My surgery is soooooooooooo done!

I had my surgery last Tuesday!! Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! What a trip! lol
It's all kind of surreal still :)

I last four days on the liquid only diet, then started to eat small things like a 1/3 chicken salad, a tiny bit of what was for dinner etc, still kept it under 1000 calories and still lost ten lbs.

My surgery was set for May 4th in Victoria with Dr Malik at 7:50 am. The night before we got a room at the Empress which kind of sucked for me cause I had to do the bowl prep (not so bad) but didn't want to leave the room! I was awake by five am, having to be at the hospital by six. We actually arrived about twenty minutes early.

I checked in, and then they sent me to surgical daycare. I thought my husband would be staying with me until they literally wheeled me in, and was quite unhappy to find out that wasn't the case. They made him kiss me bye at the doors to surgerical daycare and said Dr Malik will call when she's out of surgery!!!!! I don't know who was more upset, me or him

When I had seen the *spleepy doctor* he said he could freeze my hand before they do the iv as I don't like em. Well of course I have a nurse who comes and wants to do it right away. They put emla cream on the top of my hand and as luck would have it lately, they decided to do it on the side of my damn wrist instead. So I said just go for it!

I had several people come by and look at my chart, actually READING it, then it was time to be wheeled in! I checked the clock and it was exaclty 7:50!! I was so impressed on how on time they were!!!

Dr Malik met me at the door, and brought up the fact again he was worried about the scar tissue from my speen and if he could *even do a RNY* which freaked me out, since he's never said anything about not doing it, just maybe difficult! So he asked if he can't do I want my hernia done, and then we can talk about the sleeve in a few months. I'm like "Don't even talk to me, just do the sleeve!!!!" lol  he said he couldn't and would have to talk to me about it more.

Anyways, the nurse came out and introduced herself and then I could hear them all do a last minute check list of me, and everything else (something I've never heard before) They put the oxygen mask on me, and I remember someone adjusting it and saying deep breaths......then nothing.

Don't even remmeber coming out of recovery, but rather being wheeled down the hall and mutter to everyone "did he DO it?", and my husband walking beside me saying how much he loved me.

Well it turns out the 24 inch scar I have down my belly from my ruptured spleen DID cause a few problems. Mainly, my firggin spleen had grown BACK!!! RIGHT where he was heading! So it took a few more hours, and a few more scars, but he was able to do it without any further problems.

Dr Malik even thanked me later for making it a interesting day :) My husband was out in the parking lot so nervous that he was puking and crying and just being upset about the thought of losing me

I was brought into a semi private room with a male roomie and slept most of the next 24 hours with shots of morphine and gravol to knock me out.. I also had to wear these nasty nasty leg things to prevent blood clots. Think of blood pressure cuffs all the way down your legs that inflate every friggin minute 24/7 and feel like wool socks!

My hubby had to go back to work that night, so off he went. I also remember Brother John from the fourms coming to visit me and he's such a wonderful guy!

I was sooooooooooooo thirsty and dreaming of my husband, water and doing the damn leak test lol. The next morning Dr Malik came in and said I looked wonderful (I was already up and walking around from after a couple of hours after surgery) and he was very please with how things went.

My leak test was set for 10:45 and I was wheeled down there, told to stand against a xray machine and then they gave me this big cup with a HUGE straw and told me to take three huge gulps!!!!! My first thought was how cold it was (NICE) and then how wet (NICE) and then GROSS!!!! but at lease I got something to drink. The test was ok, back to the room and asked for ice chips and juice!!!! The nurse brings me a huge glass of apple juice with ice and a straw. HHAHAHAHA I'm suppose to have a tiny medical cup of fluids every hour, so I'm not sure how I was suppose to measure THAT. At that point I didn't care though! I just started doing the chips and sips of juice.

Lunch came with a bunch of stuff, which my nurse said I could have 2 of something. I chose a jello (which was NOT sugar free) and had maybe 2 spoon fulls, and then more juice of course. In the hospital that's all I would *eat*.

Since I was in such a drug induced haze the few days, I know I had several great nurses, but one, a readheaded named Lydia really stands out in my mind! What a doll! She made things so much funny and really cared about her patients. She has me laughing as she had to do suppositories.

Thursday came and Dr Malik came to see me again saying how well I was looking and doing, said I could leave whenever I wanted, and I already had a follow up with him for next Wed. The plan was suggested that I stay in town until then.

I don't know what happened then, but all of a sudden about half a hour later, I started to bawl and couldn't stop! I missed my husband so much! I took a adivan, waited 40 minutes before I called him so I wouldn't feak him out. Got him on the phone and started bawling anyways. He told me the guys were pitching in to have him out of work early Friday so he could come stay the weekend with me. Meanwhile my oldest son was suppose to be here already and I didn thave a clue where he was or how to get ahold of him. Brother John had given me his phone number, so I decided instead of sitting there like a crybaby, I'm was leaving and going to my hotel at the Swann Suites.

Brother John came and got me, and helped me get settled. What a friggin beautiful place! I very very highly recommmend it to everyone!
I waited a bit but then decided since I didn't know when my son was coming, I had to go get my meds filled. I ended up walking six blocks and hearing from Donnie while at the druggist.

We met up at the hotel and it was such a releif to have someone there :) He was such a big help. My husband went into work at three am on Friday so he could leave by 10:30 to come be with me. Of course I bawled when I seen him and had 3 major crying jags within 24 hours! Damn emotions!!!

We'd go out for walks alot, and the pain was toleratable, actually maybe better then I expected. I just get so inpatient. I did have a bit of shortness of breath and was dizzy for the first few days, but I was dizzy at the hospital so it was nothing to worry about. I also have to give myself 2x day herperin injections for blood clots.

I woke up Sunday morning and out of no where, decided I was coming home with my husband! No way I was going to be away from him for three more days!!!! So within a hour we were packed and out, heading to the ferry.

I've had a few rough days with the pain, tired, but today's the only day I've taken a nap. My back is sore from being stiff and not stetching my tummy out I guess, but other then that I'm feeling really good today.

I hope this helps you and if you have any questions please, don't hesitate to ask :)

Hi Suzanne.  Congratulations!  All the best for your journey and keep us posted!

I' ve tried looking up Swann Suites on the Internet, but nothing.  Do you have an internet site for them or an address?

Many thanks!

Cynthia

ASk for the one bedroom loft! Soooooooooo worth it! http://www.swanshotel.com/

Hi Suzanne!  Congratulations on finally getting the surgery!  I don't know if you remember be but I believe we met at the New West Support group sometime last year....I remember then you were still waiting to hear about when your surgery will be.  So I'm happy to hear you finally had it.  I wish all the very best and if you have any questions about managing your sleeve don't hesitate to contact me...I'm 9 months out now and have lost 90 lbs...I feel awesome!

Again all the very best and I hope to see you at a support group meeting soon!

Gina

Thanks GiGi! I was going to go to the last meeting but I was only a week out and, well exhaustion won instead lol.
Hope to see you at the next one :)

How are you doing?  Can't wait to see you at an upcoming meeting!

Gina

I'm doing ok. I've been very greifsticken as we had to put our smallest chihuahua to sleep on Sunday after he struggled and seemed to be doing better for five days, after a accident.
Today's the first day I haven't bawled (down from 4-6 x yesterday)

I'm down almost 30lbs but things are still very surreal for me. With the surgery and then my fur baby.....it feels like I've lost the last month. I still look in the mirror and think "holy crap, I DID this!" and can actually SEE the loss.

When is the next meeting?