what's happening with Teacher Lady????

She (Teacher Lady, aka Lisa B.) had real rough time after PS as I recall. _in and out of hospital with infections I think. Been checking around for posts by her. Seems 2 be nothing new. She came across as a very nice and warm person. Hope she is okay.
Anyone know how she is doing?

On December 27, 2010 at 10:02 AM Pacific Time, leechetta wrote:She (Teacher Lady, aka Lisa B.) had real rough time after PS as I recall.  _in and out of hospital with infections I think.  Been checking around for posts by her.  Seems 2 be nothing new.   She came across as a very nice and  warm person.  Hope she is okay. 
Anyone know how she is doing?

You are very sweet to think of me.

 It's been rough.  I was hospitalized three times (first for pulmonary embolism/DVT, second was for massive hematoma/very low blood pressure, and third was cellulitis.)  Right after getting out of the hospital for the cellulitis, an infection got my incision in two different areas (front abdomen and right hip- that was another ER visit 12/7/10.)  Those are better now, but open and being packed with medicated gauze twice a day. (Thanks wonderful husband.)  They won't heal in the lovely way the rest of the incision will.

Then the front wound started oozing a BRIGHT green- seriously- it was wasabi green.  That turned out to be pseudomonas- an opportunistic bacteria that was painless and addressed with antibiotic and gauze dipped in Dakin's solution (clorox, baking soda, and water.) DH tells me that the wounds are looking much better and smaller. I can'****ch him do it.

I still have my drains (8 weeks post op) and am going tomorrow to the surgeon and insisting that they be removed.  2 weeks ago he gave me the option of removal, but said it would be safer to keep them in until tomorrow.  After all my issues, I went with the safer, but pain in the ass, option.

I am on oral coumadin (blood thinner) and am finally theraputic and was able to stop the twice daily lovenox injections last week (thanks again DH for doing the injections.) I have to go to the INR clinic to have my blood levels checked pretty much weekly right now, though as the meds stabilize, it will become less often.

Christmas was fine, thanks to my husband- have I mentioned that he's wonderful- for doing all the decorations and shopping for food, Amazon for delivering everything, and my mom for cooking the Christmas ham.  

I am still on script pain meds because tylenol does NOTHING for me.  Ah, I long for the days of Advil. I also take xanax for anxiety- something that I never had a problem with before- the doctors say I might have some sort of PTSD for a while.

My nine year old son is terrified of me, like he thinks I might explode or something.  It might have to do with the gross bag of drains (which we lovingly call my scrotom, scrote for short.)  Poor guy. At least those will be gone tomorrow.

 Thankfully, I waited until yesterday to google about pulmonary embolism and am now terrified in retrospect for what might have happened and a bit scared about the future- there are things that can happen even later after you think you're recovered.  Google is not always your friend.

Seriously, folks- listen to yourself and have an advocate for your health when you go into surgery.  Make sure that your advocate will insist on the best care and be willing to stand up for you because you'll be drugged and foggy for a while after surgery.  That's of course worst case scenario.  Also- cheaper is not always better.  I didn't want to spend the extra $850 for the additional night at the aftercare facility, but it really did save my life.  I probably would have died if I had gone home as scheduled. 

I'm lagging in the getting back into exercising- I'm still weak and feeling tired. I'm not doing enough, or even much at all.  My walks so far consist of shuffling around the house and from the car to the doctors' offices and back to the car. 

I think my situation is pretty much a worst case scenario.  I was expecting to be back at work in a week from today, and am not going bac****il at least February.  I might even stretch it out to March. It really depends on my stamina. Right now, I can do one thing (short grocery run, doctor's appointment, sponge bath, sink hair wash, sit up for a meal) and then I have to take a rest. It's hard going from being a healthy 43 year old to one who feels 82 and shuffles around like a little old lady.

 I teach second grade and you're pretty much on for the whole day, plus the drive there and home.  Not to mention the grimy kiddos who bring any and all germs to school and want to love on me.  Don't think I don't love my students, I just can't get sick- CAN'T.  They have an amazing sub who is doing a great job, so I don't feel bad for them educationally.  It would be better for them to have a consistent teacher than one who is out taking a nap all the time.  Of course I'm thinking WAY ahead of the game.  (Plus, selfishly, I'd like at least a week of feeling great and doing some shopping for cute undies and pants.)

