ckpointchickie
December 26th...I've got to believe it's getting better.
Dec 26, 2012
It has not at all been what I anticipated. Was it preventable? Is it something I did wrong? I had my surgery on the 20th of November. Post surgery was typical, groggy, slight abdominal pain at the incision sites. For this day and the next several days, they brought me trays of various sugar free juices, sugar free jello, either chicken or beef broth and decaf tea. Day one, the jello was barely tolerable and the juice gagged me. Day two, I took a chance on chicken broth and jello, and begged for ice chips. From there on out,it was pretty much ice chips. I came home and the next thing I know, I am throwing everything up. Tried jello, sick...tried broth, sick...tried pudding, sick...
At this point, the nutritionist said back to clear liquids...what clear liquids? I was pretty much living on ice chips. I couldn't stand protein shakes, I tried taking ginger and drinking ginger tea. Thought it was the miracle cure until I got sick on it. Don't think I will come close to ginger for a very long time after that. By the 7th of December, I called my doctor's office and told them the difficulty I was having keeping nutrition in. They said to give it until the following Tuesday. No improvement, so I went in on the 12th for an upper GI. It was discovered that I had a stricture at the bottom of my pouch and therefore, nothing was passing through. On Friday, the 14th a doctor of endoscopy dilated the area. They told me to call if I got sick, to call right away. Well, I got sick. I called. Somehow in this period the endoscopist's office believes they told me to go to the ER and I said I would. But I thought we left it that the endoscopist was calling me back. I heard back from them on Monday am (17th) and was directed to the ER where I was found to be malnourished and dehydrated. I was put on IV nutrtion, sterioids, insulin, vitamins and anti nausea meds. I was released on Friday the 21ar and set up with home health care. which I am still on. I did not get to spend Christmas with my family this year. Thank goodness for my wonderful fiancee who has been by my side through it all.
I have lost 30 lbs, although this was not the way to do it. I blame no one, it is what it is. And while a blizzard kept my nutrition bags from being delivered today and my home health nurse was not able to get here to do my blood draw, I have enough to get me through foodwise until they deliver tomorrow AND I have been able to hold down small amounts of solid food today. The only thing I can say is maybe I am starting to turn the corner and I will be able to look back on this more positively later. Were there times I wish I hadn't had the surgery? You betcha! But attitude is everything and I am going to fight to turn this into a success! Stay tuned...