wcumom1

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well, i had to go to the ER yesterday, my surgeon was not in and the other doctor that is usually there was not in either.  After spending about 3 hours there, 2 tubes of blood and a urine sample, i finally got tylenol 3 big deal! they did give me vicodin while i was waiting.  Anyway, tylenol 3 didn't touch this pain.  So in the ER the PA i saw told me to follow up today at general surgery, i called them this morning, my doctor is still out but they had a doctor on call.  The man at the front desk told me to be in by 11am, so i rushed and got in there by 930.  I saw the doctor on call, he said it is quite red at my incision site, i didn't notice.  I also told him tylenol 3 is CRAP, he gave me oxycodone/apap which is what i had after RNY and my TT.  He also gave me antibiotics 4 a day.  I just hope this pain and swelling go AWAY.  Its been 5 weeks now!  Today i looked more at my belly and it is swollen and warm feeling mmmm??? i don't know.  The doctor i saw today told me to come back in Monday at 9am to see my doctor. My labs last night came back normal, so who knows! not me, that's for sure!!

Well, think i messed up... i worked yesterday and i think i worked too hard! i felt great all day until about 2 pm, went to work at 10.  Then my back started hurting, then my lower tummy, feels like i strained something :( man, it hurts! ive been taking my flexeril every 6 hrs, i put my girdle on today and have been sleeping alot! i hope i didnt mess anything up.  I didnt work today, i just layed around.  It hurts when i get up and down, darnit.  Hoping i will feel better tomorrow, otherwise i will have to call my nurse or doctor and see what they say.  I'm hoping i didnt damage anything, i picked up a few 12 pkgs of soda at work, but not much else... i dont know

Finally my ankle swelling is down, protein is up to 19.  My belly swelling is down, and I'm feeling better.  Went to work yesterday and made it 6 hours, went to post op support group meeting...found out my surgeon is leaving to start her own practice, I'm happy and sad about that.  But now my military hospital will not have a bariatric dr to follow us, they have to find one, lucky our nurse will still be their to do our labs and we still have our nutritionist.  So, i should be good to go, unless i have a emergency :(   Happy my tummy is looking more like a tummy and not a blob! got a decent looking belly button too, before it was hidden in fat and loose skin.  Hoping to get this excess weight i had to gain to get my protein up, i was 146 preop tummy tuck, my last post op check up i was 160 OMG!! just  horrible.... but my clothes still fit.  Suppose to wear a girdle for 6 months, but i swear that thing makes me swell up!

My new jp drain has slowed up pretty good, my ankles and legs are still swollen.  I have been pushing the protein and carbs like i was told to.  I saw my surgeon on Monday, and she just said everything looked great, but it does not to me.  I'm still swollen, jiggly, grumpy, mad, angry, sad.  I think i need to see the psychiatry doctor again to deal with this issue.  I felt sooo good before, and so crappy now.  I feel so fat and i hate it.  I go back tomorrow to see my surgeon at 10 am, have no idea what she will say this time.  I know they are going to redress all my wounds, don't know if they will pull this drain or not, i am almost afraid to have it out, too afraid to swell up again! It's not putting out too much now, and almost clear, this morning when i got up my tubing had come loose and i leaked on the bed, luckily just on the sheets and not the mattress and mattress pad.  I need to ask about the fluid they tested last week, and I'm wondering if they drew blood just 3 weeks surgery if my protein levels will be up.  I have a 3 year postop meeting on the 11th.  I will be 2 years post op tomorrow! what a long road, i was hoping for a tummy tuck and now i wonder why.  I think i like my scar revision better.  This itches like crazy too.  Taking a shower is a little weird with a drain, i got it hooked on the door knob this afternoon, glad they have it taped real good.  I tried wearing my support hose today for about 6 hrs, they barely fit since I'm so swollen it made my legs feel a little better though.  I went out and planted a few flowers this evening, the weather is cool and it feels good.  More to come about my battle of the tummy tuck, good night!

