Please help!!!! ...Very Long....

Hey all! Congrats to everyone who had surgery in September! We are all now on the other side! I love being a loser. Eggs are my new favorite food! I had surgery on September 12th. Everything went great and I had no complications. I went home after two nights in the hospital and loved the chance to sleep in my own .... recliner. It was wonderful! The first two weeks went just fine. I kept reading about other people who had been off pain meds after they left the hospital. I thought maybe I was a whimp or something because I was still on mine after two weeks. I was able to walk only short distances, but I was determined so I did it many times a day. The doctors and nurses kept telling me not to worry. That my body just needed a chance to heal and that no two people heal the same way. I was excited when the weight started coming off. I am now down a total of 28 pounds. I told myself not to worry about how tired I was. I had just gone through major surgery!!! So I decided to go spend a few days with my aunt. I enjoyed being away and I stayed away from the board as well. Kind of a vacation from my surgery I guess. Except that I was still exhausted all the time and not feeling good. Very early one morning while I was at my aunts I woke up and found my t-shirt was soaked. And I mean soaked. I remember thinking 'I must be really hot' but when I touched my shirt it came away sticky and I could tell that the fluid was pretty thick. My first thought was ... blood. Thats when I about freaked. I was pretty scared to move though because I was sleeping on my aunts almost white couch. So I woke up my cousin and asked her to turn on the light. To my relief I found it was not blood. I heaved a sigh of relief and then thought... What the heck is wrong with me??? I called my doc and he said to come into the clinic as soon as I got back to town. So I walked around for most of the day with a towel attached to the top of my incision where the 'fluid' was leaking out. I had a hole in my incision about the size of a small nail head. Once I was finally able to make my way to the clinic the nurses poked at my incision and told me that I had an infected pocket of pus. Yum. The nurse put me on some meds and told me to drain my incision as often as possible (by pushing all around the surgery site....Painful!!!) So I delt with it. I told myself not to worry, that the infection would heal and everything would get better. About a week later it was worse. So I went back to the doctor and she said that she wanted to try and put in a drain. I thought she was going to put in the same kind of drain I had during surgery. I almost cried! But she didn't. She took this shoelace looking stuff and filled the hole where the infected pus was hanging out. I don't want to freak anyone out so I left out the details of how. I had the packing put in on a Friday. Sunday night I went to change the dressing (done 3 or 4 times a day and once again before bedtime). After I pulled off the tape I found myself staring at a huge hole in my chest where the incision used to be. Turns out the stuff they had put in the pocket had collected so much 'stuff' it ran out of room and broke my incision open. My doctor says to just keep changing the bandage and it will eventually heal. It could take up to two months... So now I feel ... horrible. I know, I know. I'm supposed to be happy about my weight loss and feeling good with how far I have already come. But I'm not. I'm feeling pretty down. I have a hole in my chest! I never thought this would turn out so long. Sorry....But thanks for sticking with my rambling so long. I just really needed a chance to vent. I hope I did not whine to bad. I'm just so dang frustrated!!!! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for listening to me ramble! Good luck to everyone!! Tami

Tami, First off congrats on 28 pounds that is awesome. Everyone has different experiences, and we can not compaire each other to each other. I'm sorry you are having complications. I don't have any advise, but an ear to vent in. I hope things get better for you!

Tami, How brave you are!! Your story makes me very grateful for the little bit of problems I have had You must have been so scared. Keep on the doctor to get this healed. And, God bless you. Jody

Dear Tami: I am sorry that you have been having infection problems. Be sure to take care of yourself. You need to come first right now. I wish I had some great advice to give you but unfortunately I can only be a sounding board. Please be sure to let us know how you are doing. Feel free to vent here anytime you need to. Isn't it nice to have some where to go where people understand? I love it. Take care. Melanie

Dear Tami, I know exactly what your going through. I got a infection in my incision also. I got home from the hospital one day and started running a low fever and then I woke up with half my belly red. I went to the doctor and they had to open my incision up. (not a good feeling! ouch!) I have no energy and don't feel like doing anything. I hate having to change the dressings. So I feel your pain. I can't imagine 2 months of this though. I guess this is a common complication so I'm told. Hang in there I'll be thinking about you! Madison

Tami, Don't beat yourself up about being down about the complications. This surgery is tough without complications. I have cried a couple of times since my surgery and I don't have half the problems you are having. You deserve a little (or a lot) self pity. As the others said, I have not words of wisdom for you having not had the problem myself but I would be freaked out too. You could go to the "complications" message board. I'm sure someone there has gone through what you are going through and could give you some insight. Keep posting and let us know how you are doing. We are all in this together. I will be praying for you. Love, Jacinda

Hi Tami, Congratulations on your weight loss. Great job. I have a very full abdomen and a small amout of drainage leaking from a pin hole im my incision. I had open rny on 9/19. I am still very nauseated and have a difficult time even drinking water. I see th Dr on Friday. I read all these messages, of course besides yours, of all these people even going back to work after 2 weeks. I also still have quite a bit of pain. I feel like a wimp! Thanks for letting me vent. I hope you heal quickly. Sincerely, Annette

First off, biiiiiiiig hugs darlin!! If I had gone thru all that, I would need to whine & vent too!!! Oh my gosh hun... soooo sorry! And yes, we are all here for you (and feeling especially grateful right now if we HAVENT had any complications!). This surgery and recovery is difficult enough without additional problems! Sounds like you're being given extra time to take care of yourself, to be aware of your body and be kind to it. Kinda the opposite of the way most of us lived pre-surg, huh? Take your time... Acknowledge all your body has been through... Let us know if there's anything we can do.. *BREATHE!* It WILL get better hun! Huggggs, Melanie Lap RNY 9/19/05 high 352/current 300/goal 175

Hey congratulations on your weight loss - you know the surgery WILL work! So sorry to hear about the wound issue - I had two incisions that seeped for about a week after surgery and it really freaked me out. But they doheal and all will be well. Hang in there and don't lose hope!!!!