Surgery finally here

Discharged from the Royal Alexandra Hospital yesterday. Surgery seems to have gone fine. No serious discomfort (morphine is your friend) and I was well looked after by the hospital staff. The Royal Alex is very efficient: checked into the pre-operative clinic around 10:30 AM Tuesday, rolled into the pre op waiting ward about 90 minutes later, surgery around 1 PM and into a nursing unit by 4 or 5 PM.

Wednesday AM I had a shower then the barium chalk torture test - all good. In the evening I was walking around the Alex's hallways - pretty tired though. I would snooze sitting at a table in the food court and in a chair in the Lois Hole/Robbin's Pavillion part of the hospital (this was especially funny as I fell asleep in mid bite holding a jello cup in one hand and a spoon in the other). I walked 1.5 KM and the docs told me to take it easy. Other than being tired I felt no real discomfort. Was on clear fluids (not able to handle much) for two days.

A friend from Winnipeg came by yesterday to help me out once I was discharged and back into the hotel. We walked back to the hotel from the Alex (not far but its freezing in Edmonton) and I settled into a routine. Am now on Full Fluids. Trying not to go too fast in the attempt to get enough protein (the program dietician estimates my protein requirement at 85 - 102 grams per day, with 9-12 cups of fluids). Yesterday I was only able to consume 57 grams of protein and approximately 7.5 cups of fluids but it was only the first day. Some discomfort from feeling full and heartburn from eating too fast. Today is better as I've slowed down and spread out my consumption - I'm up to 36 grams of protein so far in the first third of my day so I should meet my protein requirement today.

I know I will feel much better once I get all that barium out of my system - I guess i have a long gut they had to use twice as much as I was told to expect. The doctor kept telling the nurses to get me more to swallow.

Thanks to all for their good wishes,

Mike

S glad to hear that everything went well. Don't worry you aren't missing any nice weather here either, it's -35 right now. It took me a few days to start getting into routine and getting my protein in. I think by the end of the first week I was doing well and since then I have only had a couple of days that I havent got my 70-75 grams in.

Sounds like you are doing great! Hope you get back to Winnipeg soon

Karen

I am so happy for you and happy to hear that you are doing well Mike. You are doing frantastic. Congratulations on your next step in this journey!

Congrats mike.im so glad that it finally happened for you .you will do great .canr wait to see your progress.did you take before pictures

sondra

No before and after photos for me. I believe I can already see/feel weight loss. Will do a weigh in here in Edmonton before I leave. That will confirm or deny any weight loss since my pre op weigh in. Am feeling a little tired today as I stayed up yesterday and chatted in the hotel bar. I have to do a follow up INR test here this AM then if I'm up for it, I'll do a little sight seeing. But its been really cold here - warming up today:  minus 18 with the windchill. I hear its been very cold in Winnipeg - you received the same weather Edmonton had.