UPDATE ON SURGERY

It is now 1 week since my surgery and I know that my guardian angel was watching over me. The week prior to surgery I tried not to think of it and just wanted to get it over with. I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers because it helped bring me through safely. After surgery on Monday I was pretty groggy and not too spry. I held onto a wheel chair and walked around the 4 nurses stations. The only time that I would press "the button" was just before I got up for a walk. I ended up with 9 holes, 20 staples and a sewn in drain tube that looked like a "ball and chain". Tuesday I was taken to X-ray to make sure everything was ok. After that Dr. Piduru put me on jello, broth and water. Boy was that ever good. That day I walked twice around the 4 nurses stations, once in the am and once in the pm. This time I didn't need the wheelchair. I practiced on my breathing off and on and did a lot of sleeping. Wednesday they had no private room on the regular floor so they kept me in intensive care, no problem, just no room available. This day, I walked around the 4 nurses stations three times, once in the am and once in the pm. Amanda, the director of the program, would come in 3 or 4 times a day to check on me and Dr. Piduru came in to check also. The pulmonary doctor and the cardiologists nurse practitioner stopped by to just check and see that everything was going well. I was impressed with the attention everyone paid to me, not just letting me lay in the bed and forget about me. I was sitting up in the chair several hours each day, once in the am and once in the pm. Since I was doing so well and there were no single rooms on the regular floor I was released Wednesday evening. Maybe I was just excited to get home but it was sweet!! The only real problem I had was wabbling like a weeble so I could get out of bed. In the hospital they have rails to help pull you up. At home I figured if I grabbed the dresser next to the bed I would end up pulling it over on me which would cause me considerable pain and suffering. Thursday consisted of resting, walking, sitting, sleeping and eating. Not a bad day. I was getting to my limit of jello and broth. I gagged it down but reluctantly. Friday morning I was dizzy and lightheaded. I didn't feel well so I spent much of the day in bed. I couldn't stand the thought of jello or broth so that was a day on nothing bu****er. On Saturday I still didn't feel too well but a little better. Still dizzy and lightheaded. Dr. Piduru called me at home to see how I was doing. I told him I didn't feel well, dizzy and lightheaded. He said to scramble up an egg and eat it. How sweet it was!! Thought that I had found the gooses golden egg!! It is amazing how you can savor the flavor of a scrambled egg. But all good things must come to an end. One whole egg was too much, I should have just eaten 1/2 of the egg. I just felt a little queezy, no vomiting or gagging. First lesson in eating!!! Don't eat too much!! Sunday I felt better. Getting some different food helped. I thought that if I could have an egg, why not egg drop soup?!?!? Called the local Chinese restaurant for delivery of egg drop soup. Ordered a quart to last me a couple days! It was as rewarding as the best steak and lobster that you ever ate.......... in your previous life. Sunday evening I did have a problem with my vitamin with iron. It was like an oyster, the more you chewed it the bigger it got. When it was fine I drank some water and then the iron in the vitamin put me into gagging and dry heaves. After what seemed a lifetime I broke out in a heavy sweat and my system calmed down. Like I said, the nose is too sensitive!! Today Patty, who is Dr. Piduru's nurse, called and I asked about getting the other food items on the 1st month list. She said that I could increase the food to the extra items but suggested to do it slowly. Eat 1 item for a couple days and then go on. She also suggested that since this is the start of cold and flu season not to go out in public because I didn't need to be getting a cold or the flu after 1 week of surgery. I still have a sore throat after a week. She said it is not unusual, just keep drinking plenty of liquids. This morning, Monday, I had the gagging and dry heaves from just brushing my teeth. During the night I wake up about 3 - 4 am with "dragon breath". It is so bad that I can't stand myself. So I get up and have a sugar free popsicle to kill the dragons and put their fire out and then go back to bed. All-in-all I feel that I have been extremely fortunate to not have the pain that I thought I would. I was very concerned as the time came closer because 6 weeks prior to the surgery I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy and ended up in cardiac intensive care for 2 days. I figured that my surgery was over. After consults with several doctors and the cardiologist the problem was listed as a one time odd situation because of the flushing of the system and getting my electrolytes out of sync. My potassium dropped passed the bottom. I had never had a problem like that in the past. While the cardiologist was standing there talking to me, my heart stopped for several seconds and "rebooted" itself and I have never had a problem since. Surgery went off without a hitch. This now brings you up to date since surgery. I feel that I am doing so well and feel that all the thoughts and prayers from everyone helped. Thank you all!! Oh! most importantly, I have lost 17 pounds in 1 week!! The khakis and shirt that I wore for my preadmission on November 4th I wore today to the doctor and instead of tight and uncomfortable the legs were BAGGY and I didn't have to SUCK IN MY GUT to zip and button the pants!!

Excellent Post Mary Lee!! You were able to walk me through atleast a dozen questions that I was milling around in my head Tomorrow is the day for me and I am no nervous... Taking the magnesium citrate wasn't all that bad but 4 hours later and still nothing has kicked in WTG on your loss and keep up the possitive outlook... I love to read possitives!!!

Oh my gosh. The magnesium citrate was the nastiest thing ive EVER tasted but i choked it down. And then not even a 1/2 hour later it just WASNT staying in! i started throwing up like NEVER before! My entire body was SO tight, and i couldnt breathe because my body just wanted it OUT of me and it wasnt giving up will the last drop was gone! and it was all while i was sitting on the hotel bed! it came out like, 3-4 times like a huge waterfall one after the other!!!!!! And then, it kicked in, and as my body was pushing/completly forcing it out, i was also diarreha-ing all over the bed, and i that was SO miserable all at once. How horrid!!!!!!!!!! ~Amy post-op DS 11-5-04 P.S.-COngradulations on your weightloss!!!!! I lost 20 pounds in 10 days!!!!!!!!!! Isnt it SUCH a great feeling!?!?!?!?!?!?