Officially on the loosing Team!

Apr 18, 2011

Hello OH family, I'm back and ready to give an update on how my surgery went last week. Here we go on the morning of the surgery my husband and I had to wake up at 3:30 am to start getting ready to leave my doctor wanted me at the hospital by 6:00am surgery was scheduled for 7:30am, we had to get up so early because the hospital is about 1 hour and 15 minutes away. we were on our way out the door by 4:15am  I wanted to make sure we arrived on time, by this time is when I started feeling like OMG do I really want to go through with this, took some last before pics and we were on our way and I had to listen to my Kirk Franklin "Hello Fear" CD which is my absolute favorite and very appropriate for what I was feeling. We arrived at the hospital walked in it was empty of course 6 oclock in the morning, I was directed to go to the surgical center when I arrived it was empy except 1 person who looked like she was turning on lights in the back. Hubby and I sat down 10 minutes later the same lady I saw earlier came out and got us when I walked in the back OMG lights every where people setting up equipment people were moving fast paced all around me I was like dang just 5 minutes ago this place was like a grave yard. So at this point I was put in a prep room given my gowns and put on the bed. 1st the Anesthesiologist came in and hooked up my IV lines in my hand which by the way was a pleasent experience because he numbed the area first with a small injection that I hardley felt ( I'm use to this process being very uncomfortable), so my IV lines are in place, a lady comes in and takes some blood samples, then my blood pressure was taken everyone was surprised it was normal ( Hello Fear) then my doctor comes in ask how I'm feeling at this point I'm starting to get nervous and a little scard thoughts running through my head again is it too late to call this thing off, what am I doing, etc, etc. I start talking to my husband then another nurse comes in and says she is gonna give me a little medication that will make me feel like I'm floating and relax me a little and Heprin for blood clot prevention  , she gives me the meds via IV I say the lords prayer for comfort, then 2 other people come in and say they are gonna wheel me over to my surgery room, we got to the surgery room the doors were opened then, NITE, NITE!. Don't know nothing after that until 11:00am. 

RECOVERY ROOM!

I woke up around 11 am my nurse standing over top of me like you see in the movies saying well hello there. In the recovery I had the most excruciating pain I have ever had in my life the nasea was so over whelming my leg kept rocking back and forth to help me feel better, I had a wonderful nurse in recovery she was on top of everything and never left my side. The pain, the pain, the pain( fantasy Island) , the nurse told me she was giving me some medication to help with the nasea but it didnt help thenshe gave me another med it didn't help either, Ok at this point only thing I'm thinkin is OMG what have I done, praying for forgiveness and mercy because of  the pain. Well an hour of rocking my leg or comfort my room was ready and I was taken there my wonderful recovery nurse wheeled me up and told me she was turning me over to my charge nurse at this point I was still hurting and dozing in and out, I remember saying to the recovery nurse no don't leave me please (lol) she said I have to but your new nurse will take good care of you ( I will tell you later how that turned out to be a false statement). So im in my room my wonderful husband comes in with bags I wanted to laugh cause he looked like we were on vacation, my mind wanted to laugh but my body was saying ( got it...lol) So my new nurse was finally able to give me some pain drugs, she hit me in the IV and instant gratification!!!!!!! ( I was singing," somewhere over the rainbow blue birds fly..... lol). So I'm finally starting to feel better and able to eat ice chips, and talk to my husband. I could tell a difference in my stomache you really can feel a change in your bodies organs, I describe it as feeling like you are pregnant in the last stages minus the babies weight. I dont know if any of you experienced this during your hospital stay but I did, (Potomac Sentara Hospital Woodbridge,Va.). The nurses were the worst!!!!! ,  I would push the red button for pain meds no one ever came or answered my button call I waited 45 minutes after pushing the button then had to send my husband out to search the halls for the first person we could get to help us, one time when I was able to walk I got up myself unplugged the IV machine and walked to find some one and guess what 4 nurses standing at the nurses station talking about their last summer vacation my nurse included meanwhile my call button noise is beeping like crazy in another area, I was furious. when she finally got to my room I let her have it and requested to speak to someone in patient relations and the nurse in charge ( got a bunch of excuses).  (this happend the entire 2 1/2  days I was there), I feel sorry for anyone who goes to that hospital and has no family members there to look after them my husband actually was my nurse.My advice no matter what hospital your are going to make sure someone can be there with you the entire hospital stay. I must say though my room was very nice and accomadated my husband with a pull out bed and shower. My doctor Denis Halmi did a great job he has a great weight loss program with people flying from all over the country to come and see him (Kudos Dr.Halmi), now his office staff is a whole nother paragraph (In efficient and always new staff must be a high turnover of staff, office manager Marla is a terrible example to the staff in leadership.) but Dr. Halmi and Dr. Nain make up for the staff and I work in the medical field and understood everything going on with my process and I kept up with my paperwork progress myself I always stayed 1 step ahead of them. 

So by next day after my surgery I was feeling better and needed pain meds every 2 hours but over all I was once again happy with my decision to have WLS, and was able to get up  and take some nice walks with my husband and start a full liquid diet (popscicles, water, broth), I wasnt to hungary but tried to eat something I did manage to eat a good amount of broth and it went down with no problems and no tummy aches. After 2 1/2 days of that crappy hospital stay I had had enuff and was ready to go home.

So I get home very sore and moving like Iron Man, but just wanted to get in my bed and go to sleep. Oh No that did not work I have had to sleep on the couch sitting straight up for the past 5 days, the bed was not my friend and still isn't. My pain meds were needed every 4-5 hours now its gotten better maybe every 6-8 hours. so for the next 2 days I was ok  everything was going great with my husband giving me the Lovenox injections for blood clot prevention. Then sunday evening I broke down sad and told my husband i wonder if I made the right decision, having this surgery I have butchered my organs, and just sad ( well OH Fam my girlfirend who had lapband and Lipo told me to be ready for feeling like this but I insisted It woud'nt happend to me) My husband soothed me over a little he couldn't message me or rub my feet due to those activities can create blood clot, so I layed on him and he told me how even more beautiful and healthy I am going to beok I felt better . My girlfriend called me and made me feel better also, because she had the same feelings after her surgery's. 

So here I am day 5 days after surgery still sore and taking pain meds, I am walking like crazy and taking all my vitamins as I am suppose to, I have lost 5 lbs since having the surgery,  19 lbs total including pre-op diet!. Now here is the only thing i'm having a problem with, I cannot get in the protien drinks, I sip on it a little but it seems to make my stomache make crazy noises and fuss at me so I cant get the protien in, any suggestions please let me know. Also the gas pain for the most part I have been able to tolerate when I feel it I just get up and walk, everyone was right walking brings the gas right out and relieves the discomfort, now one day I did have a pain that felt like it was directly behind my belly button that lasted for like 10 minutes and it brought me to my knees I sure hope to never get that feeling EVER again!

Well thanx for reading this entry and going thru my hospital experience with me, I can't wait to add more. and I will post the hospital pics very soon !!! xoxoxoxo 

                 

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