Kathy S WLS Journey - How Did My Surgery Go? Don't Ask, Read At Your Own Risk

How Did My Surgery Go? Don't Ask, Read At Your Own Risk

September 2, 2004

I have waited 5 weeks to update my profile in hopes that things would calm down and I didn't want to be so negative. I am going to write this as it happened dated accordingly.

Well, talk about things not going as planned. I researched for two years to find the best Lap surgeon as I didn't want to go open due to all the complications that come with that procedure. Guess what?

I got to the hospital around 7:30 am. Signed in and my husband and I were led to the waiting area. They gave me a gown and said the nurse would be in for vitals. I got undressed shaking like a leaf and the nurse came in and took my blood pressure, it was so high she didn't want to start an IV. I thought here we go, they are going to send me home. They paged the Anesthesiologist and we waited in the room for what seemed to be a long time. I had to go to the bathroom so many times I thought they would leave without me. Finally the Anesthesiologist arrived and she asked me if I had surgery before. I told her yes and without complications. She asked if I had put on weight since then and I said yes wondering what was the big deal. She stated that the big deal was she would not be able to put the tube down my throat before I was out due to the narrow opening from weight gain. I couldn't believe this, they were going to do all this while I was awake. I was freaking out... My surgeon came in Dr. Nagle and he asked if I wanted to cancel the surgery and I said no, I knew I would not come back. So they sprayed stuff down my throat to numb it, they gave me some stuff on a wooden stick and asked I hold it against the roof of my mouth. I kissed my husband good bye and down the hallway we went.

I have to tell you know I didn't have a good feeling about this, I don't know if it was the way everything was going or what, but just had a bad feeling.

We got to the surgery room and everything was bright and cold. They asked I move to another table and I joked how little it was. I no sooner slid onto the table and I DON'T REMEMBER A THING! Now I don't know to be mad or thankful at this point as they told me I would be awake for a lot of the pre-stuff, but someone found a soft hammer and out went my lights. Now why did they have to scare me like that???? THANK YOU!

I woke up in ICU with a breathing tube down my throat. I was so scared and then found out they had my hands tied down. I started to panic and the nurse came over and admonished me and told me to not move and relax. I wanted to know why was I there and what had happened. I tried to motion for a pad of paper but she was no****ching. I layed there and cried I was so scared, what ever had happened it was not good and certainly not what was the game plan. The nurse stared to wash me and everytime she turned me the tube was shoved further down my throat and my tummy area hurt like crazy. I tried desperately to grab the tube to hold it in place and she would fuss at me everytime. I finally started to bite down on it and that helped. This is a teaching hospital and all of the sudden a group of surgeons came in and all she used to cover me was a bed pad. Now let's see, a big fat women, covered by bed pad, yea right. Here I was laying in ICU with a breathing tube down my throat half naked and still didn't know what the hell happened. I did hear one doctor say we need to take her off of this if she is awake, no one should be awake and on a breathing tube.

Finally the head of the surgery team came in and explained it was the next day. I had lost an entire day. They had started the procedure around 8:05 am and told my husband at 11:00 they should be done in 1 more hour and I would be in my room soon. It soon got to be 1:00, 2:00 and no one knew what was going on. My husband told me later he feared I had died and they had not told him. The surgeon said they had completed the procedure LAP and was doing the leak test and there was a leak, they doctor stapled the leak and then they did the leak test again and there was another leak test, then another and another. Knowing I DID NOT WANT OPEN, my surgeon continued on until 4:00 pm that afternoon trying to get the leaks to stop. The other two surgeries after me were cancelled, (boy do I feel bad about that). Finally he made the decision he had to open me, and he did. YUP, my worst fear, he cut me from between my breast (due to him trying a higher staple line) almost to my belly button. Try wanting to cry, and cry and cry with a tube down your throat. Soon after Dr. Nagle came in and said the same thing, he kept saying how sorry he was over and over again and I almost felt bad for him, as I know he did what he had to do, but at that time I didn't want to hear it.

They finally came and pulled the tube out of my throat. They put a little needle down the tube to pop the ballon that holds the tube in place behind your vocal cords, then they say cough and they pull it out. Oh boy what fun, but I was sooooooo glad to get that thing out of me. At first you can't talk, but after awhile you can. My husband showed up and swears I was awake in ICU the day before and he told me what had happened. I don't know remember anything before waking up in the ICU the next day.

They took me to my hospital room and let me sip on some water. They checked my vitals and all. My husband went over everything again on what happened and I just looked at my stomach. I really think I was in shock. I was in pain and glad I didn't have to get up to go to the bathroom. It was now Weds and they sent me down to get a scan of my legs for blood clots, I now sooner got to the room and they took me down for the leak test. Everything was ok. As I was getting back to my room they were taking my drugs away as they said I was not using them very much anyway. Well I think the combination of all the testing and taking the drugs I had a really BAD day. The pain was terrible. Thank goodness my angel called Cindy and she said GET SOME DRUGS! I did and they came in and gave me a shot. I don't remember what it was but I felt a little better. It really was a bad day pain wise and I was afraid they wouldn't let me go home.

Dr. Nagle came in ealy Thursday and said everything looked ok and I could go home. So here I was expecting a procedure taking a few hours, walking the halls that afternoon, going home the next day and no complications. NOT!!

He wanted to see me in a week Sept 8. I was so excited to go home. We got my stuff together and walking was painfull. I had this cough that really hurt my tummy, I tried holding a pillow going home but as you all know I felt every bump. There's no place like home!!!!! The stairs almost killed me but I made it and fell into bed. I think my husband helped me into my gown and I really don't remember anything after that.

For the next week I ate very little if anything and slept. If I got up to go to the bathroom I was so tired I almost didn't make it back to bed. My husband had to help with showering. We had this little fridge in our closet upstairs and it was a godsend for cold water and such. I did ok with my drinking but that was it. The discomfort from the open incision was great, and I took those pain pills!!! Can't wait until the 8th to see the doctor and get the staples out and the JP tubes.

There is something postive to come of this. My blood pressure has been 110/60 and my blood check for diabetes has been between 90-110. I have not take a pill since I left the hospital. I will take good news where I can get it.....

Updated thoughts - Reading this provoked so many emotions. I am thankful all worked out but at the time man oh man! It was so worth it! Please read these words, it was so worth it and I would go through it again in a heart beat. This surgery and weight loss saved my life. My biggest regret was not pushing harder for my husband to have had the surgery. There is no doubt in my mind and heart he would be here with me today if he had.

You went through so very much, Kathy. Big hugs to you. So glad it all worked out in the end, but man, what a thing to go through.

Just wait....until we get to the infection part

hmmmm....ok, I should not have read that...! lol!

I am SO GLAD you are here to be with us all today Sweet Lady...

...thanks for sharing.. I guess? lol!

Read it as no matter how bad it sounds and was, it saved my life, it was worth it and I would do it again in a heart beat. Now unless I have mental issues where I like to suffer (I hope not) then I would not feel that way so it must be true. Don't read things like this Terri so close to your surgery.

I made the mistake of checking out the memorial board 2 nights before my surgery and it freaked me out Only me would do that

You are going to be OK!

I am very familiar with the Memorial Board..as you know.

I will not be visiting it any time soon, as always, it hurts too much.

....and I know I will be ok...I just know it.

Expect the best but be prepared for the worst. Complications can happen - but they are seldom.

You will be fine. you will be hurting.. but you will be fine. you may get angry at yourself after - but you will be fine.

Thank you so much!! Great words....I will keep saying "you will be fine Terri"