The Surgery is Over!

Jan 14, 2009

It's been a week now since my surgery. For those that haven't been through it yet, i will relate my experience.Also, i need to inform you that I was also having a hiatal hernia repaired at the same time as the band placement. It was a surprise that I only found out about at the pre-op meeting with Dr. Voellinger. He thought it was small and would be simple to repair. Just something else for me to worry about!! 
       I woke up at 3a.m that morning and took a long hot bath to try and help myself relax.( We had to be at the hospital by 5:30. ) I really wasn't too nervous yet. To be honest the hardest thing was not being able to wear any makeup at all! I very rarely leave the house without it!( You see, I am not blessed with that much "natural" beauty...at least in my mind. )It's a crutch of mine. So we arrived right on time(my husband was with me). We went to the same day surgery center and I was given an arm band and our parking was validated. Then I got to sit in the waiting room with about 15 other people. Boy did i feel naked without the makeup!! And we waited, which is nerve racking in itself. I guess it was only about 20mins. before I was called and escorted back  to get my vital signs taken (temp, blood pressure, weight). I was asked questions about any allergies and asked if all the info on my armband was correct, etc. I signed some papers.The nurse was very nice. Then I was taken to a room that had 2 beds and another patient was already there in one of them. There was a curtain between the beds. I was told to undress and put on a hospital gown. They left and I did. Another nurse came in and told me to clean my entire abdomen with hibiclens solution and then put on this sterile paper surgery gown. Another nurse came in and gave me a shot of blood thinner into my abdomen! I honestly did not feel it though ,because the needle was so small. After that they brought my husband in. I took out my contacts. And I waited. Finally the transport person came in and i was given a hair net to put on, then was put on a stretcher and taken to the O.R. holding area.
       Now this was when I started to get very nervous. A nurse put an angiocath in my arm and started an IV. Then I basically just sat there for what seemed like forever. And I was blind as a bat! I work at that hospital and if anybody I knew walked by, I wouldn't have recognized them! So I just sat there with this dumb smile on my face in case someone was looking at me. Believe me it got harder to keep that smile as time went by. Finally the anesthesiologist came by and quizzed me on everything again. (allergies, medications, etc.) I was glad they were being careful and thorough. And I just sat and got more nervous. I really thought they would have given me something for my nerves by this time. But they didn't. And I did tell them I was nervous, more than once. Well, at last they came to take me away to the operating room. My surgery was scheduled for 7:30 and I am pretty sure thats about when I went in. I was asked to move to the operating table and the anesthetist put something in my I.V. and thats all I remember until I woke up in the recovery room. It was about 9a.m at this point. I could just make out the hands on the clock in front of me. I was in serious pain. But only in my left shoulder/clavicle area. The recovery room nurse asked me on a scale of 1-10 how bad the pain was. I told her a 9. But i think it was more like a 10. Anyway, she gave me more pain meds and I felt much better. From reading on here on the lapband forums I was aware that other people had the same pain that apparently comes from the gas they pump up your abdomen with. It migrates up to the shoulders sometimes and causes pain. Anyway thats what I heard. 
      At about 11a.m. I was taken back to the room I was in before I went to surgery. My husband was there. It was soooo good to see him! He told me Dr. Voellinger had come to see him and told him my hiatal hernia was larger than they expected. But that everthing went well.  (I found out after I got home that i had a 4inch incision where he repaired the hernia!)I was very groggy.I was asked to drink a small amount of water.  I remember my husband helping me get dressed and POOF! just like that I was whisked out of there in a wheelchair and put into my car. It was only 11:30! So That was it...My surgery experience. Hope it is helpful to those of you wondering what it's like! Not a bad experience at all.

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