CarolynK

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This is a not so short recap of my journey for those of you who do not know me or Babette! I wasn't going to bring this public but PK's post last night has me saying to heck with it. I am coming out of the closet again and if you are squeamish or scare easy do not read any further and do not look at my profile/pics!

The only thing I am going to say about pre-op is that it was not as long of a journey as some, and I had started out wanting the Lap-Band but after talking with my surgeon and doing more research then I had before decided to go with RNY. My insurance would only pay for these 2 options so I did not research others since self pay was out of the question.

Because my initial BMI was over 60 I am 5'2" and my highest weight was360 my surgeon said he would not do it laproscopically even though he does lap. He is the expert I went with his decision.

On 3.12.07 I had an unevently open RNY. I came through the surgery with flying colors. I did not have uncontrolable pain but I did use my pump and liquid vicodin during my stay and came home with the liquid pain meds. Because I have emphysema and asthma the Drs put me on O2 24/7 as precaution since my O2 saturation was a bit low but not too low. Which meant that I needed O2 to walk. Well to make a long story shorter, they could not get their hands on a portable O2 tank and the nurses would not let me up to walk without it. So I did not get a chance to walk the halls like I should have. They finally got a portable the day I was to be discharged....go figure.

I had a bit of nasuea after arriving home due to the 1.5 hour trip and rough roads. Thank goodness I took pain meds before leaving the hospital! I did well and worked hard at getting my fluids and protein in, as we all do.

But about 1.5 weeks out I started having a LOT of drainage from my incision which was about 6 inches long. It was not red or hot to the touch but I was having to cover it with a sanitary pad (PA's suggestion) to keep from leaking all over everything. Well this got worse and finally had to go back to ER and at that time they opened the incision partly to help the drainage and put me on antibiotics because there was an infection starting. No biggee this I can handle, problem seen, checked and followed up on.

Well even after this I had major drainage and was having to change dressings more and more often. Several days later it was back to the ER where they opened the incision completely and gave me IV anti's and sent me home with Set up for Home Care Nursing to help monitor what they now called the wound. Still no biggee things are being taken care of.

On April 1 I wasn't feeling to well. Nothing that I could put a finger on but I was in touch with the PA several times during the day and finally he decided that he would like to check me out. So back to the ER we head. But before I could get my clothes on and out the door, I had a "coughing" fit. Was this part of a gag reaction, which had been happening all day, or was it from my emphysema which sometimes happened, who knows? DH had been saying don't you want to hurry and I said no rush I have been having this all day. All of a sudden I coughed again and mind boggling pain from wound area. I looked down and my guts were hanging out! They had even pushed my dressing off!

I yelled, yes we are in hurry and threw on a clean pair of jammies over the bloody ones grabbed a coat and my cell phone. (forgot my glasses which I can't see without and my purse) Off we went. I was in and out of it through out the drive. Scared spitless and kept telling DH to talk to me...keep me awake. It was the longest 1.5 hours of my life! We got to ER I got out of car and let hubby park, walked to a wheelchair when an attendent comes out and says holy shit! How did you get this far as he whisked me back to ER without triage or check in or anything. In less then an hour I was in surgery. I had eviscerated myself and they had to clean the intestines and pack them back into my body.

I was in the hospital for 2 weeks on heavy duty anti's and setting up more wound care since they could not leave the incision closed. On complete bedrest except for bathroom privleges with assistance. Discharge day finally arrives and I leave the hospital at noon. My new Home Care nurse meets us at the house and starts doing intake. Before she is half way through, I spike a temp and start fading in and out. I am told she was on the phone to the Dr within minutes and DH and daughter put my bags back in the car and off we go. I am back in the Er within 6 hours of discharge and readmitted.

Tests tests and more tests and they can't find the source of the infection. Finally they call in an Infectious disease Dr. She starts out by saying I am going to ask questions and I want you to tell me everything even if you think it is normal for you! So finally get down to back pain which I have had for years due to weight and arthritis.

I assumed as did the nurses that it was worse because of the bed rest and being unable to lay on my side. Back only. She say hmmm and orders some x-rays that would make a healthy athlete weep, I am not that and weep is not the word for it. The next day I am whisked off for an MRI. We have found the source of my infection.

I have Ostheo Mylitis in the spine. It is an infection in the bones that never goes away but will stabilize until bothered. I had probably had this for some time but it didn't show up until surgery. This was the root of all my problems. So now I am getting 3 heavy duty anti's IV instead of 2 and in between anti's I am getting IV potassium, I am blowing veins left and right. They finally decide to do a PICC line, they can't get it in. So off to surgery I go again and they insert a Groshen line that goes in near the collar bone directly to the big veins.

After another 2 weeks I am discharged to home again with Home Nursing and Home IV anti's that my husband and I administer. I am on complete bedrest until the end of June.

Ok during this time I am shrinking! Believe it or not I lost 50 pounds in the hospital on bedrest! But as I shrink my tummy sticks out further and further. I see the little bump that I thought was the hernia Dr told me I had and when I went in for check up I asked when the swelling in my tummy would go away. He replied what swelling that is your hernia! I almost fainted. I have 1 very large hernia that I have named Babette (she looks like basketball) to help deal with things. Laughter is good medicine. She has several babies. There are pics on my profile but don't look if you are squeamish or scare easy.

I am now 8.5 months out and I still have Home Nursing for wound care. It is almost healed but not completely. I missed my 7 week vacation this fall that my DH went on alone. I insisted since we had been planning this for over a year. I wear an abdominal binder from the minute I get up to the minute I go to bed and sometimes in bed when Babette decides she doesn't like me. I have to wear a tank/camisole type thing underneath the binder and on top of the dressing to prevent skin breakdown. I can not do much in the way of exercising. I can not do much of my own housework. I am unweildy and uncomfortable 24/7. Babetter moves around when I try to sleep. It is as bad as being prenant with kicking baby inside if not worse because having a baby ends at 9 months and this won't end until I am over 1 yr out.

I try to stay positive and do what needs done, it isn't easy but I manage most of time. I have still lost 116 pounds during all of this. And my RNY is doing well, no major dumping or foamies. Just ostheo mylitis complications. OH has been my main support outside of my family, and I love being able to answer and reply to others aobut their journies good and bad.

The good news out of this is that sometime next spring the surgeon is going to repair Babette and family and at the same time he will do tummy tuck and insurance will pay for it because it is not primary reason for surgery! I can't wait! But they will put me on anti's a month before so to keep the OM stabilized.

I am going to post this to my profile as well as here...

Thank you all for reading.

Hugss

CarolynK

I Love my RNY!