I am home !!!

First I want to thank everyone for their kind words and prayers, I honestly don't think I would have made it this far without them. I got home last night around 8 pm. And OMG that drive home was terrible even with the pain meds. I then proceeded to make a huge mistake by getting into my bed. I thought I was going to die. I could not get up, I could not reach the phone, nothing. But I took some slow breaths and in a few minutes it was ok. I had some complications in the hospital, my BP and pulse kept going up, then I got a fever, and my O2 sats kept dropping done to like 80%. So it was rough going for the first few days. I also got a real scare, the dr found 3 lymph nodes that were really enlarged, so he sent a biopsy off, and said it was not cancer, but I spent and extra 1 1/2 hrs in the OR. I was scared to death. I am having a lot of pain, but I am still forcing my self to get up and walk (not as much as I need to though). Eating has been ok, pudding is now my new best friend. Home health nurses will be coming by everyday to check the drainage from my incisions (I ended up with 7, 8 counting the drain tube). Well enough for now, I hope everyone is doing great. I will talk to you later. --Angela

That sounds like a tough time. I am glad you are safe and home. It gets better eveyday, so hang in there and you we be suprised how the body heals. Also your mind will go threw things to. I found that not dwelling on mind things and letting them pass helps. I belive my uncouncious mind will work things out on it own. It usually does. Hope you have a speedy recovery. Oh yeah you can also flex your feet to keep up with circulation in the legs while lying down. A nurse told me that and it makes sense to me. Rest up and try to get your water in, that is most important right now. Physically do what you can.

I know that in the hospital, the drive home and the first day home were HORRIBLE, but if you just grit it, and move more, it does get easier. today was my first full day at home, and I rode my bike down the block (6 houses and back) so tomorrow will be tons better. I was neasiated just going to the toilet the second day in the hospital. and I found that the bed was the worse place to be, I am on a matress on the floor it is much softer and easer to roll into and out of for me.

OMG !!!!!!!! I cannot believe that you rode a bike. I am in unbelievable pain. I am taking pain killers left and right just to move. I was up and going in 3 days when I had my c-section, but this is something like I don't know. Angela

I totally agree, no two people heal the same. I was riding my bike 8 miles a day on teusday, so my body is used to it. each person is on a totally different starting point, a totally different physical level, and totally different diet. not to mention the different surgeries. for me. I had a LAP RNY, I was alergic to Demerol, so was on Morphine drip 100 ml/ hour with time minute 'spikes' on demand, the first few hours it was spiking it more than every ten minutes, but by later that day, I was only getting an extra 4 hits an hour, tapering off to less than 1 per hour. by 24 hours I was on just tylenol 3 elixer with codine, and the first day, it was every 3 hours, eventually tapering off to every 4 and then 5, today it has been every 6 hours. so your mileage may vary. I totally felt like riding my bike two miles today but the clothing is rubbing on my staples, so I didnt chance it. they are irritated enough. sleeping it still uncomfortable and I definately need a hit of codiene every 4 /5 hours to get through the night because I am a side / tummy sleeper. the more your move, even with painkillers, the better you do feel. just LISTEN TO YOUR BODY and if it hurts, stop and redirect.

Hey Katherine, I had the Lap RNY too, and I am alergic to codine. So I was on morphine pca pump (hits could be every 12 min) in the hospital for the first day and half then they changed me over to demerol and percocet alternating every two hours. I have slowed down quite a bit on them since I am home though. I am also a side sleeper and it has been tough trying to get comfortable. I don't have any staples, just the 7 incisions sites are covered with dermabond and the drain tube is stitched in. The drain really bothers me when I move, I can feel it and sometimes it will just take my breath away. Dr. said that is normal for some people. And get this, the Dr's also told me that because I have red hair that I need more pain medicine and more anstesia. I thought that was weird, but the anestesiologist is the one who told me that. Oh well. I am feeling much better today, I got to wash my hair, that was the best thing. I cannot wait til I can take a hot shower. Oh how we miss the simple things in life. --Angela

