Home from Hospital - Yet Again....

Hi Everyone,

  Sorry I've been MIA.  I had emergency surgery last Wednesday and they finally let me come home this afternoon.  2 major surgeries within 2 weeks has really taken a toll on me, and unfortunately I won't be doing much for a couple more weeks.  I came home with a stomach tube that I have to drain a few times a day and which has to stay in for a couple more weeks, unless my surgeon changes his mind, which I'm hoping for.

  Luckily they decided to take out the JP Drainage Tube and the Direct Line that was in my Juggler vein before I left the hospital, although I'm a bit nervous about the openings.  They are bandaged, but I was told to absolutely not let any air get to the openings for at least 3 days, especially to the juggler vein opening. On top of seeing too many movies where people bleed out when their juggler vein is cut, the dr's orders just makes me more nervous.  I'm sure it's just being over cautious, but I'm not taking any chances.  I definitely don't need any more hospital vacations!

  Basically what happened was that one of the staples that was put in to divide my old stomach from my new stomach for the gastric bypass I had, caused a "dimple" in it, which basically means the staple didn't go into the stomach smoothly.  The dimple ended up actually being an opening that was behind what they could see and didn't show up immediately with the swallow test because of the swelling the newly attached connections had. The opening was from my new stomach into the old stomach, which caused the old stomach to enlarge to the point of being ready to burst and putting me in extreme pain. With all my new connections still swollen from the original surgery, the pressure & pain became unbearable, which luckily caused me to call my surgeon at 3:00am and got me to the hospital before my stomach actually did rupture. Thank the Good Lord, he was watching over me and thankfully my surgeon had also given me his cell phone number in case I had any questions.

  The second surgery took 4 hours plus a couple hours in recovery.  Wednesday is pretty much a blur to me, and so is alot of Thursday.  All I know is that I don't think I can take another surgery for a really long time from now if ever. I'm not sure my hubby could handle it either.  

  I have been truly blessed with the best husband a girl could ever have. I was prepared for the first surgery and stronger in dealing with the pain, but I wasn't prepared for the second surgery and was basically an emotional mess. Of course having alot of pain can do that too. William's patience and loving words kept me going. He missed alot of work without blinking an eye, which I know was hard for him because he takes pride in being a hard worker and not missing time. So even though we will feel the financial pinch for awhile, I know God has been looking out for me by blessing me with getting to the hospital on time, having a great surgeon, and having a terrific family and an extremely wonderful husband. 

  Now to move on...still on liquids for awhile, then I can move on to pureed foods. I'll see my surgeon next week to make sure things are going like they should be. 

   Sunday, we will be taking another trip to Presque Isle, unless we can figure out a way to stay overnight on Saturday. It's a 5 hour drive each way, which will mean alot of stopping for me to move around on the way.  Our youngest son, Chase will be starting college and we will be helping him move into his dorm on Sunday and then he'll start school on Monday.  It'll be definitely different without him home or nearby, but I know this is how life goes.  His fiancee, Jessica, will still be staying with us while he's at school, plus Chance & Ashley will still be here, so the nest won't be empty by any means. I just have to gear myself up for the long trip and for missing Chase.  Lots of emotional stuff going on this month. *sigh       Okay, guess that's the update on how my world is turning. I'd appreciate your prayers for my recovery and for my family in general. I know that God will hear your prayers and may He bless you for them. 

   I haven't had a chance to catch up on posts yet, but I hope all is well for everyone.  TTYS

Blessings, Yvonne

   

WOW!! You have been through a lot! I'm glad everything is working out for you. I will say a prayer for you but know that you are truely blessed! Take care!!!

yuonne, sorry to hear you have had so much trouble. Glad to hear you are on the road to recovery. They told us it was going to be a journey and I guess they were right. I am still glad I had the surgery and I know you will be too once you heal. I agree with u I m not having another surgery for a long time. My son is 19 and now is in New York working. He is my only son and miss him alot but I know he is better off working out of state then here in maine for now. He has to learn lifes lessons just like we did and see there is more to life then just hanging around. He is a great kid he is in the Air National Guards also so heis quite busy which i like dont have any time to get into trouble. Now my hubby and I can reconnect..... Im sorry i havent got back to you soon but I have been really sick with the flu and just started getting around again. I am starting back to the beginning again but I will get it. I start driving school bus the 29 so got to get better. Hope your doing well  Barb

Hi Barb,    I'm so sorry to hear that you've had the flu.  How are you dealing with it?   I'll be keeping you in my prayers.  I hope you'll be feeling better soon.  Especially by the 29th!  Take Care! Blessings, Yvonne

Hi Barb,   I'm sorry to hear that you have had the flu.  How are you feeling now?  I hope your feeling much better.  How are you dealing with it?  I'll keep you in my prayers and hope that you'll be better by the 29th.  Take Care. Blessings, Yvonne

Yvonne, Sorry to hear of your second surgery !!! I will pray for a fast and good recovery for you. Atleast they found the problem !!! Take care of yourself and let your self have time to heal.

Glad to hear that you are home from the hospital! I don't blame you for not wanting to have another surgery again for a long time! I don't either! Just rest and relax, I know easier said then done... But you will start to feel better with time! Take Care!

Tarka

Oh Yvonne, I am so sorry you had to go through that. I have been wondering how you were doing, not the results I had hoprd to hear though. I am glad he was able to go in and fix it though, and I am so glad you will be feeling better soon.
Take it slow and recover before you push too hard. Be careful with the moving into college...jus****ch...don't lift.
Sheli

Thank you everyone for your wonderful words of encouragement, your prayers and your support.  I appreciate you so much!   Today has been painful but at least I am moving forward, even if it is a little step at a time.  I'm sure I'll be fine once I get through this recovery period.  I'm still struggling to drink any of the protein shakes and protica. My gag reflex is still too strong.   My surgeon told me that I can start trying very small amounts of protein foods listed in the next phase of our post-op diet by the end of the week since he didn't have to touch the anastomosis part of my stomach this last time and it's had since the 3rd to heal.  I've now been 5 weeks without food and 3 of them with very very little protein intake, so I know my body is in desperate need of it.  Pureed foods are at least a step in the right direction.   As for helping our son move into his dorm this weekend, I'm just supervising, definitely not lifting anything!  I know I'm gonna be wishing I could clean the place though, but we'll just have to leave the cleaning supplies behind and hope it gets done?! LOL   Thanks again for all your support!  Your all Angels in my book!  Blessings, Yvonne