I'm Home...finally! (this is long...sorry!)

hello NC!  what a journey I have had already.  First thing first though...... Thank God above for letting me be able to have this surgery and I have come through it.  I give him so much praise for allowing me to be so strong.  My mother's spirit was/is with me no doubt about it....  ( I will have to explain this if you want to know...) wow...what an experience.  I was at NE Medical Center Wed morning by 5:15am and  pre-op was getting everything ready.  Dr. Roc was running late so they couldn't put me to sleep yet.  I completely remember entering the OR and the surgical nurses saying to me  "well we are waiting on Dr. B get here, so we aren't putting you under until he gets to the building"....  ok...  that freaked me out.  It was just after 7am.  I remember looking at the clock asking if I could sit up a little bit because my back hurt and they sat me up pretty much like I was in a chair.  The nurses were opening all surgical instruments and they said that I was very fortunate to be able to see the actual surgical instruments that would be used.  YA'LL...  those things were soooo long and I didn't realize how intimidated it would make me feel.  I saw the long wands they used to staple off the smalller stomach, I saw the many many different sizes of sicissors,  I saw the gauzes and then they showed me  the camera!!!  woo hooo.  I was thinking to myself....  should I really be seeing this?  But How Cool.   The phone rang and it was Dr. Roc and he had arrived.  I glanced at the clock as they laid me down and it was 7:33am.  I of course knew nothing again until I was in recovery.  Someone was waking me up saying that it was 11am and my family wanted to come see me.  WOW...that was a trip!  time just disappeared.  However... (sorry Dena) ....  Time stood still from that point on.  They had no beds available for me to move to.  Time just creeped along.  I was in and out of sleep for a few more hours.  I woke up around 3pm and was wide awake.  still in recovery...still no beds.  ????  not happy   Well,unfortunately it did get worse.  I got to a room around 7:40pm...but it wasn't "my room". So I would be moving again within the hour.  I was just wanting to get settled.  My hubbin was fit to be tied and was furious about this.  But, what can you do...not a thing.  I sent him home because it was just really too much for him to grasp and he was making me stressed.  I was stressed enough.   I started walking and within about 30 mins I was moving to my next room.  Huge room, georgous!  So... I was finally in a room, my room, and wanting to get on with this recovery stuff and get home.   Thursday was absolutely a dream day.  I had no problems and was absolutely amazed that the only pain I had was my back.  no pain from the surgery or around the incisions, but my back was killing me.  We determined that it was because I was in recovery so long the night before and had to sit on one of those stretchers the entire day.  All I know is that I was praying for a massage.  the wonderful night nurse I had did just that.  She massaged my lower bac****il it relaxed enough to get in bed and sleep.  I was thankful for her.  She didn't have to do that...but it was so great.   Friday morning I woke up ready to go home.!!  oh yeah...I have this stuff licked.  Nothing is hurting me and I was raring to go.  Until.....    I took my morning pills for the day and one of them "got stuck".  OH MY GOSH!!!  I didn't know what I was going to do.  I was in so much pain.  I couldn't drink any water at all without getting sick.  Nothing was moving it.  I walked, walked, walked.  I was making myself burp, I was up and using the restroom....I had the white foamies, the slick watery mouth......nothing was moving it.  I was horrified.  I asked to see Dena.  My Angel.  My wonderful OH buddie!!  I just needed to know what it could have been.  She said that my body was just reacting to something being in the wrong place and that it should pass within an hour.  that unfortunately didn't happen either.  When Dr. Roc came in, he saw my distress and was of course concerned.  I wanted to go home, but he said no way!!!  Looking back of course that was the better choice.  But I was sooooooo disappointed that I couldn't come home.  BUT.... how in world was I gonna live through this "stuck" episode!?!?!  I started thinking...why did I do this?  What was I thinking?  Did I just have WLS?  on and on.  I was scared!!!  Dr. Roc saw all of that I'm sure as he sat there looking at me try to talk through the pain.  He ordered some kind of prescription to relax my esophogus and.....  within 3 mins of the shot being put into my IV, I was 100% completely fine.  completely ok.  I wanted to go home~~!!  Of course I couldn't...  I was so upset with myself, because I am sure that I took a  larger than sip of water with my morning pills and it just created an air bubble and the pill just got stuck.  boy....do I know how to sip sip sip now!!!   Friday night was fine.  I was up walking laps and got some great sleep with the help of benadryl.  I just needed some rest after my horrible day.  I slep really well.  HOWEVER...  waking up to starting my monthly period around 3am, was just another hump to deal with.  How bizarre~!!! I wasn't due for another 13 days.  My body was just in overload  I'm sure and wham...  Let's prove to the world we can be a woman AND go through WLS at the same time.  LOL.  I am woman hear me roar.  .   Saturday i was released around 1pm.  got home...  took a shower...  and did finally feel like I was ready to do just about anything.  stopped one time on the way home per Dr. Roc instruction to walk around the car several times.  Those lovely white ted stockings on and everything....I was walking around and around my vehicle.  Looking rather strange I'm sure.   I feel great today.  I had an uninterrupted nights sleep of 7 hours.  I have started walking already this morning, and I am getting ready to start again with more protein.   Thanks so much for thinking of me and your support during this time in my life.  If it wasn't for all of you here on the forum, I would I'm sure be a mess.  My hubbin is getting better with his support of the WLS....but I know he still has doubts and concerns about how it will all work out.  It is great to finally see him take an interest in what I should and shouldn't be doing.  He will come along.  thanks NC again...  you all are the best!!   ohhhhh...and I already have received my first Christmas Card!!  talk about feeling special when I got home to see my mail.  this is just going to be a great time of the year for me.  I'm so Blessed to be here now on the loosers side. love to you all! Connie

