OH What A Tuesday It Was!

My friend Fatima picked me up and we headed to the Palms to start my WLS
Adventure. Upon signing in at Admissions. They got rid of all of the wide seats
and only had the armed chairs there. Very weird as the now have the gold sign of
Bariatric Center of Excellence, since the last time I was in there helping
another friend. But the Security Officer saw my plight and went and found me
one.

Well just as the Admission Lady was coming out to get me, Fatima received a
phone call from her sister-in-law telling her her Father had just died at his
semi-hospital in the Azores. So as she wanted to stay for me, I told her she
needed to go get her daughter out of school and make arrangement to get to
Portugal via Boston where her brother will join her. As once they get things
settle over there they'll need to convince her mother to come back to the U.S.
to live here with Fatima. Her dad was 82 years old.

So on continued my adventure alone. But the hospital was very supportive as word
of what had happened reached each department before I got there and was wheeled
around. As I was still very positive and motivated. But as I was delayed other
were pushed ahead of me instead of everyone waiting as I WAS Suppose to be the
first bariatric patient of the day.

So I made it through Pre-op with no troubles. And they had this really
comfortable air fill spongy bed for me. At first I thought it was a water bed.
The wheeled to the Surgery department where now I had to wait. But it still
seemed to move very quickly. Next into the Operating room where I scooted over
to the surgery table and the placed a mask over my face and I was gone.

The next thing I knew was waking up in Recovery with all over the tubes already
taken out that I knew they were going to place in me like down the throat. I was
in recovery what seemed like maybe 30 minutes and moved up to the second floor
to room 265. All the way down the hall so I couldn't make a get-away.LOL. I did
get two shots of something for pain and my throat was very dry.

As they rolled me into my room, my sister showed up. Apparently someone from the
hospital called her to tell her what was going on when Fatima, my support had to
leave. And thus they wanted someone there that could make decisions while I was
out of it. And to be there to support me.

I was all set up with a pitcher of ice water (which we added a couple of To Go
crystal light sticks to) and a cup of ice chips. The only thing that the TV
controller didn't work on the call device and the phone wouldn't ring for
incoming calls. Which I had my cell phone to which then I could call out on the
hospital phone. I wanted to get up right away to walk but they made me wait a
few hours. And so I sucked on ice chips to finally start sip, sip, sipping away.
Which I finished off two pitcher before going to sleep about midnight as I was
not really tired at all.

So as Soon as the Biggest Loser was over and I guest things finally settled down
they let me get up to walk. There was just a little unsettlement getting up but
suprisingly I still had no pain. They were also suprised on how good and upright
I was walking at a very steady pace. As I cover the entire floor up and back. So
I rest a little more and after the TV news they aloud me to walk again. But this
time alone. I make two rounds and stopped to use the computer they have there
for the patients but I couldn't get online as a Pass Word is needed. But no one
there knew what that was either. So everyone would have to wait till I got home
and rest more.

I slept very well using my Bi-Pap pump. Waking up very calmly without
interruption throughout the night of any nurses. The sign in front of the
hospital on Pasadena Ave. kept changing colors which lit up my room sort of like
mood lighting this was comforting also.

The nurse did appear for vital and they were very happy as my stats were all up.
And said my breakfast would be there shortly but nothing ever came. I thought
some sort of brothe was coming.

Heather came in to check on me (Dr.Rehnke's assistant) telling there were
several Bariatric patients but I was the only Bander for yesterday. I had hoped
to see Dr.Rehnke and/or Dr.Grossbard. But for all I knew anybody did my surgery.
Heather brought in some instruction to the next month and a bag of sample with a
water bottle too.

I called Fatima as I knew she be at TIA as she preparing to board her plane as
which she told me that our friend Tina was coming to get me as Heather told me I
was ready to go home. So I dressed finishing as Tina walked in the room.
Suprising her as she thought I'd be laid out still in bed. And even though I
wanted to walk out they made me ride in the wheel chair to leave the Palms of
Pasadena. It was 11:00 AM. 24 hours from when I walked in the day before.

WOW what a Rush and still I was Highly Positive and Motivated.

I've taken in 4 cups of different broths and just about a gallon of crystal
light.

Thank you for your support and prayers, Mike

 Sounds like a very emotional day. I'm glad to hear that you're well and recuperating.

Can I ask a dumb question? Yours is the second surgery story I've read in the past 2 days and you both mentioned when they put the mask on you that you went right and out.  One of my biggest fears about this surgery (I warned you, this is going to be dumb) is that nurses can never, ever, ever find a vein on me. They are very deep and if I'm even slightly dehydrated, as if having to have fasted from the night before, it will be impossible. I have fainted during their digging exlporations when having to give blood.

Did you not have an IV and only the mask? Because man, if they can do the iv after I'm already sedated I have a fighting chance of actually making it through! HAHA!

Sorry for the side conversation. I'm glad it went so smoothly for you.

You need to bring this concern up with your surgeon before hand and also tell them in the Pre-op Prep area. Better to be safe than hurting or cancelling.

The nurse putting my IV in Pre-op DID in fact have to root around before changing to my other hand to root around again.

Praying for you, Mike

 Thanks, Mike. I appreciate the advice. I'll definitely tell my doctor when I meet with him on Tuesday and then again right before the surgery (assuming I get approved).

What is Day 3 like? How are you feeling? What are you eating? Are you moving around?

Have a great day!

My day 3 is very simular to day 2. Day 4 I'll return to my afternoon part-time job driving a school bus for Girl's Inc. a united way mentoring program. But my meals for the next 12 days is just Broths and the ever never ending sip sip sipping zero calorie drinks and resting between walking. Just for my own sake I've given myself till Monday - 5 days for the incisions to really heal over - before returning to swimming and water aerobics.

And I found the most delicous White Wine Broth and Beef Sirloin Broth made by Colonial Time at Publix.

 Hi Michael,

Just checking in. How are you feeling?