Almost 3 weeks later...

Sep 10, 2010

The surgery happened with just a few minor complications:

1) The first day or two was great but then I started having some major gas issues...as in, I couldn't pass any and felt a lot of pain and bloating. Only we didn't know what it was at first. Here I went from speeding around three laps of the nurses station and joking with the staff on day 2 to not being able to walk a lap or sit without pain on day 3. Turns out I just hadn't burped and all the gas was trapped. From other accounts I'm reading, this seems to be pretty common. It took them a  long time to order me some simethicone, and by the time I got it, it didn't really help either. Every time I took A tiny sip or bite of anything I felt all these gas bubbles gurgle down into my stomach. My sutures felt like they would burst!

Finally, late in the evening of day 3 a nurse brought my some hot tea. And something lovely happened! Every time I took a little sip I would give a little burp! (Not very lady like, I know, but what a godsend!). So after about 3 cups of tea I was right as rain. I've had a lot of tea over the past few weeks and it works like a charm everytime. I wish I had discovered what this was earlier! I read one account here of someone getting a suppository and having immediate relief after simethicone had failed. Pre-ops: just keep this stuff in mind in case you notice the same issue cropping up. I wish I had known to suggest the suppositories early on; it would have made for a much easier hospital stay.

2) Once I got home (day 4) I began to notice a certain smell - not like gas or anything - more like decay. That scared me a bit. When I called the doc, they said it could be necrotic fat, which is quite normal. Sure enough, when I went in for my 10-day check up they found that my biggest wound (the belly button) was not healing due to a big amount of white necrotic tissue (fat) that was blocking the top of the wound. My husband was taught to pack the wound daily with a little gauze soaked in saline solution. It's only been a week or so, but the wound looks like it's healing nicely, most of the necrotic tissue is gone, and so is that awful smell (hallelujah!).

My stomach is still fussy and I can't eat so much yet. A lot of foods still hurt to go down, and I must be vigilant not to drink any liquids 30 minutes before or after my meals... but every day it's getting a bit better.

The great news is that I'm losing like gangbusters! I've lost 27 lbs from my pre-surgical weigh in on Aug. 20... and 33 lbs from my first day home from the hospital (yes, you wil very likely be up a bit when you get home due to the IV fluids and swelling).

I'm still in my recliner, and it's getting very OLD at this point. I've tried twice now to sleep in bed this week. It starts out all right but then I all my stomach area and back gets sore about halfway through the night and I'm tossing and turning in discomfort, so my DH and I have decided that I will sleep in the recliner just a bit longer. He's a sweetheart and sleeps out on the couch right next to me. Don't know what I'd do without my Jeff.

For those who are curious, my stomach is 4 oz and my common channel is 150 cm. I'm tall, though - nearly 5'11, so the doc said that was why he made it longer. We tall folks often have longer intestinal tract, and sure enough - after he measured mine was long so his formula worked out to the 150 cm figure. That's just fine with me, now that I understand how his formula is derived. I started out on this board thinking my common channel would be about 75 or something, so it was a real eye opener to learn (not just from one surgeon, but two!) that tall people will just naturally need longer common channels.

At any rate, hope this info helps folks. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Dori
HW 410 / SW 345 / CW 318 / GW 175 

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