KCowden
Starting Over
Mar 31, 2009
POSTOP:Today is April 11 and I am on my 4th day post op (Apr 7). Surgery went well, no problems. Dr. Bright commented a couple of times regarding the difference it made for me putting the hard work into the preop diet.
Prior to going into surgery, you check into the hospital and they get you a gown, weigh you, draw blood, get Heparin shot (oww), set up IV, meet with anesthesiologist, and surgeon. I told them I was having a lot of anxiety so they put something in the IV, which was right before they took me into surgery so I don't think it made a difference. Once in the operating room, the nurse introduced herself and the next thing I knew I was being awakened in recovery.
Don't remember much about recovery room, just being wheeled to my room. I had pressure cuffs on my legs that pumped up every minute and had another IV port in my other hand, not being used and a catheter. I now had 4 holes in my belly and one drain.
I was instructed on my pain pump (self administer), had vitals taken and was left to recover. Wasn't so bad. Knowing that I would need to walk, I asked and was told not that day, but the next day I would be expected to get up and walk. I was surprised. Just slept on and off till the next day when I then asked to walk and was taken off the leg cuffs and walked a small distance. I wasn't having any gas pains so wasn't worried.
Between vitals taken, IV bags being changed, heparin shot, priloxec medicine, etc. Wedneday was not much rest. I did get up and walk a couple of times, luckily because the gas was not far behind.
About 12:00 Wedneday I was taken for my pouch leak test. I had to drink a very small sip of this bitter liquid as they took pictures of the action. A couple more sips and that was all done. Late Wedneday I was taken off the pain pump and given liquid - was way too much. Took half a dose later and didn't take anymore after that even though I was now in the gas pains from hell mode. I walked and walked and walked and breathed and breathed and breathed. No passing of gas, no burbing - kept asking if there was any other suggestions.
Had the catheter taken out later Wedneday (no pain) and was then on a mission to pee. Luckily, it did not take long and I was filling up the "hat" every hour on the hour due to the IV fluids. The tough part there was that I was in a shared room and we took turns using the bathroom and the nurses were not always that quick to come and measure and dump. So one would have to wait while the other one called - luckily the nurses were fairly quick. Not to mention having to unplug your IV tower, shuffle to the bathroom, and plug it all back in so that you could get into bed.
Early Thursday morning, there was some gas release. I knew I was on my way. It still was not total relief, but that was the last hurtle. Dr. Bright came in around 9:00 am and said everything looked great, took out the drain (no pain) and said I could go home. My husband arrived at 12:00 and we were on our way home. Got home around 4:00 pm and went to bed.
Slept great that night, very little discomfort. Able to sleep on either side.
Food progression: On Wednesday morning I was given a 16 oz jug of crystal lite and a one ounce cup. Told to drink whatever I could even though I had not had my leak test, this would not affect the test. Didn't get much down just because I wasn't sure how long to wait between drinks (still don't know).
On Thursday morning, since I had passed the leak test, was given a tray of full liquids (1/4 c cream of rice and 3 oz of yoplait peach smoothie). Tasted both and said - no thanks. Continued to sip the crystal lite jug from previous day for the remainder of the day and can you believe it even on Friday at home. That was one long 16oz bottle. On Friday I had two ounces of blended cream of chicken soup and later 2 oz of Slim Fast. No problems. On Saturday (today) I have been really forcing myself to get in more liquids trying to set a goal of 4 cups by end of day. I think I will be short about 3/4 of a cup. I have also had 2 oz of Slimfast in am, 2 oz around 2 pm and will have 2 more this evening. I had to switch from water that I had been drinking since finishing the crystal lite bottle to G2 diluted because I started having hints of leg cramps and I read some chats and found that others with same problem added some electrolites. Hope it nips this in the butt before I actually get a cramp - I know how bad those are and I nearly give my husband a heart attack when I wake up screaming for him to massage it out.
Medicine: I was on three BP medications when I went in and am on two now. Hopefully that won't be for long because they are not meant to be crushed and taste horrible.
