Palmettosleeve
Hi :-) i'm a young college student who's a full time nanny. I have had weight problems since i can remember, 8 being the first time i really noticed being different from the other kids at school. Of course, like every other WLS candidate, i have tried Everything, been successful at losing with some, but put the weight right back on plus some each time. I have a terrible thyroid problem and it's making my weight problem even worse over the last 2 years. I am nervous and excited about this surgery. My process has been a sudden and quick one. I was just told by an endocrinologist and surgeon a month ago that i'm super morbidly obese and need WLS asap. My insurance won't cover it, so without having to jump all of those insurance hurdles, i only had to do a few things before surgery. I had a VSG on August 22nd, 2011. I love my doctor, Dr. Washington. He's great! I thank God for my great support system i have. My family has been great with it all. And of course i love my OH family!
Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
August 22, 2011
Dr. Morris Washington @ Conway, SC
Highest weight: 341
current weight: 321
lowest weight: 180 (6 years ago)
desired weight: 140
pants: size 28
shirt: size XXXL
shoe: size 11W
"Nothing worth having comes easy!"
Here's my surgery story:
i got to the hospital, they took me right back. hooked me up to iv (which i think was not in a vein since it was burning so bad when they started fluids). i couldnt give them a urine sample so i had to wait like 1 hour before i was able to. i finally could after they said theyd have to catheterize me if not! yikes. then my family came in 2 at a time to say good luck and bye and hugs then off i went into the OR. i kinda remember it being cold in there. and several nice people saying things to me. last thing i remember is they put an oxygen mask on me and off to sleep i went.
next i remember waking up in revcovery and i could barely talk. and i was in HORRIBLE pain! i kept sayin i hurt i hurt i hurt. and the nurses kept saying we'l check on meds for you. i remember throwing up but i had nothing to throw up, so i threw up phlegm and saliva. i heard one nurse say is that normal? (which scared me) and the other nurse said yes. i remember thinking i was suffocating. then i remember being rolled to my room. i was in my room for 2 hours before my family was notified. there apparently was a mix up. the dr came out to tell my parents that my surgery was a great textbook surgery and i did well. he told them id be in recovery for about 1 hour. so my parents said 1 1/2 hours went by and they started to get worried. then 2 hours had gone by and my mom got upset cause everyone thought something had gone wrong w/ me so she had the secretary call upstairs. they told my parents i had gone home. my mom flipped out and said no she didnt. so my mom went back without permission looking for me!! hehe about the time she found me, the rest of my family came in right behind her, they had finally told them what room number i was in. they said they were so stressed out for those 2 hours because they thought somethign had gone wrong w/ me! i was still realy drowsy and can just remember saying MOM, DAD, PAIN MEDS. the nurses kept saying we'll check on it, and i was upset cause i wanted my family and medicine cuase i was hurting so bad.
well they kept taking my vitals and giving me pain meds. i used my incentive spirometer every hour. i finally got up monday night and went for my first walk. it was painful and i used a walker to lean on, but it felt good to get out of bed. the next morning, i was feeling a bit better and they wanted to take me down for a swallow test. so i agreed to go in a wheelchair...BIG mistake. it made me sick. my leak test went good and showed no leaks so i was allowed to order a liquid lunch. however, i couldnt eat it cause i was nausiated and was dry heaving. YES, i was dry heaving! ugh it hurt my stomach SOOO bad! i did this both monday and tuesday actually about 3 times each day. its awful! but i was finally able to eat some dinner. meanwhile, i was still nausiated and in terrible pain, cause apparently my IV got inflitrated. meaning my medicine was going under my skin instead of in my vein. and now my hand is still really puffy. i look like the guy off of nutty professor LOL. they took that iv out and wanted to start me a new one. well, it took 3 nurses and 5 sticks before they finally got a new one in me. they said i have deep veins. so i finally started actually getting my meds, therefor feelingn a little better.
i walked and walked and walked and sipped on probably 3 drinks i finished by last night. this morning, when i woke up, i felt SO much better. my one incision where they pulled the stomach out of is the one that hurts really bad. i was having gas pain since monday too and finally started burping and passing gas this morning. but what a huge difference 5 hours of sleep last night made in me. i felt so much better today. no nausea and little pain. at one point on monday i was wonderin what the hell id done to myself. but now i do not regret my decision one bit. my dr came in, said i looked great, and he actually pulled my JP drain out. it had started to coagulate (clot) and there was no need for it anymore,. that was the strangest feeling though. felt like a snake was moving around inside me. its a feeling you cant really descirbe to someone.
anyways, i was dishcarged around 11 today. and now im at my parents house. laying in bed relaxing. i was sent home w/ some liquid tylenol w/ codeine. so i took that and its helping. i actually just took a shower w/ no help. so im doing good. i probably take a nap now. but just wanted to tell my story as i know other's stories helped me through my journey. im officially on the LOSER'S BENCH!!! woohoo! thanks for all the prayers and thoughs, i love my OH family!!
http://pl.st/s/781633297
