Been a while..I'm 9 weeks post op, here's my experience:

Mar 31, 2011

So my surgery was on January 24, 2011 and it was booked for 2:15 p.m. with Dr. Nohr in Medicine Hat, Alberta.  I spent my morning fretting over the small details, is the dog fed, the kids packed, me packed etc.  But one thing I took the time to do that I am greatful for now is that I took my measurements, neck chest, arms, legs and hips.  My starting weight was 243 pounds. 

So noon comes and its time to leave for the hospital.  We arrive and got checked in and sent to the 6th floor for surgery preparations.  Once there, they get you in the gown, the inflatable leg stockings, they get you to take three pills to reduce the acid in your stomach and then later a little drink that does the same (I never ended up having the drink, guess they forgot).  They also give you a shot of blood thinner in your tummy.  Now to wait for them to come for me....and wait and wait.  Finally, at 4:00 my husband went to see what was taking so long and the nurses were surprised that we were still there.  They called and found out that there had been an emergency and my surgery was pushed back and may not happen at all!!  So of course I'm thinking well this just wasn't meant to be, everything happens for a reason, someone's trying to tell me something etc.  but nope, they decided to do it, just late so it was meant to be after all.

They came for me at 5:30 and I was wheeled into the OR where they started my IV (the nurses weren't able to start it earlier) by freezing my vein and then it went in simple.  I started to feel really dizzy and out of sorts and the next thing I knew my eyes were open and it felt like my chest was in a vice grip!!  They quickly got on top of the pain and were able to get it to a managable level.  I was taken back to my room where I pretty much slept the rest of the evening.  Since I had been brought back to the room so late they decided not to try and get me up until the next day.

When I was awake enough to realize what was going on I also felt the tube that was down my nose into my old stomach to drain anything that was being produced in there, a large drain near the top of my incision that drained my new pouch (and which stayed for two whole weeks) and a smaller drain at the bottom of my incision to drain my incision.  So I was pretty full of "hardware".

The next day they had me get up to the washroom and that was my first scare when I saw the blood that pooled on the floor and all over my gown and legs.  They forgot to mention that was a possibility as the blood pools in the incision and when I stood up it just had no place else to go and was perfectly normal.  So whew...all was still good.  Getting up the first time was aquward and felt very strange but it didn't really hurt.  It didn't hurt to walk either, it was the getting up or down that was the worst part of it for me.

So there was no eating or drinking at all until the nose tube came out.  My surgery was Monday and my leak test wasn't until Thursday and it was after the leak test that they removed the nose tube.  I didn't struggle with being thirsty at all,  I had so much discomfort and phlem build up in my throat from that awful tube that I never felt thirsty.  I also never ever felt hungry (and still don't).  So Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday was just getting up walking, showering and resting.  I used pain meds the whole time but mostly becase I ended up getting sick from first pain meds that I had a lot of dry heaving going on and the meds with gravel settled that for me.  Otherwise I couldn't even stand without heaving.

Thursday was finally here...8:30 they came and took me for my leak test.  You have to drink this thick fluid which was so so so awful I couldn't even get all of it down but I was able to drink enough that they could tell things were going where they were suposed to..yes..get this thing out of my nose!!!  They took me back to my room where I waited and waited for the doctor to come in and sign off on getting this tube pulled.  Finally at 1:30 the nurses emailed the doctor and he gave the go ahead.  2:00 I was free!!  I won't lie, that tube bugged me to come out, it actually burned the back of my nose really badly but, once it was out I almost instantly felt better.  Then later that day I got my small drain removed, which I didn't even feel at all and then my IV was disconnected so that I could try getting my own fluids in.  They brought me soup broth, that was the best thing I have ever tasted!  My throat felt so much better and without all the hardware it was much easier to get around.

Friday morning Dr. Nohr came to my room and said I could go home.  Yipee!!

So I went home and was on a full fluid diet for two weeks which was hard, not impossible, but hard.  I am now learning to eat and learning what I can't.  If I eat to fast or eat to quickly I know instantly and let me tell you it makes you learn quick.  It is not a good feeling.  So far I have only gotten one thing stuck which was a calcium tablet and that was the worst paid I have felt since begining this journey so now I'm afraid to take too big of bites because I NEVER want to feel that again.  It hurt from my chest to my back, I couldn't breath, I got all sweaty and my mouth watered like crazy.  The pain subsided but it still hurt for the rest of the night and I was unable to eat anthing.

So its been a lot of trial and error and learing a new lifestyle.  I take my vitimins, I try to get my protein but I do struggle with the calcium because of my "incident".  There has been no follow up with Dr. Nohr although I do go for a scope next month to be sure all is well inside.  I'm told by his nurse that he doesn't do the follow up unless you feel something is wrong.  I had 8 weeks off work and I returned this Monday and I feel really good.  My starting weight was 243 and I am currently 208 and have lost 12.5 inches overall.  I have had two stalls at week three and week six but I'm on a roll now.

At this point, I say I have a love hate relationship with my rny as I love the results I see but I hate it when I have to take a half an hour to eat half a cup of food and can't have a drink that whole time, it's all such a learning process.  But, would I do it again...absolutely.

I must say, through my days at the hospital the pain needles nor the blood thinner needles hurt as much as that tube in my throat.  That tube was honestly the worst part of the whole surgery.

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