I'm glad to see you got through it and got home!  I looked for you yesterday when I had an un-busy moment, but you had been discharged already.  We went from one extreme to the other in the last couple of days ... from having a totally full unit and no beds available to discharging over half of the patients we had yesterday.  What a whirlwind!   I'm so happy that it sounds like your transition to home has been a great one.  Are you able to get comfortable in your bed, or are you sleeping in a recliner?  This is one question that a lot of people ask me.  I was able to use pillows and get comfortable in my own bed, but am curious what other people experience when they get home.

Don't forget about support group, the first Tuesday night of each month.  It's at the hospital.  Park in the visitor's parking deck, enter through the front of the Medical Arts building.  Go towards the cafeteria and either take the stairs down to the basement or the elevator beside the stairs.  There are classrooms to the right/behind the Hamrick Theatre, and that is where we have meetings.  It's from 6-7 p.m.  This week, Diane Stout (nutritionist from Dr. Bauman's office) is going to do a "cooking" class.  She said she was either going to cook there or bring items she has cooked that are WLS-friendly.  Bring Bill with you, as a lot of us bring our husbands and they need & enjoy the support as much as we do!  Not to mention there are male patients there, as well, and they bring their wives! I enjoyed meeting you and hope to see you again soon! 

Hello Dena  (the best angel!)

I thank you again for being my angel and touching base with my hubbin and keeping him relaxed on Wednesday.  He said that meant alot to him that you actually went out of your way to find him.  So, Thank you for making his day smoother.

About getting comfy.....  I tried the bed.  Just can't get comfy there to fall asleep.  But I think it might be because I have animals that sleep with me and hubbin.  I was just scared that they would jump on my stomach during the night.  You know how cats are... they stalk and then they "make bisquits" to get their spot to rest just right.  So,  I did attempt the bed.  But decided the recliner was much more my speed right now.   It was awesome to meet you and have you assure me that my "foamies" were normal.  OMYGOSH...I was a hurting girl when you saw me on Friday.  I'm glad he didn't send me home feeling bad.  I'm glad I stayed.   I am not sure about this wls support group meeting coming up.  I will have to wait and see if someone can bring me.

Hey Connie, I'm glad to hear everything is going well for you after your bad expierence and having to stay an extra night.  Isn't it nice to be home in your own sourroundings?  Keep in touch!

Welcome home, Connie and congratulations on having a successful surgery!  I would have been absolutely fascinated to get to see what you saw in the OR!  I have no recollection of having left the pre-op room!  LOL I am so surprised that you are allowed to take pills so soon after surgery.  I certainly wasn't.  If it didn't come in liquid or IV form, I didn't get it!  You may want to crush pills and mix with liquid for a while... Keep us posted and thanks again for touching bases.  Get some rest, walk, and sip!

Connie, welcome home.....I hope you heal fast and learn quickly what it takes to get along with your new pouch. Thanks for telling of your experience, maybe I want be shocked if it happens to me. Good luck with the healing and God Bless. Myrtis

Hi Connie, Welcome to the loosers bench we are happy you are here. I know when I got home any pills I took my DH had to crush them for me. Yes they taste horrible but it is all part of wls. Take small sips and go slow do not try to force yourself to take in large amounts.This has been a hard lesson for me to learn but it is easier now. We are so used to eatting and drinking a certain way but they is different now. Things getting stuck is horrible nothing fun about it. Also dumping will make you make changes too. In fact I dumped his morning after thinking I could use regular flavored creamer with 5grams of sugar in my coffee. Wrong NEVER AGAIN I will stick to the sugar free flavored creamer. Take care of yourself and I bet you will be joining me in Tooterville in no time.                                                        Annie

Connie,   Am so glad to hear you're home and doing well....your spirit sounds wonderful!!  I don't think I could have handled seeing all the instruments....yikes!  When I go for a fill I can't even look at the needle.  I was allowed to take pills also, wierd.......he wasn't even concerned what size they were.....but then again, I had every ounce of faith in him and evidently he knew best!  Make sure your throat is good and wet before you take them in the future.  Hope you have a wonderful week!  sip sip sip! Nancy

Connie welcome home!!!!! I am the BIGGEST *lets look around the OR person LOLOLOL* Ive had a ton of surgery and everytime I go in I make sure I look and see whats laid out because Im soo nosey Im glad you are home safe and sound and I know it feels sooo much better to be in your own bed glad you posted and welcome to the losers bench!!

Darcie

Welcome home!  You are doing so well!  Thanks for sharing your journey with us.