10 Days Post-Op!!

Jan 24, 2010

Okay, I've gotten all of your emails! Sorry I haven't been on here since my surgery!! It's been an incredibly interesting week and a half! 
My surgery was last Thursday 01-14-10 and I was supposed to stay in the hospital two nights and come home Saturday.  Well my O2 Saturation was getting pretty low at some points because it was so painful to take deep breaths so Dr. Wooldridge ended up keeping me an extra night to monitor that.  So surgery went great, no complications at all and I got to come home Sunday afternoon! I was grateful he ended up keeping me an extra night because I really didn't feel like I was ready to be back at home. . .however, staying at Ochsner an additional night was probably not the lesser of the two evils!  My doctor, all the residents/interns/etc. were wonderful... but some of my nurses were absolutely awful... From the minute I got into pre-op the morning of my surgery all I heard was how overcrowded the hospital was that day and blah blah and it made for some serious, serious ineptness on Ochsner's part! If I didn't have my mom there with me 24/7 I don't think I would have made it out the hospital quite as well as I did... I think she even had to change my linens once or twice because they never did! Ridiculous....

So I came home to my mom's house Sunday to recooperate.  I was in pretty serious pain up until Tuesday.  Since they puff up your abdomen with air during the surgery, the gas pains afterwards were pretty awful.  When I would lay flat down in the bed to sleep it felt like all the air gurggled it's way up to my chest and felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest! So I discovered it was easier (and still is for right now) to sleep on the couch propped up against the arm so that I don't have to lie flat on my back.  The gas pains are gone now.  I'd say Wednesday evening/night I started feeling pretty good. Then I felt even better Thursday so I came home to my house.  Friday morning was my first day of classes (only taking two classes this semester since I didn't wanna overdo it with surgery and everything else going on!) I got around campus pretty good, I've been walking everyday as much as I can and it is definitely helping with my recovery, I can tell. For a few days I was walking kinda hunched over which made my back start hurting lol so I had to make myself start walking as straight up as possible and now I feel like my posture is totally back to normal.  I guess I had to walk that way for a while because with my big ol' tummy hanging, it pulled my incisions, too... I think.

So today I am sitting at work.  It's the first day in 10 days I have put on real clothes (something without an elastic waistband) and makeup! I feel totally normal! lol But I'm so grateful that things with surgery went so well and that I am already feeling so great! I'd say I'm about 90% back to normal.  Still some soreness in my stomach and very occassional gas pain, it's hard to remember I can't stoop or strain or anything like that but soon enough that will all pass! 

I go to see Dr. Wooldridge and the dietician for my 2 week follow-up on Monday, February 1st! I'm anxious to see how much I've lost!  The last solid food I ate was cabbage and black eyed peas on New Year's Day! I cannot WAIT until Thursday when I can start on my mushies!!!!! Yogurt, beans, cheese... LOOK OUT! lol

Anywho, just wanted to update everyone and let you know I got all your e-mails and well wishes and thanks so much for the thoughts and prayers! I'm truly blessed to have gone through my first week or so without any problems! I'm looking forward to what the next few weeks have in store!

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