One week post-op

Nov 03, 2009

Wow, what a ride!  It's finally sunk in that I actually had weight loss surgery!  I'm so happy and excited.  And, very grateful not to be feeling remorseful and unsure of my decision.

The past week has flown by pretty fast!  I had what my surgeon called a "textbook perfect" RNY gastric bypass on Monday, October 26.  I woke up in the recovery room moaning not in pain, but in extreme nausea.  I was SO afraid I'd throw up, and I was begging the doctors, "please please don't let me throw up!"  They reassured me that there should be nothing TO throw up, but I was like, "But, my little tummy wants to try!"  They gave me really good anti-nausea meds and thankfully it went away.  That's been my only bout of nausea to date. (thankyougod)

I was feeling so good after surgery, that apparently I snapped a pic of me doing a thumbs-up and sent it to a ton of people from my cell phone.  The next day, as replies came throughout the day, I had no idea what they were referring to.  How can you forget something like that, lol?

My second night, I had a really rough night.  I chose to go off the patient-controlled IV pain medicine, and have my first dose of liquid hydrocodone.  Three hours later I woke up and couldn't move.  Unfortunately, they had taken my IV out because it had started to occlude (common for me), and suddenly there were nurses all around me, giving me a pain shot in my arm, getting a new IV going, calling my surgeon (who told them to give me Toradol for the muscle spasms I was having all through my abdomen), and getting me a warm blanket for my tummy.  The rest of the night was a fitful, fearful series of small naps, but I did feel good enough to go home the next morning.

I had a really bad headache by the time I got home, and it wouldn't go away for days.  God, that was a miserable headache!  I finally figured out it was from the liquid hydrocodone, but as it started to wear off, so did the headache, and within minutes of taking it, the headache would be back full force.  So, on day 4 after surgery, I went cold turkey off the pain meds completely.  I spent the next few days feeling VERY sore in all my incisions (I have 5), but it was still better than that darn headache.

I haven't taken a daytime nap for 3 days now, and today, I felt good enough to go into work for a few hours in the afternoon.  I had thank-you cards to deliver, because the ladies I work with have been taking turns bringing dinner for my kids each night, and let me tell you what a blessing that has been!  All of it's been delicious, easy to make meals, and the kids have enjoyed it so much.  I'm so grateful to work for such a great agency.

Well, that's my first update.  I'll talk more about what I am (and am not) eating and drinking, and how that's going.  Til then...

Ciao for niao!

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