery so I was hoping that would help me look more normal.
Well, I woke up in a lot of pain in spite of the epidural so the pumped that up and gave me some pain killer.  They told me the surgery went well, that the hernia was smaller then they expected so they weren't able to remove any excess skin.  So that depressed me.
Then I got back to my room and encountered my first roommate, an 80 year old woman who was very abusive to the nurses and was always yelling and screaming.  They told me not to worry, that she was being transferred soon.
After she left they brought in another woman who was even more unpleasant.  She wouldn't shut up complaining about everything.  The highlight of my visit was when they decided to do an enema on her.  That is always fun to have to listen to.
Finally they said I could go home.  I went to the bathroom to clean up and it was disgusting.  They left dirty sheets and stuff in there so I couldn't use it.
I was so anxious to get out of there that I was nearly home before I realized I had left behind my discharge papers with my post op instructions and more importantly my prescriptions.  There was no way I was in the mood to go back there so I called them and told them I would get it the next day.
The next day wasn't too bad other then feeling like I had been hit by a truck.  I had asked my neighbor for a ride to the hospital to get my papers but I decided that as long as I didn't take any medication I would be OK to drive.
So I drove to the hospital to grab the papers then stopped at two stores to pick up some things I needed, including picking up the prescriptions, which I had to wait 30 minutes for.
I came home, took the pain meds.  Oh, I forgot to mention that I had a bad reaction to the epidural or the tape they used and I was itchy all over.  So I took some Benadryl and rubbed some anti itch cream all over.
I wound up going to sleep early, got up at around 12:30 and had a protein shake.  Sat down to drink the shake and I picked it up by the lid and the lid came off and got protein shake all over the place.  So I got to clean up the big mess.
Went back to bed where I passed out and was woken up by my daughter at about 8:30.  I begged her to go away.  I hurt more then I had after the surgery.  I felt like the truck had backed up and ran over me a few more times.  Finally got up to take my pain meds and Benadryl.
Then I got on the scale.  Up nearly 10 lbs.  That didn't make me happy.  I know it is all the fluids the pumped me full of but that didn't help.  All I could think is that it was going to take another 2 months to lose that again.
I looked at my stomach and it looks like I am pregnant.  Not only is it bloated and swollen, it is all lumpy and tender.  And it hurts real bad to go the the bathroom in spite of the Miralax, fiber and stool softeners I use.  It even hurts to pass gas.  I am so afraid I am going to open everything up again since I initially got the hernia from straining when going to the bathroom.  I am terrified I will need another surgery.
So that is my whine fest.  I feel like crap and look like a bloated pig.  And I am still itchy all over.  It is better today but it still is uncomfortable.   I feel worse then I did when I had my revision.  I really thought this was going to be no big deal, especially after having an open revision.
If anyone managed to read all of this, God bless you.

You poor dear.  I know you will feel better soon (or eventually)  wishing you a speedy recovery.

Thank you.

I hope you feel better soon.

Thanks.

Damn!  The worst part must be not getting the skin removal!  Hope you feel better soon.

Laura

Yes, very disappointed.  I guess it was a good thing I didn't need as big of a surgery as I thought and I would probably feel even worse if I did have it.

Oh Tazz, that sucks!! I read about your hospital experience in a previous post and I thought that was horrible enough!! Your luck sounds about like mine!! And the shake dumping out!!!! OMG, that sooo sounds like me!! I totally sympathize with you!! I am sorry you feel so bad...I hope you feel even a little better really soon.

Poor baby.  Sounds like a really crappy week.   When they did my RNY I also had a hernia repaired.  I also had the room mate from hell.  The day we had surgery she had 9 people on her side of the room.  Just what you want when you had major surgery is a bunch of strangers watching you.  She was mentally handicapped and called the nurse when she had to go to the bathroom so they could wipe her.  The day after surgery was the worst.  I felt like I had been run through a food processor and looked like I was 9 months pregnant.  The hernia incision to the longest to heal.  I hope you feel better soon.  Surgery sucks!

I was actually wondering if they didn't put me on the psych ward by mistake,  Now I understand why the nurses said I didn't bother them that much when I had my revision.  I had to call them all the time because of problems I was having and I kept apoligizing for causing so much trouble and they would tell me I wasn't any trouble, that they had worse patients.  I may have been bad but at least they didn't have to dig **** out of me like they did with that other woman.