Calling Nurse Marge

Hey everybody, I'm back from the hospital in one piece.  I actually went in for sugery on Tuesday, and home again on Wednesday.....a far cry from my last encounter of 14 days almost 2 years ago!  My surgery lasted over 8 hours.  I guess my docs "tag teamed" it.  The surgeon came out first to tell my family that he took out the gal-bladder and it was loaded with stones.  He also found more that one huge hernia..more like 10 all along the insicion line.  The plastics doc finished everything up.  All I know is I was soooo relieved to be waking up in a regular recovery room instead of intensive care.  I woke up in a binder and 3 drains.  I think that I am finally getting the hang of caring for the jp drains and recording the levels etc.  My question is.....How in the world can a girl keep any type of bandage on this upside-down "T" cut??? Nurse Marge, any suggestions??? any special brand of tape? I'm going through the stuff like crazy ya know.  I really tired and the pain meds aren't helping me stay alert for sure.  Take care everybody! Hugs, Ginger

Wow, 8 hours!  Congratulations on your surgery, you are going to look fantastic!

Ginger, I am so glad you are home and doing better.  I can't help you with the upside down T.  My brother in law changed my dressing the first 4 days when I was home with my first panni.  I hated the drains as I had one that would fill up so fast if I didn't check it every few hours it used to leak.  What a mess.  That only last a few days and then the drains slowed down.  I had mine out in 2 weeks.   You are going to feel so much better not carrying around the extra skin.  I can't wait to have mine done again in January.  Glad they got the gall bladder before you had any attacks. Did you have hernia's before.  Did the surgeon ever mention that you had hernias during your post-op visits?  I am curious as I also will have a repair done. Again I am glad you pulled through so well.  Now the main thing is to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe.  Enjoy your new body. Jeanne

Hi Jeanne, Thanks for your reply!  Yes, I have reoccurring hernia's they like me so much they keep coming back to torment me.  My doc told me that women have gall bladder attatchs in different ways and locations than the adverage man.  What I mean is, I never had a gall bladder attack persay...yet I had such painful backaches that Arthritis Strength formual Tylenol was my constant companion.  Having the gal bladder gone, along with the hanging panni (apron) should really help my poor back.  I am looking forward to feeling more like a regular person.  Walking upright..instead of hunching when I walk as the pain is really bad..I'm learning to live with it and I realize this isn't forever.  I'd love to see what size of pants I am in now....but with the binder bulk and my general dizziness, that will have to wait.  I got a box of smaller sizes that I got over the past few months from Goodwill.  Hopefully they will serve me well when I hed on back to work. Hugs, Ginger

Hi Julie, Yep, I was kinda freaked-out when they told me that I would be going home Wed. morning!  I basically just stayed the night and was sent home at 10:30 am.  I even asked if they realized that I still had a catheter in me?  I only could walk half -way around the nurse's station with my hubby guiding me , when the nurse came in with my discharge papers.  I would love to sit down  with a good book...but these meds make me pretty drozey and I just can't focus too long on anything.  Thanks for all your support! Hugs, Ginger