 I'm still here oat OH, and looking in pretty much every day.  I also don't want to post too much of my tales of woe, because it's such an aberration, and I don't want the newbies to think that it's a normal thing to have so many complications.  It really isn't.  I really though I would be the last person to have so many issues.  I even had a breast lift scheduled 4 weeks after the LBL, that's how confident I was in my health and ability to heal.  It was really a fluke. 

So that's my tale, pretty much the whole thing... thanks again for wondering how I am doing- a little better every day. 

Wow Lisa, I can't believe everything you have been through.  I have to tell you that before I had my surgery, I saw one of your posts and then I wouldn't read anymore because it scared me.  I had a LBL, breast lift and arm lift on December 9th by Dr. Capella.  I thought I did all the research there is to be prepared but nothing prepares you for something like this.  It is the hardest thing I have ever gone through mentally, physically and emotionally.   I agree with you about feeling like an old woman.  I am 18 days post op and I am still taking tylenol with codeine every 4 hours and that does not take my pain away by any means but it is all I have.  BTW, I have been an LPN for 17 years and have taken care of post op patients all the time.  I can now really sympathize with them.  My arms have been the most painful by far.  They burn and sting continuously, even this far out.  I have planned for a 6 week recovery but honestly, I didn't think I would be like this.  I can't get hugs from my kids or husband because of my arm pain.  I had to go back to the PS and get 2 small drains but in my arms 2 weeks post op because of the fluid  build up.  I still have them in and awaiting them to stop draining to have them removed.  PS said I could remove them at home myself.  We will see.  I agree that I do one thing.....take a shower, go to doctors etc. and then I am wiped and have to rest.  I am still not sleeping in the bed with my husband either due to my incision around my waist from my LBL.  I can't sleep on my sides because of my arms either.  I am getting better and I know it, I guess I am  being impatient and want to be back to myself NOW.  I have also been fortunate enough to have my MIL here to take care of me and the kids while hubby works but they are leaving tomorrow.  My husband works 80 hours a week so he isn't home much to help out.  I also can't wait to start seeing the results. 

I wish you the best LIsa!

Alice

Sounds like you've been through the wringer too... I know just what you mean about wanting to be back to yourself NOW.  That's almost the hardest thing... I just want to be done.

Then I read the posts of those people who took 2 pain pills and are back to work 10 days post op- SO jealous (but still happy for them...)  That's who I really thought I'd be.  I mean 6 weeks after my RNY, I was snorkeling and SNUBA diving in Maui, completely healed and raring to go.  And that was having my insides totally rearranged! 

 Oh good ! You ARE  still alive, but Sheesh!! what a ordeal to be going through.
I'm still waiting to get better and it will be 10 years this June.  No infections with me or any of that other stuff.  Doctors  just got my geometrical angles wrong is all.  It's like  they tried to squeeze a trapazoid into a circle or something. I told them I had  different posture (posterior pelvic tilt)  than most people but they didn't listen to me.

Check back every so often if you can divert some of your energies our way, Okay?

lol... still alive.  walked around the block today!  i forced myself because typing out my ordeal made me realize that i need to get back in the swing of things.

i'm just now starting to get the bills (insurance company EOBs) and we're up to $125,000. Completely ridiculous.  Of course, that's just what the hospitals are billing, not what the insurance company is paying. Fortunately we're covered so far.  We do have an out of pocket maximum that's relatively low, thank goodness.  

Ten years?  Gad, here I am thinking my 2 months is ridiculous. 

Lisa, good to read your update and to see you have a great attitude about this. I think it is important for you to post because everyone should be aware that there are serious risks involved with this surgery - and we need to be extra vigilant during the early post-op phase to check for the very things that happened to you. I hope you've gotten rid of that bad ju ju and can concentrate on just healing well.

Clearly there is a lot of variables that lead to different outcomes - I hope that all of us have easy recoveries, but not all will. Best to be aware of the full range.