well, there must be something to that, my mom is a red head and very sensitive to pain, I am a brunette and you can nearly drive a fork through the back of my hand and I hardly flinch. I have not had any pain meds since 10 pm last night, I think I might use one more tonight to make sure I sleep comfortably. I do not have a draintube, that would freaking driving me NUTS. they put the iv at the point of my elbow, what IDIOTS, every time I closed my arm, the alarm went off. SO GLAD that is out and over. my sympathies to you! I took a toasty hot shower and washed my hair yesterday, hmmhmm good, I put on a maternity dress today to go out, the elastic band from my shorts friday were wretched! I can not say that the dress worked much better today. or maybe it did. lets talk about a mom's ability to push too hard? today: I started out slow, and then my 4 year old invited me to go with him and the rest of the family shopping, so I got dressed. after all, no sense sitting home being a slug right? the doctor said walk more. I have 1.5 oz of broth for lunch 1st stop: Target: walking time 20 minutes, I am spry, I can do it. 2nd stop: Costco: walking time 1 hour 15 minutes, bang the cart against my belly, I think I am spry, I think I can do it, I am now hungry 3rd stop: Play it again Sports: walking time 10 minutes, tried out an incline bike, bang my knee into my belly, try the ski machine, freaking cool, I am not spry, I am loosing my mind 4th stop: Bike Barn, I sit in the car, I am old and I am decrepid 5th stop: BusyBody Home Gym, I sit in the car, I recline the seat, I pretend that I am not dying, my belly is burning where the staples are 6th stop: HEB Grocery is totally aborted, I am cranky, irritable and have heard the 4 year old tell me 'RIGHT MOMMA' so many times, I just want to stop and get some duct tape for his mouth. I am now starving I am now home, resting, got some broth, the boys are somewhere else and I am starting too feel a little normal again. I did search all over the house to find my backpack from May 9th, has my auxilary hard drive and holy cow, an order from that day. now I know I am loosing my mind. yep, I pushed too hard today. I am going to get a good night sleep tonigh, and start back to work tomorrow, very slowly. just going to offer 5 sessions for the month of June.

I cannot believe you made it though a whole day out like that already let alone with out pain meds. I am taking them every 4 hrs now. I was at every 2 hrs. One is a lot stronger then the other so I try and take it only when I need to rest. If I don't take them I could not even get up. I know a lot of my pain is coming from the drain tube, I wonder if that is the big difference. Well I am so glad you are doing great. And I think they tried to over do you on your first trip out. Are you still on clear liquids? Just curious you talked about the broth. I am on full liquid/blenderized foods. I had clear liquids the day after my surgery, and then they moved me on. It is so weird how surgeries are different. Keep up the good work. --Angela

today was my first day of solids. I am 7 days post op. for breakfast I had 1.125 oz turkey, TOO MUCH. so lunch was .75 ounces of turkey and .25 ounces of mushrooms. much better. I know that it hurts, but the more you move, the better you feel. I do not have a drain tube, so my recovery may be different. I had LAP RNY and while there are still twinges of pain that are something else, for the most part I am drug free now. maybe 15 mg once a day every other day when I push too much, sit at my computer for 3+ hours at a stretch, sort and put away 4 freaking loads of laundry, or empty/load the dishwasher and wiped down the kitchen. more fluids... I was starting to wig that I was dehydrating, 39 oz a day was soo hard, but I found that if I heat the water, and make a very weak mint herbal tea, I am sucking down 22 oz in 2 hours instead of the 6 it was taking me to get down the 22 of plain water. if something doesnt work, try something else, don't give up.

Hi Angela - I'm glad to hear that you are home and that the scare turned out ok. I also had major pain issues from the gas they pump in you, and it kept aggravating my back pain (which I have had for a long time). I was on a lot of pain killers in the hospital, and for the first 5 days after discharge, I was on the liquid narcotics around the clock. After that, I was on tylenol around the clock for several days, then just tylenol at night, and now I'm not taking any pain medicine. The first week is the worst, and then the pain will get better, I promise! Pudding was my best friend too - the cheesecake flavor is the best! I was only able to walk up and down the halls for the first few days, and gradually worked up to 10 minutes, 3 times a day. I've not been able to exercise at the level that some of hte other members have been able to, but we all heal differently. Best wishes, Heather RNY 5/17/06 254/233/219