brightiz69
Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since surgery.....My Surgery Story....
Dec 24, 2010
Oh where to begin! What a ride this has been so far!!!!! On Nov 30th, 2010 I had my surgical consult with Dr. Billy in Ventura. I am very fortunate that he was doing Saturday surgeries in December to finish off the year. My surgery date was scheduled for Dec 11th, 2010 @ 8AM at Community Memorial in Ventura, CA. My hubby and I showed up at the hospital at 5:30 AM and by 6:30 AM, we were being led up to pre op to get me ready to go. One good thing is that on Saturday's, Pre-op and Post-op are all done in the same room and you have the same nurses. So, I get up there and there is a bed waiting with my my new outfit(Gown, hat, slipper socks, and warming blankets) My hubby was allowed in there with me the whole time and they even let my parents in for a short time. I was happy about that as well. After I got changed, they did my final weigh in, and I got onto my bed and they started my IV's and got me all ready to go. The Anesthesiologist came in along with his Nurse and they got some history on me and then the Patient Advocate from my surgeons office(Nancy) showed up and she walked me through some steps and spoke to me about what to expect and the diet progression and stuff. I was very happy that she was there and she is also a patient of My surgeon and now works for him as well.Now the fun begins! My surgeon comes into the room and says hi to us all and asks my hubby if he has any questions. My hubby says "no, I just want her to be happy" and to that everyone Awwwwww's and the surgeon says " what a good man!!!! Now that is a good man!" and we all had a little laugh before the excitement begins. So, Dr. Billy leaves and goes to get him ready and the nurse and anesthesiologist wheel me into the OR.... They had soft music playing and I was happy about that as I love music and I was at peace. I met the whole surgical team and then it all started. They wheeled me over to the surgery table and said they were not going to have me move yet and they were just going to get my oxygen going. Honestly, that is all I remember....They joked me good!!!!! They knocked me out and I did not even know it....I guess the anesthesiologist needed time before surgery to get my Arterial and central lines going before surgery since I was having vein issues. My heart rate was also very Tacky during the surgery and running a bit high. My heart rate tuns a bit high to begin with. So the only thing I remember is waking up in the recovery room with all the nurses there, Nancy from my surgeons office and that was it. I was in ALOT of pain....and felt like I was hit by the Billy truck!!!!! as they all called it. So they maxed me out on pain meds and I had to be in recovery for 45 minuted longer due to the pain and so they could watch me more. I am just happy I was not nauseated and puking. That would have hurt like Hell I am sure. So, the guys came to move me to my room and in my room was my hubby and parents and I was happy to see them yet wiped out and wanted to sleep! So my parents gave me my flowers from the 3 of them, kissed me and told me they were leaving to go home since they had a 5 hour drive home and it was already 2 PM by the time I got to my room......So my wonderful hubby sat in a chair at the foot of my bed and watched as the nurses got me hooked up to all my machines and monitors. After they were all done, I slept and he sat there and watched my TV.....They have little 13 inch personal TV's that are on arms that come out from the wall and move 6 feet out and around. So he was happy to have that. I noticed him napping in my chair a few times so I just went back to sleep. He stayed until 7:30 that night and then he went home and let me sleep for the night and returned the next day.
So, Sunday AM at 6 the nurse comes in and brings us our blue apple juice(when I say us) I mean my friend Lisa and I ...we were roomies and her surgery was after mine and we did this together. It was so nice to have her as my roomie........we were told we had 20 minutes to drink the stuff so we could go for our leak test. We finally got to get the leak test upper GI done at 11 AM and by noon were told we had no leaks so we got our lunch! WooHooooo. Chicken broth and tea...I just wanted to have the hot tea and I was so happy!!! AND Chap stick!!! They would not let me use Chap Stick while I was on oxygen as it is an accelerant for oxygen.....so I was mad all day saturday about that. Sunday I removed my oxygen and said I am using the chap stick!!!! They did not fight me on this as they saw my drtermination! LOL.........so I was still in pain and had alot of gas and they really did not have me up walking much yet as every time they got me up I got light headed and dizzy and did not know which way was up. My blood pressure and Sugars were all over the place. So they pretty much left me alone until the next day. That and I was unable to urinate after the catheter was removed, I have a lazy bladder and I was telling the nurses that and they finally listened when I was screaming that I was going to pop and They were shocked that I was so full! LOL.....then things got better. we were off our IV's and able to go on liquid pain meds and walk! That felt pretty good to walk also........so sunday night Lisa and I worked out a deal with the nurses that if they would get all our vitals and meds done at 10PM and let us sleep all night we would leave them alone as well.....our night nurse was all for this.!!!! I did have to get bothered one time for a blood draw and my numbers were a bit low and they were thinking that I might need a transfusion and turned out I did not need that...so we got a good night sleep until 5 AM when they came in with pain meds and did our vitals again. we went 7 hours of sleeping and no pain meds so the nurse was heading us off before we were screaming for them. Happy about that!!!!!! Hubby showed up again sunday and that was a painful day but he helped me as much as he could and did a great job!!!!! Our surgeon came in on sunday and spent 20 minutes just BS'ing with us all and checked us out and said if we keep going well like we are that we would be released Monday.......
So, Monday gets here and he is there at 7:30 am bright and early and checks us both out and tells us we are doing amazing and did amazing in surgery. He said he will write the orders to release us at 2 PM and asked what hotel we were in close....We told him we were in a hotel a few miles from the hospital by the beach and he was happy about that. So we got released and made our way to the hotel where we would stay for 2 days until ou drains were removed and then we could return home. So my hubby and I went and walked along the beack park trail in ventura and had a nice day and then back to the hotel....then Wed AM we were at teh surgeons office at 9AM for drain removal and that was an experience in it's own! Dang is all I can say about that......then we were on the road home...wooohoooooo., my own bed yay~! I was so happy to be home with my daughter and hubby and my dogs!!!! They missed their mommy! so that is my story and what I remember of it.....I am sure there are a few things I missed and I am happy that I have this experience to share!!!! So far there are no problems and I am tolerating things well. I have gone from 297 surgery weight to 282 in a week and 2 days....so that is 15 pounds in a week.....I have lost 33 pounds total....so i am thrilled so far with what I have going on.........I wish you all continued success in your adventure as well.........Thanks for taking the time to read my experience and I hope I can be of help to any of you!!!!!!!!
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About Me
California City, CA
Location
34.1
BMI
Surgery
12/11/2010
Surgery Date
May 18, 2010
Member Since
