Home from the Hospital!!!

Hi everyone---It's Micheala & I am home from the hospital!! That is the great news...it is actually good to be in my own bed & I feel half-human after taking a shower a while ago.

My surgery was uneventful....it went just like I was told it would...before I knew it I was awake and in recovery.....I can't even tell you how long I was in recovery or where and I still don't remember being brought into my room on the 3rd floor at Centennial....all a beautiful blurr! 

Surgery finished around 1-ish & that afternoon was a piece of cake. I was hooked up to the Morphine pump & kept the button pushed whenever it would let me so I could stay on top of my pain.  I walked all the way down the hall and back two times on Tuesday & was a star student, I think.  My temp did rise a few times and they suspected a lung infection. They had me breathe into the incentive breather and cough (ouch!) a lot & things got better.

Wednesday...things started to change. I walked down the hall in the morning a couple times...pretty far from what the nurses said.  Then Dr. Houston came in & said I was doing great & that I could go home the next day.  I was getting some slight headaches so he told the nurse to disconnect the Morphine pump (oh nooooo....too soon, too soon!).  She did and then my pain med was a bit of Hydrocodone/Loritab buty not regularly---just when I asked for it.  It didn't work as well.  By Wednesday afternoon I was just listless & sleepy...with a bad headache & body pain.  My wonderful "OH" Angel, Denise, came by to visit me Thursday afternoon and she definitely got her money's worth at the Micheala Show......poor thing.

Not five minutes after she arrived, I felt this immediate sense that I had to vomit....I tried to go to the sink (close) and then bathroom and I didn't vomit.  I was in serious pain even trying to stand up. Shortly after that the rumblings (and I mean rumblings...they could be heard loud and clear standing next to me) I started to have sharp, severe pain wherever the gas/rumbling was--which was mostly in my chest.  Nurses told me to walk, walk, walk, but I was so sick, to my stomach it was hard.  Then my headache turned into a migraine.  At about six I asked for Imitrex, a med I take at home & works well for my migraines.  Unfortunately, there was a "shift change" at that time (and THANK YOU to Denise for basically going to the nurses station & verbally kicking some bootie to get them moving) and they said it would be a while.  Any of you who know about migraines & Imitrex understand that it is a rescue medication & has to be given at the immediate onset of the migraine.  It was super tough to wait...migraine started getting worse & worse & I was feeling pretty bad.  The second nurse came in &, apparently, there was a mix up & they inadvertantly ordered a pill (which I can't take) instead of the injection, so they had to order it all over again.  It had been about two hours and my head was pounding...things started to get fuzzy & then....I remember them taking my temp & a bunch of people kinda rushing around, including some guy in a vest called the "rapid response nurse". I kept thinking....shouldn't all the nurses be rapid response nurses?  At any rate, the night was horrible...finally got my Imitrex THREE hours after I requested it (that's my thumbs down on the entire event) and within that time I had what they diagnosed as a TIA Stroke.  Yup, a stroke--the Transient IA stroke was due to the major surgery, and, especially, the pain from the migraine that was not tended to.  The nurse, Terri, said she "had no control over the pharmacy" but I was wishing she would have run down there & just got it.  She kept waiting on them to bring it up and it took too long, so things really got worse.  I was pretty sick all night & Dr. Houston woke me up this morning.  He was happy the stroke-symptoms resolved, but wanted to talk to my neurologist before he discharged me. I was surpris'd that I was going to be discharged, but, actually, really wanted to get home to my bed, so I didn't fight it.  My neuro & Dr. H consulted & out, out, out I went (the zoo is not the place for me...they should put me in the zoo, they said!--okay--I've been reading too much Dr. Seuss to my kiddos).  So, I've been home a few hours & am hanging in there. 

It took me 4.5 hours to get one sugar free jello down. I have had one Nectar Protein drink since I got home, but I still feel so gassey that it's hard to want to fill my stomach with anything because of the pressure all over my body.

What I did really appreciate at the hospital was that Pam Davis and Eloise Bray both stopped by to say  hi & check on me. That was very sweet.  I really love the Center for Obesity & it's staff...good people, for sure.

