bigsteve2010
Panniculectomy is over...well kinda
Jan 08, 2011
Ok been a bit since an update and I cant sleep so here goes.Had the panniculectomy done December 15th.....The estimates originally were 25-35lbs would be removed, but to my surprise, when I woke I found out they had removed 61lbs....that was a very nice surprise ....I was shocked.....so here it is Jan. 9th 2011...I'm hooked up to a wound-vac(the most annoying thing Ive ever had)....sore, and swollen....I have a huge suture line from hip to hip(which is intact and healing nicely), and 4 holes that were left open.....But no more belly!!!! It is totally gone, as are the infections and sweating and skin breakdown that went along with it.
I guess the worst part now is the wound-vac, and the tightness I'm feeling....obviously still very swollen....wound-vac sucks because i have to have dressing changes 3X's per week-which include packing the wounds with foam(painful the first few times, but getting easier now)....As far as my hospital experience I have nothing but good things to say about the environment and staff at Methodist Hospital Omaha...they were very caring and attentive...they managed pain beautifully....room was clean....staff was very professional
I only have 2 (real) negatives about the whole experience.
1. I started coming to still on the ventilator- terrifying experience.....usually they get you off it while you are still way out of it....so yea....I was in that place between awake and unconscious, and not being able to take a breath when I wanted to...the machine did it for me......I remember being restrained to the bed, having enough slack in the restraint to get a finger on the vent tube(if i turned my head slightly to the side) which i tried to remove, and subsequently couldn't breath AT ALL!! My arms flailed wildly....the next thing i remember is the tube quickly coming out and a nurse telling me to cough....that in itself was very uncomfortable.....so I coughed up a large amount of phlegm, and I could breath (thank God)...this was very very scary especially still shaking off the anesthesia.
2. My second bad experience (which is kinda part of the whole deal).....was when they prepped me for the wound-vac....First of all I gotta say....when I was in surgery they packed the areas left open with gauze.....then put a towel over that....then an abdominal binder over that...after 2 days they removed the binder and proceeded to remove the gauze ummm....OUCH!!!! But she took her time and stopped several times (I'm a baby when it comes to pain)....I couldn't believe it hurt so much even thru the pain meds they were giving me (but like I said-part of the process)....It hurt....it felt like the gauze had wrapped around my innards and dried sticking to them, and she was pulling my intestines out with the gauze.....so yea It goes in my negative folder filed under OUCH!
But all in all, I think I'd do it again. Where else can you lose 61lbs in a few hours (minus the after effects of course).
So I spent 5 days in the hospital was wheeled out 50 some lbs lighter (swelling and fluid retention counting for some), hooked up to this retched wound-vac.....Yes I have issues with wound-vac's....they are a great device...if you can get past the smell....leaking problems....and frequent dressing changes
