Sorry I'm Only Checking In Now! I am Here

Thank you all So much for your support before my surgery. And I think I may know know why Fair Oaks didn't have me listed in the right place and time...asside from the Hippa form. My surgery was Tuesday am. All went well in general but when I woke up I was in ICU. Heavily drugged and alarmed - all i could put together was the first few words the nurse said " complications during surgery." I guess I started crying and got all worked up but I still didn't quite grasp what had happened. Turned out it was not terribly serious. During the final hour of my surgery, my oxygen levels began to fall -(they like to see them stay around 92 and up - mine went down to 81) Why? no one knows for sure. But the fact that I was a smoker did not help. And the fact that I cheated several times and smoked during the weeks leading up to surgery - did not help at all. I have a history of allery-induced asthsma and though I cut way back from my days as a "real smoker" - I still "smoked when i went out with friends." Who was I kidding? Nothing was wrong with my lungs other than they were not in as good of shape as they could be going into surgery. Stupid me. I have learned my lesson. This is not to scare anyone - just a reminder that when the doctor says not to smoke before surgery - they are not jut saying so to lecture...you need your lungs to be as healthy and strong as possible. No short cuts for me anymore. As for the surgery - it went well. No breathing problems but they kept me at the hospital a few days more to observe. I'm home now and quite sore and spend a good amount of time trying to get comfortable and the rest of the time I spend astonished as I listen to newly-landed aliens in my stomach. My gosh they are loud! =) I feel good and feel excited about my new life (and wait anxiously to lose the extra 3 lbs I GAINED while in the hospital - fluids?) I am SO honored and touched by Diana and her sister's attempt to visit me! You didn't have to do that and I am so sorry it was in vain. However, two of my friends tried to call in and they could not get througha nd were told I wasn't there and we later figured out it was because I was in ICU and perhaps they didn't communicate with other departments. Thank for helping me to the other side! Julia

Julia, Glad to hear you are home and doing well. Sorry that you had a bit of a scare but sounds like you were well cared for at Fair Oaks. Congrats on joining the rest of the LOSERS - a place has been saved for you on the bench! Welcome to life with a pouch. They are quite vocal buggers. LOL! Best wishes, Kathy

Hi Julia...so glad to hear you are not mia....hehe. I know that must have been scary but smoking does cause problems with the surgery. I didn't smoke before surgery then picked up the habit afterward....I am now 22 days smoke free and thankful that I let it go. I had this surgery to get healthy, not to ruin it by smokeing. Glad everything went well for you. Keep us updated. Hugs, Betsy

Welcome home and welcome to the loser's bench!! Glad to hear you are doing well and don't worry, those 3lbs will be gone SOON!! Christine

Well no wonder we couldn't find you. When we went to the desk on the 5th floor we asked for you by name and the nurse said no one by that name was on that floor. Then we asked how many surgeries Dr. M. had on Tuesday and she said one. Then Dianna asked her, "is this a case where this person is here but you can't release that information?" The nurse kind of looked like she ate the canary. Then said "maybe...." We decided at that point to leave, because there was no way we were going to find you after that. I thought on the way out that we should have just walked in like we knew where we were going and looked at the names on the doors. Not that it would have helped anyhow with you in the ICU. I'm glad that you're doing better. I also had a problem with oxygen the first day. I only got threatened with the ICU though. Sorry you had to go through that. Take care of yourself. Julie

Yeah!! Glad to see you are home, fine and posting!! And I sorry I didnt get the chance to meet you, but sometime soon (Think support group meeting ) If I had know the problems you had, I might have tried again in a few days. But no worries!! If you need anything, dont hesitate to ask!! Dianna