4 days postop LBL update

Hey everyone..... Thanks so much for your kind words, thoughts and prayers before my surgery. You all are such an inspiration and a great source of support......

Well, I had quite the ordeal. Tuesday my surgery was pretty uneventful. Since the hopsital I had the surgery at no longer has inpatient services I stayed in my own little suite in the surgical unit. It was awesome. Since there was only 1 other overnight patient I had the best of personalized care. My surgery was at 7:30 am, by the time they got started it was about 8:15 and I was in recovery before noon... With having.... are you ready............... drum roll please....... an 11 lb tire removed from my midsection. My ps explained that fat and skin don't weigh a whole lot so to get to 11 lbs it's quite a bit of volume. Needless to say I was up and walking and ready to get home......

Fast forward to Wednesday... I get home around 1 and around 2:30 ish I feel wet on my leg. I look down and one of my front mons drains is oozing right from the drain site and the drain ball is full.. So my DH and I proceed to empty it, by the time I emptied the other 3 (which was just a matter of minutes) the 1st drain was full again.... After emptying it 5 times in less than 30 minutes we called my PS office... They asked me to come right over. Which I did... Long story short, I had a bleeder. I pass out, their working on me, call 911 to take me via ambulance to the other hospital in the area (we have 2 hospitals within less than a mile of each other, so the state consolidated them... long story.... LOL)  that has inpatient services, no stopping in the ER, straight to the OR... My PS was so wonderful, he rode in the ambulance with me and when I was in their office because the office was technically closed as they were having an inservice I had all 3 doc's working on me and all of their office staff. Looking back I am so thankful I could not have been in better hands.

So they reopened me to find that the artery at that point had closed it's self off so they cleaned out all of the remaing blood and clots from my incision. 1 more night in the hospital and I was home Thursday. Friday morning my PS changed my dressings and I have to say everything looks awesome.

Sleeping SUCKS.. I haven't slept for more than 2-3 hours at once. My BFF who happens to be a nurse came over today and washed my hair and gave me an awesome sponge bath so now I feel like a million dollars. But by 7 PM last night I couldn't take the recliner 1 more minute. My tailbone felt like it was going to explode from not being able to change positions. So now I'm trying the bed with a few pillows propping my back and but up a little on the side. This seems to be working for now.

OK everyone, back to bed, I can only stay on the 'puter for a little bit at a time. But I wanted to give everyone the two thumbs up. Painwise I'm in very little pain... A little more sleep though would be awesome.

Hugs,

Wow Lisa, what an ordeal for sure! I am so glad you reacted as quickly as you did. Great to hear you are back at home.

11lbs!! Wow!

Hope you are able to get comfortable soon. That is one the the things I am dreading about my LBL in Sept : /  I will be staying at my parents and I think I am going to be very challenged to find a comfotable spot.

Rest up and feel better!

Bev

I finally gave up and said "sc__w" this... My DH helped me put a wife beater on under my binder... Wow what a world of difference.... And went into bed. Propped a pillow up behind my tailbone so that I was at a slight angle.... Made sure my drains were between my legs (I was afraid of rolling over and pulling on any of them)..... and fell fast asleep.... My dogs didn't even try to wake me up till long after 7 (usually their looking to be fed around 5ish)... and

OMG what a world of difference. Pain wise I'm managing it extremely well right now with the vicodin every 4 hours... I do start to get a little sore when it's wearing off but I'm sure the 2nd trip to the or and a few staples didn't help that...

OK everyone... back to bed for me... Hugs,

Wow Lisa... you are right what an "ordeal". Bless your heart!!!! 

I am so sorry for all you have gone through but WOW do you have the best taking care of you.. what an awesome surgeon and staff.... so glad to hear this.  No matter how good your surgeon is "crap happens" and when it does, it is how they handle it postop that really matters.  Talk about an A TEAM.  YEAH!

I am glad you found relief finally with the wife beaters.. I swear they were the best investement over all else. I sent my mom out to get me some at the hospital as I didn't bring any.. prior to that no sleep nothing.. Put that thing on and I was out like a light.  Amazing what a thing little tank can do for ya!

Hang in there sweetie, get your rest and like BJ said.. don't overdo.  Good to see you posting!!!

Lisa -

Oh my - what an ordeal!  So glad you're home now and making progress.

The first few days are the hardest, but it WILL get better.

Just don't overdo it!

Take care and hopefully you'll get some good sleep soon!

Hugs -

~ BJ

Wow, bet you were scared there for a little while...glad it worked out ok!  I remember how badly I wanted to move off my tailbone too...I swear the imobility was the worst part in the beginning.  My first night in bed I had a carzy dream that the bed was being sucked into the wall by alien forces and I had to get ouot (pain meds lol)!  So in my sleep I JUMPED striaght up and off the bed...OMFG I thought I was going to die...I felt like I had ripped everything and no amount of pain meds could fix it.  It passed but I moved back to my recliner for a few more night hehe.

Glad you are doing well.

Yikes! That had to be scary. I'm glad you were attended to so quickly and everything is ok now. The recliner gets old very fast. I'm in my bed now and propped up too and it's so much better. I hope you continue to progress smoothly. Take it easy.

WOW! What an ordeal.... I'm glad you're better and wish you continued success, comfort, ease, and complete healing.... all the best...

WOW what a scary thing to have happen, but at least you have wonderful competent doctors.  I am glad things are turning around for you and that you are able to sleep.  Keep walking, sleeping, and pushing protein for good healing.

Wow!  You did have quite the ordeal!  How scary!  I'm so glad you were paying attention and able to get to your docs before passing out.  It sounds like you had the best care available.  I hope from here on out it's smooth sailing!
Hope you can get some good sleep soon!