5 days Post-Op

Sep 05, 2010

Well I'm indifferent as to how I'm supposed to feel since I think everyone reacts differently to the surgrery.   I went in on 9/1 and was released 9/3.    It was a rough start to say the least.   I thought and so did the doc that I would be going in for laproscopic but during sugery it turns out I have too much muscle mass afterall.   Irony I tell you--the obese woman goes in for sugery but can't get cameras to go in/operate on because of muscle mass.  Abs of steel anyone?  I go back tomorrow for my first clinic visit and going to ask how they couldn't tell this before the surgery--with all the marvels of medicine, isn't there a way to tell if someone can go in for it or not?   Clearly they can tell a patient that is clearly too large that they either have to lose more first or that lapro isn't even an option because of too much flesh to go through.   Strange they haven't made this a better study.  My overall emotion is that I prepared totally for laproscopic procedure and read everything I could on it and the recovery process etc.  Not thinking that open would even be an option, I glanced through those sections,   I just felt a litte defeated that's all. 

I was also in a lot of pain and when you have a severe allergy to pain meds that make you itch, have severe headaches and feel very nauseous, recovery is a bitch!  Everything about my 3 day stay was awful awful awful.  If it wasn't for my fiance James being there with me 24/7 I don't think my sanity would have allowed me to remain somewhat calm.   By Friday I was in so much pain (but walking and peeing on my own--teeth clenched) I was ready to give up.   Thank God my doc came in and suggested that maybe lortab and vallium to settle the muscle spasms would help and not give such bad side effects.   Bring  it on I said!   The dietitian also came in and I finally broke down and said I just want to know how many people have said at this point that they wish they had never done this?  All I find are people who said they would do it again and again bc they love it so much,  She said at this point of the process--almost everyone, but I can understand you being an open patient and not tollerating the pain meds, even more so.   She contacted a woman off the buddy list from 5 years ago that had it worse than me and said she could probably come in and talk to me.   Once I was out from the new meds and waking up, there she was.   She looked fabulous and told me that it took her 3 mons just to feel good again and knew that wouldnt be my case bc she had  had a surgery before this and there was a lot of scar tissue they couldn't go through.  Basically she said she lost 100lbs in the first 9 mons and when you obtain that goal, the days of when you were in such agnoy seem so long ago and forgotten---that's why most don't talk about that part of it.   She was extremely happy with her results and is a faithful patient and still comes to see her doc's twice a year, not just once a year for follow-up.   THis made me feel a lot better and so did that medicine!

Life at home has been ok, the pain meds are helping, but having a hard time drinking and eating.  They said that the drinking is more important than the eating in the first week to stay hydrated.   I haven't really felt that fullness yet that they say you'll have--I was picturing like immediate feeling of being stuffed after 2 or 3 bites.....but maybe I don't really know what full is since before I used to eat until I was stuffed?  Food for thought.   The gas has been painful--not going to lie.   I also was a pooping machine (sorry for the info) and haven't gone since Tues the 31st.   I'm going to send my fiance to the store to get some OTC medicine to help me go.  I've also started weening myself off the pain med and vallium as I have an appt with the doc tomorrow to discuss where I should be as far as being in pain still.  

I went walking yesterday and it really tired me out--thing is that I normally work out and not a couch potato....but between the humidity we have here in Charleston and the pain in my belly, up and down the street was enough and I was wiped out!  I've been walking around thehouse too trying to move the gas and it's only helped a bit. 

Last---I'm surprised that I haven't lost weight--2lbs doesn't count for me as I move 10lbs pre-op by myself every other day from water weight.   If you have any opinions on this let me know.   Weight before I went in for surgery: 379.   When I got home 376.  From then on it's been between 378 and 380.   I'm 6'1 FYI...

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