HEY GINGER,          DANG GIRL.... EIGHT HOURS? THEY MUST HAVE PUT A NEW MOTOR IN YA BESIDES THE OVERHAUL LOL..... I AM SO GLAD YOU ARE DOING WELL.... DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE WAKING UP IN THE RECOVERY PART HUH? AND NOW ON TO THIS NURSE BUSINESS... BELIEVE ME, I WOULDNT MAKE A PENNY DOING MY NURSING ABILITIES.. I LOOKED LIKE I WAS GOING TRICK OR TREATING LIKE A MUMMY TRYING TO PUT THE TAPE AND GAUSE CRAP ON ME LOL... OTHER WORDS DONT NEED TO QUIT MY DAY JOB LOL..... I WENT THRU ALOT OF TAPE AND GAUSE ALSO... I USED IT FOR ABOUT FOUR DAYS AND THEN LET IT GO WITHOUT... IT WASNT RUNNY OR ANYTHING ANYWAY. I TOOK OFF THE STERI STRIPS TO THAT THE DR PUT ON. BUT...... WHEN I WORE MY BINDER FOR SURE BACK THEN THE SKIN ON BINDER DEAL WAS A NO GO. SO I TOOK A WHITE COTTON TSHIRT OF LEONS AND WORE IT AND THEN BINDER OVER IT... IT WAS AMAZING... THE BINDER DIDNT DIG INTO THE INSICION AT ALL AND FELT SORTA GOOD...  BLESS YOUR HEART WITH THE THREE DRAINS... UGH... I HAVE TO SAY THAT WAS THE WORSE PART OF MY ORDEAL UP TILL HAD INFECTION.... THE DRAINS ON TOP OF THE ROO ROO AREA WAS TERRIBLE.... AND SO SO UNCOMFORTABLE...BUT JUST GET REST AND BE ALL LALA AS LONG AS IT TAKES... I HAD THE ON Q PUMP AND DIDNT NEVER CRACK OPEN MY VICADIN BUT MIGHT AFTER NEXT WEEK.LOL SO REST UP AND WATCH SOME OF THEM "WHOS THE BABIES DADDY SHOWS AND YOULL FEEL BETTER IN NO TIME LOL.....

HUGS MARGE

'Nurse" Marge, Oh my!  How many drains did you have?  My hubby was "trying" to help with the bandaging the other day.  I was sooooo tired and frustrated with EVERYTHING!! I did break down with laughter when I looked in the full-length mirror, and with my binder and my 3 hand-granaides with tubes all attached, I looked like a "unu-bomber "or something.  Humor gets me through these tough times for sure..also realizing that this isn't a forever thing..and that I should just grow up and quit being such a baby LOL.  The t-shirt idea sounds great..are all the drains out yet?  I have a doc appt tommorrow afternoon.  I'm  hoping that they will pull drain 1or drain 3...but drain 2 is still pumping!  Oh, and what about the awful smell???? Oh, and they didn'y give me that wonderful q-pump.  Had it in the hospital...but they took it away.  Oh well, I'll put on the agenda for tomorrow, soaps, Jerry, Oprah, court TV battles, and now I'll add "Whose the baby's daddy shows" to the list that's all there is anyways right??? Hugs, Ginger

HEY GINGER,        I HAD TWO DRAINS AND THEY WERE PUMPING PRETTY GOOD FOR A WHILE.. I HAD THE FIRST ONE TAKEN OUT AT THE SECOND WEEK BUT ONE JUST DIDNT WANT TO LEAVE ME LOL.. I HAD THAT SUCKER FOR THREE WEEKS. I WOULD GO PLACES LIKE WALMART TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND IT LOOKED LIKE I WAS SHOPLIFTING LOL... I FINALLY TOOK THE LAST DRAIN AND TUCKED IT IN THE BINDER AT THE TOP... IT STILL WILL DRAIN NO MATTER WHERE YOU STICK IT LOL..I WORE LOSE STRAIGHT DRESSES WITH THEM. I HAVE YET TO WEAR JEANS... HAVE THEM NOW BUT JUST WAITING TILL COOLER WEATHER. I MYSELF LOVE COOKING SHOWS AND COULD WATCH THEM 24/7 BUT HAVE TO SAY AFTER SURGERY THEY LOST THERE APPEAL SO STARTED WATCHING ALL THE KILLER SHOWS LIKE SNAPPED, WHERE THE WIVES, AND GIRLFRIENDS AND LOVERS KILL THE MEN AND SOMETIMES GET AWAY WITH IT. LOL HAD LEON WONDERING THERE FOR A WHILE AND RUNNING TO CHECK  THE INSURANCE POLICY LOL... JUST BORDOM HONEY I WOULD TELL HIM LOL.. HUGS MARGE

Wow you are sooo brave.  Good luck on a smooth recovery. Loris