Emotional: I have been having some real problems with anxiety and have posted on the message board for some assistance. I need to do some real soul searching to find peace in what I have decided. I know there is no reversing this and I can't keep putting myself through this torture day in and day out questioning this decision. I believe it stems from doing so well on the preop diet (-30+) and feeling so empowered and in control of my eating, but going through with the surgery anyway. I was experiencing pre surgery anxiety, but assumed it was just nerves. Now I wish I had listened to myself and took another stab at fixing this without the surgery. I just don't think I was as ready as I thought for this life changing, permanent, rearranging of my insides. I thought I had done all the research, went to support meeting and orientation meetings, been on this site for over a year, and still I am questioning this decision. It is a problem I am going to have to work through, there are no other options.
Wish me peace.
PREOP:
I have gotten so much out of reading everyone else’s blogs that I had to start my own so that I could also help someone out there struggling with this huge decision.
After all the insurance pre-approval process in 2008, I finally had approval for the LAP RNY surgery and saw my surgeon for the surgical consult on December 31, 2008. He said that I would be a great candidate (256 lbs with High BP and Sleep Apnea) and pending my psych evaluation would be scheduled for a surgery date. As part of my insurance approval process I also had to pay for a year's worth of nutritional support (2 months prior/10 months post). With that, I began my pre-surgery diet of 1200 calories.
In March 2009 the hospital called and scheduled me for April 7, 2009. I was surprised by how excited I was for this date. I had anticipated that I would be anxious and uncertain, and would possibly chicken out since I had been thinking about having the surgery for a couple of years and now I finally had the date - could I go through with it?
* * * * * * *
Well, today is March 31 and I am officially one week from my surgery date. I have been on my two-week liquid diet since last Tuesday (1 week) and have a week to go. It has not been so bad, except I had to finally eat something last weekend or I was going to go nuts. Considering that I have lost almost 30 lbs since January 1, I did not feel guilty. I did ask the hospital nutritionist, who I also have to pay to see, the purpose of the two-week diet. She said that it served two purposes. One to prepare the liver so that it was healthy and less of an obstacle to work around to get to the stomach. The other reason was to prepare me mentally for the diet that immediately follows the surgery. I agree that is best prior to the surgery. If I went right from eating then to liquids following the surgery, it could get pretty tough. You get to a point in these diets that if you stick to a routine, it just doesn't bother you that much unless you routine is upset by something, like the weekend. I do great through the week, because everyday is just like the last.
Tomorrow I will go to a support group and see if I can get connected with some local folks. I'll let you know how it goes.
* * * * *
4/4/09 I can't get enough from reading everyone's pages and looking at the before and after pics. Thanks to all of you that have posted your journeys. I will try and do the same, even after I reach goal :) I wish there was more information from those 3-5 years out to see what our future holds. I understand that when you start feeling better and enjoying life the last thing you want to do is stop and post to your blog.
Seems that there are a lot of bowel obstructions and ulcers in those that are out a few years. I guess you still have to compare the percentages of what you could be going through not loosing the weight. I have yet to read any posts that say that this surgery was a mistake, even with complications.
Well, I was going to attend a support group but found that there is no longer one in this area. I might try and see why it has been disbanded. The closest is about an hour one way.
I am getting nervous for Tuesday. I have to drive to Spokane on Monday, stay the night in a hotel and check into the hospital at 5:00 for a 7:30 surgery. Because of the activities that the kids are involved in, I have asked my husband to stay for the surgery, but to go home later Tuesday to try and make it as normal for the kids as possible and to get them to all the activities. I think that would be less anxiety for me than to know he was with me in Spokane and the kids were three hours away and we were depending on others to try and get them to baseball practice, homework done, and up for school each day. We have never been much on imposing on others to take care of our kids (other than day care when they were little).
I am preparing my grocery list for tomorrow so that I have everything I need for the first week. It sure is tough since you don't know what you will like and what you won't. I'm suppose to concentrate on getting in the fluids first, but want to have the protein choices available if I feel I am ready to try something additional.
* * * * *
4/6/09
Wow, nervous is an understandment. I have had surgeries before, but this one is so life altering. I am now on clear liquids and can't believe I am missing my other liquids. I have a feeling I am going to be hungry all day. I have a few more things to get done today before my husband and I head to Spokane. Wish me luck and success. See you on the other side. :)
* * * * *