Okay...I am petering out typing this much, so I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for your emails & posts during my surgery....take care & hopefully I will be able to post again soon!  xo, Micheala.

Im so glad that you are okay. And I know about headaches and migraines. Ive had them since I was small. So besides the headache how do you feel. Sore I bet. Well I am glad you are home and made it thru safely.

Sonya--so sorry to hear about the migraines....mine started in 20s and ooohhh la la, they are bad.  Other than that, I was able to sleep comfortably at home on my side last night & got up this a.m. at 8:30 & took my 2tsp of Hydrocodone & made myself a Nectar drink--of course, it's almost noon & I still have about 5 sips left...it's a slow go, but yesterday I was able to get in 55 gm of protein & 357 calories. I was okay with that.  Dr. Houston said not to worry about getting the vitamins down this week, so I will start those on Monday...for now, I'm moving along...

Glad you are home.  Things will get better and you will be shedding the pounds soon.   Girl, we are going to look so good we will forget all about the bad things.  Never mind how healthy we are going to be.   I already feel like a million bucks.  Honestly, I feel so much better.  I don't know if it's the weight loss or the healthy eating.  Whatever it is, I hope it continues. 

Best of luck to you.  Get your rest and when you get those sutures out, things will be even better.

A pretty scary time...glad all has resolved.
H

Cathy--we are going to look good!! I can't wait.  I just looked at a few before/after pics (which I was addicted to before surgery) and it was so real to think that I had ALREADY had the surgery and am on my way!!  I weighed this am & had lost 6 pounds so far...I am still so swollen....but, I feel so happy!  I am tired, though!  Time to rest!  xo, M.

Wow, Micheala, so glad you are home.  Take care and no more migraines!

        

Thanks Marilyn!! and YES...down with the migraines!!! xo, M.

 All I can say is that Micheala is quite the trooper enduring all that she did Wednesday night.

I was polite to the nurses because I didn't want them to take it out on her (instead of, "You'll feel a little stick," from shots, it'll be, "you'll wish you had some general for this one--STAB!"), but if it were just me, the nurses would have been learning a few new and exotic curse words.  For Micheala's sake I kept my potty mouth in check.  

  So what does this mean?  It sucks to be you if you're having a stroke during shift change???

I liked the rapid response nurse guy--he had a nifty vest with many pockets and phones.  And a big binder with tabs.  If patient has symptom A, turn to page 53.  Cool!  It reminded me of grade school when you'd get a text book where someone had written turn to page 53, which instructed you to turn to page 12, which sent you to a dozen other pages before you get the message YOU SMELL LIKE POOP! or something like that.  

It was very scary to see Micheala have to go through that transient stroke, but I was so relieved when her numbness started to resolve.  Whew.  

The rumbling gas was so bizarre.  I was sitting probably 5 or 6 feet away and you could hear it.  Every time it'd happen we'd look at each other and go .  It sounded like a gang of frat boys were partying in her chest!  Yikes!!!

Of course next time, Micheala, if you want me to go, just say so!  You don't have to fake a stroke to try to get rid of me!!!  Now you know if that's what you try, I stay EVEN LONGER!!!    Jeez, what do I have to do to make her go away?  I tried dry heaves, scary internal burps, an eye popping migraine and a frickin' stroke.  Just so you know, explosive diarrhea.  That would probably do it.

I am so glad you're doing better and I'm sure it'll be much smoother from here on out!  

Enjoy your crushed pill riddled jello!!!

HUGS!!!
Denise

I can definitely vouch (though completely out of it!) that Denise held her tongue during the ordeal.  It was quite eventful, that's for sure....but I am SO glad Denise was there...she was very discerning at picking a time to stop by when I had mentioned that family wouldn't be there...it was great to see her ever-smiling face and loved that she had my back.

I promise you didn't stay too long and I'm so glad you were there, girl!  Good goin!

So, all in all, I'm not a fan of the transient stroke...don't plan on having any more of those.  gheeze....but, all is well now & I'm home safe-n-sound.....off to crush a pill!