Well after days and days of swelling and pain.  I went in to the general surgery clinic, my doctor was out of town, but i saw another plastic surgeon.  I went in at 10a, yesterday, and was given a ultrasound and saw the jr doctor who was not a plastic surgeon.  So, i waited for the plastic surgeon to get out of surgery...... I was not out until almost 3pm!  I did puzzles took a nap talked on the phone.  Finally about 130 he came in took a look did alot of smooshing and pushing which hurt and decided to put a new drain in.  I was sooo full of fluid i jiggled when i walked, it was gross!  Well the plastic surgeon he must have been atleast 60, he was real nice, kept calling me sweetie lol.....he said i got to another jp drain so we can get this fluid off of you, it's not going to hurt, uh yea right, it did! not to bad, he gave me a numbing shot, but i still felt it.  Once he got that drain in i was like a water wiggle, fluid everywhere, they had to dump the bulb 3 times before i even left the office, then after i got home it was full again, and full again this morning! but the swelling has gone down pretty good and i feel better.  They said the fluid looked good, and didnt have any signs of infection, but my surgeon had already put me on antibiotics last week, just becasue.  I was up to 155 pounds dammit, but im sure most was fluid, i hope anyway! I have to go back in monday at 10am to see what my surgeon says about my situation.

OK, i now totally hate this thing! i wish i could rip it out myself.  I went back in last Friday hoping to get it out, NOT! still putting put too much fluid.  It was a little red around it, my skin hurts from the tegaderm dressing i change 3 times a day, soon enough i will be pulling off my skin! When i went in friday hoping it looked inflamed enough she would take it out, but she scrubbed it with something put a antimicrobial thing on it and redressed it.  Now, i go back tomorrow at 9am and i am praying it will come out i have had it in for 13 days!  but on the other hand, i am blessed i had my tummy tuck at a military hospital.. full price of my tummy tuck and hospital stay was $16.85.  This is what i call insurance! I have to get my labs drawn tomorrow morning before my appt for my 2 yrs postop RNY.  We have heard rumors that our surgeon is leaving and my cause our bariatric program to end, i sure hope not.  I will still be able to the NUT and get my labs drawn there, but we may have an out of town doctor if ours really does leave.  All of us postops 2 yrs and over have a meeting on 11 May to find out the scoop.  Also i have a appt with my NUT on tuesday at 230, then i have to help a friend on wens do some stuff, and maybe go to dc on thurs, looks like no rest this week.  I take about 3 naps a week now since i have been home from work! All for now. Pray i get this drain out in the morning!

I had my second visit with my bariatric nurse.  I lost about 2 pounds of what i picked up from surgery, down to 151 again.  She removed my left drain, the right is still putting out too much fluid.  I have another recheck tomorrow, she said she will be removing my stitches from around the belly button and maybe the right side drain.  Drain removal is weird, and just a tad painful.  The part inside my body was about 8-10 inches long and you can feel it moving under your skin, think tomorrow i will take a zanax so i can relax more. I have some leaking from around the drain i had to change the dressing 3 times yesterday. I cannot wait to take this damn binder off and get into a girdle! jeeze.  Found out that my bariatric surgeon may be leaving in July and the whole program may be cancelled.  Now, i have to find out where i need to write the commander about her staying, i'm not even sure why she is leaving or cancelling our program, it's very depressing.  I am so thankful i got my tummy tuck when i did, i may have never got one otherwise.  oh well, more tomorrow after my next visit, think it's time for a nap!

