I'm Home!!

On November 24, 2004, at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital I had a laparoscopic roux-en-y gastric bypass -- yes -- the day before Thanksgiving. The care was just excellent! The hospital has a new bariatric center that is dedicated to weight loss surgery. The doctors and nurses could not have been better!! My pre-op at home stuff consisted of showering for several days with anti-bacterial soap and then a full fast from midnight November 23, 2004. I checked in about 12:45. I was scheduled for surgery at 3 p.m., but they were ahead of schedule and my surgery began about 2 p.m. I had a tube in my throat but it was removed before I awoke. I also has a foley catheter, it was remove the next day. I have 7 small incisions covered by steri-strips. They are sensitive and sometimes achy. I have no dranes. Dr. Wohlgemuth came in to see me that night. I had quite a bit of nausea. I sat up in a chair for a few minutes -- tried to through up -- but nothing came out. The next night, Dr. W sent the robot by to see me. Dr. W was in the Kempsville office -- about 10 miles from the hospital. He has complete control of the robot from his office. The robot came in the room. He is about 5 feet tall and reminds you of the robot in "Lost in Space". The head is a computer monitor where we could see Dr. W. He could see us by way of a camera in the robot. He scrolled in close to see how I looked, and asked how I was doing. I told him about the nausea. He said it was probably from the Morphine Pump and that they would stop it. The robot ask if we had any other question and then he left. It was an excellent "virtual" doctor's visit!! After I got off the morphine pump, the nausea started getting less and less November 26, 2004, Dr. W came by in the morning. He ask how we liked the robot and we both thought it was just great. He said it was not to replace a doctor visit but just as a supplement when the doctor could not be there. I had an education session with Jeannie Sanders the Bariatric Program Coordinator and came home about 1 p.m. I have to schedule a check -up visit with Dr W in two weeks.

Congratulations!! Good luck with everything! Jen