Day of Surgery 10-19-10

Oct 25, 2010

On the day of my Gastric Bypass Surgery aka Roux En Y aka WLS (weight loss surgery) I woke up at 3:45am as I had to be at Upstate University Hospital by 6am and it takes about an hour to get there. The girls were sleeping in their beds so I quietly said bye to them and Chris let his sister know we were leaving. We then headed off to moms so we could be on our way.

We got at the hospital just before 6am and had to wait a little bit before Registration opened. Once it was opened I checked in and Chris and mom got their visitor passes and we were on our way up to the 5th floor. From there on I felt like I was on Grey's Anatomy, everything. The hall to the Surgery Holding Unit was very white with blue trim. Once we made it to the nurses station and I gave them my paperwork we were taken into a room where I had to change into a gown and put one lovely support thigh high stockings. I hated those things. The first people that came in were.. hmm I don't remember exactly but I think it was the anesthesiologist. She told me how the whole anesthesiology thing would go as well as asking me questions and checked out my neck and had me open my mouth. She said her Resident would be in as well and thats when it really felt like GA lol. Two students came in and I can't remember if they said they would be in the OR or not. During this time They got an IV in and of course they had problems finding a good vain except for the one good vain I am known to have in the inside of my left elbow. They said they didn't like putting them there but that they could move it while I was out if I wanted. The OR Nurse came in her name was Leah I can't remember how she pronounced it but she reminded me of my best friend from elementary school . She said she would be there with me while I was in surgery and that she would talk to me while I was being put under. After that Dr. Simon came in and asked how we were doing and said everything will be fine and then he was off. It was at that time they made sure I was all ready to go and I said Goodbye to My mom and Chris and we were off to the OR.

 I think it was maybe just shortly after 7:30. We got into the OR and they transferred me over to the operating table and I remember putting my arms out on the "arm things" I remember seeing Leah down at my right arm she had started rubbing it and then I remember the gas mask. The next thing I knew I was in Recovery asking what time it was. It was only 10am. I expected it to be later before I woke up. I was asking them to take the oxygen mask off of me. I always feel like I can't breathe with that thing on and after me begging them a few times to take it off they gave me the nose oxygen things. Which was much better. I can remember going in and out and try to wake up out of the anesthesia haze. At one point they went and told Chris and my parents I was awake but that they couldn't see me until I went to my room. Must be protocol cause no one else had visitors in recovery either. I was in Recovery until 12 noon when they told me my room was ready and they would be bringing me up. They wheeled me out into the hall and a few seconds later I saw my family.

I was still on the 5th floor on 5B Room 5118W(window). The nurses came in and checked my vitals as well as hooked me up to some pain med and also gave me Protonix via IV as well as a Heparin shot in my stomach. I was told I would be getting them frequently. I believe they also gave me Reglan for nausea but I did not have any. I did not want to go to sleep once we got to my room but I just laid there with my eyes closed listening to my mom and Chris talk. Mom and Chris had to leave about 2:30pm so that she could get to her Dr. appt.  Dad had left earlier as he had an appt to go to as well. So about 3pm after everyone had left I was pretty awake and decided to watch Sex and the city 2.

The nurses came in every now and again to check vitals etc. Dr Simon came in about 5ish to see how I was doing and I told him so far so good except for the gas and it feeling like I had done a thousand situps.  I had a hard time falling asleep that night as the lady next to me also a patient of Dr. Simon had her lights plus I kept hearing this beeping noise that was driving me crazy. I ended up getting a headache and a stiff neck so the nurse gave me some ice and it helped.  I used my pain meds that day and then again before I finally went to sleep about midnight.

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