I'm Home!

Hi all, I got home from the hosp. sat afternoon. I was not up to getting on line until now. I hurt a lot after surgery!! I said to my self--what did I do??? The nursing staff at Good Sam--most of them sucked! People woud ring for them and they often take 10 min. to answer! They rarely came in to see if I was ok. I was in my room I guess at 10:30pm and they came in to get me up at 1:30 am. It hurt a lot! Even on my pain med. that I was getting through my IV. I could not even make it to the door because I was dizzy. They walked me back to a chair.---a very low chair!! They kind of help me sit--as I went down I screamed. It seemed as if they were hardly supporting me going down. They helped me back up and back to bed. At about 4:30am the cna came in to get me up. I pressed my pain med. button. Got out of bed but could only get to the door. When at the door I could see another lady walking down the hall all by herself. The cna said she was the patient that was operated on just before you. I was dizzy and so she walked me back to my bed. As I was getting into bed she said there was a lady that had the surgery at 8OOam that same day and has already went home. I already felt bad and frustrated that I could not make it any further--so this lady did not help a bit! They got me up at about 7:30 and I made it out down the hall to the nurses station! Shorly after I got back I had breakfast. Things improved slowly as the hours churned on. I called my ex-husband and asked if he would come in because I felt I was all alone, and that if I needed to get up to go to the bathroom I wanted someone there when I needed that. He drove the hour there. I told him my concerns and so he went right out and got the RN on duty. She answered all the questions. When I asked her if there had be a patient that had went home already. She said she did not know. Then I told her the cna said so. The RN said that the person may have went home already because their insur. was not paying for their procedure, and that the other person who was in the hall could have had the lap band and so was up and around faster. The next time I saw the cna she made a commit that different people heal differently. So I can say I am so glad to be home!!! I have a sleep number bed that sits up--It is some much nicer than that hosp. bed. I am getting around nicely I think. Every time I get up to go to the bathroom I take a "walk". I walk about 300 steps now. Is that good. Should I be walking more? My stomach feels like a very large tight basketball. I put on a button-up shirt that I could button up all the way before surgery. I could not button the buttons around my stomach. Also I have not had a bowel movement yet. My last one was the day before surgery and not much to boot. (sorry for being so graphic) Should I call Dr. Hong about this? By the way Dr. Hong is way cool!!! Thanks for "listening" to my woes I have to say I do feel better today about my decission. 5 days post op and counting

Welcome to the other side! Each day is a little more progress. My "walks" pretty much were limited to going around the house or out on the patio to sit, with a journey up the stair maybe twice a day (with lots of breathing like in childbirth...it helps!). Those first few times getting up can be pretty tough. I was a veteran to abdominal surgery by the time I had my RNY, but when I had my first C-section I can still remember the shock! When I even tried to roll to the side, let alone STAND I though I was gonna die!! Gravity can be cruel, especially when we have the extra weight pulling down. Just when you think it is never going to feel normal again, you will realize you just laid down in bed and didn't do a major pep talk in your head to do it . I took my pain medicine for all of that first week. My surgeons have always advised that you will get better faster if you manage your pain. In other words...it's O.K. to use your pain meds while recovering. Your bowels should be waking up soon. Dr. Hong warned me that the first few would be very loose. They were, but it didn't feel uncomfortable. I know at first I was worried "what if the new plumbing doesn't work!". Dr. Hong knows what he's doing and you will feel normal again. Congratulations on being home! Patty

P.S. It's normal that your shirt might be too tight right now. I gained 23 pounds in the two days I was in the hospital. You are swollen and pumped full of fluids. Pretty soon that shirt will be too big! Patty

Patty, You have been such an insperation to me! I have read the boards and all of your advise has been so sound. Thank you for staying in touch with the boards like you do. I have another question. I am swollen over my larger incission. I have no ozzing on any of my incissions. (I got to take the bandages off today---they look really good) Also can I use soap and water on them when I take my shower in the afternoon? I wait until my daughter is home---just for safety reasons. Thanks for your help and any one else that reads this. Feel free to let me know what you think. Odetta I'll be doing this soon!!!

I love hearing from new post ops. I am so happy to have had my surgery that I get really inspired that new people are beginning the process. My larger incision was swollen. I was really surprised that the five small incisions were scabbed over and closed by the end of the first week. The other one though, did start weeping fluid and was swollen. I forget the name of the most common thing that can happen to one of those incisions but I remember a couple of calls to the nurse asking "do you think I have...". It ended up it was all fairly expected. Dr. Hong had put a real high tech clear band that is absolutely water proof and stays on for days on the large incision. I found them at Rite Aid. I ended up cutting a square of gauze (the kind that they advertise won't stick to wounds) and putting in the center with the "super" band aid over it. It was weeping quite a bit and needed the extra absorption. Those band aids are spendy, but I was glad to have them. I seem to remember that taking quite a while to stop (like two weeks). The shower with soap and water is fine on any ones that have closed. Patty

Thanks again Patty, Do you go to the Good Sam wls group? If you do, can you tell me the next time they meet? Thank you for all your help!! Odetta

I'm home too. I had my lap band at Good Sam on Wednesday, 11/8/06. I didn't have any problems with staff at Good Sam. I got a lot of attention except for the major delay in going into surgery, also a problem with keeping an IV in so now I have major brusing on my arms. I was not prepared for how much pain I am having. It is Saturday and I keep thinking it should be gone by now but I'm still hitting the pain meds. I keep wondering if this is normal? I have not been able to sleep more than a couple of hours at a time because of the pain and have been up pacing a lot trying to get past it. I am wondering why I thought this was a good idea? I was very swollen from the surgery and just today I am back down to my original pre-surg weight. I did have a severe hiatal hernia that was repaired at the same time so I wonder if that is part of the continued pain. Anyone have a good guess on when the intense pain goes away? I am not able to get much down in the way of fluids as I am fearful of more pain or vomiting. I have had 12 oz of liquid today but that is an increase over yesterday and the day before. I don't want to keep being whiney but I sure don't feel good. Maybe another couple days and it will be better.

Hi, sorry to hear about your "woes" I had my surgery Nov 7 2006 at Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay Oregon and got just the opposite care that you got. The CNA, RN and the whole short stay staff were wonderful! I have no balance in my left ear due to a tumor being removed 10 years ago, so they put a yellow band on my arm that stated not to be left until I got my balance, they had me out of bed and walking six hours after surgery (I had Lap. RNY, with just 6 slit in my tummy) I have very little pain, in fact sometimes I think the surgeon did'nt do anything except the 6 slits. I am now home and walk one to three miles a day. I feel wonderful, my stomach is not bloated, so yes you should call your doctor, I have had one bowel movement, they told me that I would not have as many as I did before surgery. My tummy is just sore where the slits are. I did not get dizzy, just thought I was going to though up a few times, I pray that you will feel better and we can just fly though our journey together. As far as my hospital and the staff went "could not have asked for a better place to be" except for home. I will pray that you keep inproving. Chrisy