Well here I am on the other side of my tummy tuck.  So far i am very pleased with the results, although i cannot see too much of it, but i can feel it.  So, I had to report to surgery at 6:15am on Tuesday April 12.   My husband loves to be early, so we arrived at 5:50! we were the second set of people waiting.  About 6:30 they called me, checked my id card and told me to wait a few more minutes.  Then in about 10 minutes they called about 10 of us to the hallway, they were not all tummy tuck patients, 2 were kids one was a army solider with a metal thing on his leg, and older man etc... So the nurse took us to the hallway and gave us a few instructions.  No jewelry, hair clips, cell phones and all that jazz.  Then he told we would go to preop holding to get iv's etc... told us to say goodbye to our loved ones and pointed them to the surgery waiting room, my husband went to the cafeteria!  He showed me which preop op curtain to go to, and told me to take off everything i was not born with! LOL.  After that, i met my nurse, he was cute and young, or maybe I'm OLD! (shit) he asked my name social security number and what i was having done.  He started my iv and did blood pressure, temp, pulse ox etc... A few minutes later my surgeon came in Dr. Olsen! as you know I love her to death, she is AWESOME!!! she had me stand up and marked my belly and both my hips with a purple marker! Then she told me I'll see you in a few minutes! I don't know what they gave me this time, but i was OUT before i got to the operating room.  I usually remember switching tables.  I remember him telling me i was getting some happy juice.  I remember an oxygen mask, and him telling to to take a few deep breaths.  That was it!  Next I knew, someone was tapping my shoulder saying Donna, wake up your all done.  Wow, was i really?? My husband told me i got to recovery about 1030, i got to my room at 1230.  They asked what my pain level was and i said 8, it was maybe a 6 for real.  So they gave me something in my iv.  I was surprised by how little pain i did have.  I got to my room and scootch over to the bed, that was not too bad either.  More nurses, more vitals. Then my husband came in for a little while.  I was pretty groggy, plus i had a morphine pump that i could use every 6 minutes :) and when my green light came on i used it!  for the most part they left me alone that day.  I had 3 friends come see me, then my husband came back for a few more hours, he had to go home and feed dogs and cats.  I dozed in and out, i did have room mate, who had a son that whenever i woke up, he was sitting in a chair staring at me CREEPY. but she got out that night, so i was glad yo have my own room!  My nurse had to put oxygen on my nose, every time i got relaxed my pulse ox alarm would go off! then i had the leg things on that blow up too, and i had a catheter too and 2 drains YUCK.  But i made sure to push the water, they love that.and  I was really thirsty, i drank about 7 pitchers of water!  They had me on stage 6 gastric bypass diet, glad i took my snacks! although the pepper steak was pretty good for lunch.  The next morning my cute little 2nd LT took me for a walk, i felt like a nut walking with a pee bag and 2 drains! but once i walked good, i got to get my catheter out YIPEE, and that went smoothly, i was glad last one i had hurt like HELL.  They kept messing up with my asthma meds luckily i brought mine, it took an act of congress to get them ordered up, then they gave my stuff to another lady! so when cutie pie took me for my walk i got MY meds!! Then at one time they told me respiratory therapy had to give me my meds! how stupid is that? Ive had asthma for 25 years! After i got my catheter out i could move around alot easier, then they took away my morphine! darn it  later that day about 3 pm my doctor came to see me and looked at her handy work.  That's when i found out i also had a scar revision from my gallbladder surgery.  She told me when she tried to pull my belly tight (yuck) my scar didn't budge and made a tent, so she cut it out lol, she told me i am going to be pleased with my stomach! and told me i could go home thurs morning at 830.  So my husband left and my friend stayed awhile longer.  About 530 2 of my nurses came in and said do you feel like going home today? well, i said Dr. Olsen said i have to stay until tomorrow.  They said i was doing so well getting around, drinking and eating that Dr Olsen agreed that i could go home, as long as i come back for a recheck on Friday morning.  So i called my husband back, he was almost home so he turned around and got me.  And here i sit, at home.  I got 2 bottles of liquid oxycodone and some colace.  I have to empty my drains 4 times a day and measure it yuck, i have to wear a binder, then after i get out of that i have to wear a girdle for 6 months.  But anyway, pain is not that bad, i feel like i did a bunch of sit ups! the scar revision does not hurt at all and it's about 7 inches long!  I slept on the couch last night to be able to sit up.  I don't know if i could lay down, probably not.  A c-section was worse than this surgery and so was my gallbladder surgery.  I am happy about the level of pain, toooo many people told me this surgery was THE WORST!

Had my preop today for tomorrow mornings tummy tuck.  All went well, went to the lab for blood work, got pre admitted and saw an anesthesiologist.  I have to report at 615 tomorrow morning, i am my surgeons first patient of the day! That's good because the more i sit, the more nervous i get!  No foods or liquids after midnight, ugh and no perfume, no makeup and no belongings! dang LOL  I'll be back with a post op report in a few days! Wish me well :)

This time next week i will be post op for my tummy tuck, getting a little nervous now :/  Still excited though.  I'm just hoping all goes well, and i'm not in a whole lot of pain, or they give me some good pain meds! :) I am still hoping to go to the beach, but i'll have to wait and see how that goes.  I'll will blog more after my preop appt on monday