Home!

Hey there, got home, back to Neah Bay yesterday (Sunday.) I'm now a big loser! (hehehe, love saying that.) Monday we traveled to my MIL's where I endured that painful clear liq. diet for a day. ugh. Next morning, headed to Steven's and got there about 9:40. was in a pre-op room as they started IV's and all that jazz until about 11:20 where they then took me away to OR waiting cubicle. Just layed there waiting, met the Anesthesiologist....very young and cute, made me wonder if he was a Doogie Houser (LOL). I heard them talking in their little desk area that Dr. Weber was running a bit late (no surprise there, LOL) then he called again and said he was 5 min. out and asked them to go ahead and bring me to my OR but the nurse said no way, not til they physically see him. LOL again. Then they wheeled me in, they moved me to the Operating room table with the arm thingies, they introduced me to the Nurse who was helping me, then that's it. No other memory. They must of snuck up to my IV and put me out or something. Then I don't remember being in a recovery room. I remember being in my reg. post op room and my DH and SIL coming in. I was up walking in about an hour! It was't too hard. THey installed that trapeeze system above the bed, so I'd pull up and the Nurse supported my neck. No problem. They also gave me a "bolis" before ea. time I got up to walk. I walked pushing a wheel chair and the nurse pushing the iv pole, and my DH wheeling the oxygen tank. Got to see Stacey many times, it was great seeing another OH member! Poor thing had a hard time with her NG tube removal. so I was nervous when mine came out on Thu. morning. One Nurse was even teaching another Nurse how to remove it. ==========:O but thank God, it was a breeze! The hardest part the first 2 days was not being able to drink anything. THey give you these little sponge thingies on sticks to dip in water and rub around in your mouth. Every time I got up for a walk, I rinse, gargled at the sink. Oh, and loved that I brought those Lysterine slip things, helped with the whole cotton mouth issue. Learned one thng with those, make sure mouth is wet first. LOL My oxygen level kept dropping when I'd fall asleep (and Mike said i scared him the first night, it dropped to the 60's) and when they took the oxygen off, again, levels would drop to low so I ended up staying on the oxygen a lot longer than usual. They also had to do a blood sugar check regularly and the first 24 hrs, I had 2 readings of over 200 so they had to give me insulin shots. Oh, and back to oxygen. the supid ear clip oxygen reader kept falling off and settting off alarms, PIA! First night I was also woken up at 2am for a walk, and again at 6am. Had several hall walks that day. Second night I woke and felt alot of wetness around me hand. Figured it was my IV (after making sure I hadn't wet the bed, hehehe) called the Nurses, they came in and said my IV had "gone south" it had failed and all the fluids were going not where they were supposed to, my hand swelled up huge! Then they had to try to start another IV in the other hand. Took many tries, but finally they got it going and I was able to settle back to sleep, but not til after the Nurse tortured me by changing the bed settings....ouch! I got the the itchies from the Happy Button (Morphine drip thingy) so they also gave me benedryl. 3rd day (Thu) was NG removal, water, and apple juice and a shower! Oh, and it was so nice meeting Rachel and Derek! All day on her day I kept asking Nurses if she was in a room yet or not. When she finally was, and did a quick pop in and "hi". She was having a hard time w/the post op queaziness {{{hugs}}} and hey, Derek looks great. Since I had only seen his picture at OH before. Great job Derek! Friday, saw Dr. Weber around 2:30pm and he said I could go home that evening! Well, "home" was to MIL's. Stayed there until Sunday morning. Then headed back home to Neah Bay! So far so good, I acutually slept on my side for a bit last night. Pain is pretty managble too! Yesterday afternoon one of my friends stopped by and grabbed me, making sure I got some of my walking in! The Nurses: some nurses were great! some were clueless. One airhead nurse thought I was going home a day before I was scheduled and she also took away my "happy" button a day early. After nearly gagging/throwing up w/the liq. pain meds, I convinced them to put me back on an IV. Oh and get this, from talking with Stacy LOL, I see my SIL changed your name) I was supposed to get a Boost (or something like that) on Fri. no one seemed to know what I was supposed to have. They didn't even offer me juice again. One nurse several times popped her head in and asked if I had been brought anything yet and when I told her no, she said she'd go check on it...then I wouldn't see her again for an hour so. It's funny, as even though I outright asked for a different juice (the apple juice they gave me on Thu tasted horribly metallic and there's no way I wanted that brought to me again.) she didn't think there was any. FFWD to Friday afternoon(just before checkout) my son and I were in the little coffee room where they keep coffee/ice, beverages etc...for patients and families. My son opens the fridge and lo an behold there was grape juice. Sheesh, should have thought to look there on my own before! Anyway, later they finally did bring me some boost type stuff and the gal said I was supposed to get some w/every meal. Every meal?? Huh? A few post op issues: I'm belching alot, is this normal? How soon til the swollen belly goes away? I describe this one pain as a "cold heartburn" like you've swallowed an ice cube. Is that because I drank too much too soon? Usually happens when I try to take some to down my crushed pill. That smell that Hat mentioned, she's so right. I feel it's stuck in my nostrils! I"m also having problems w/vision. Usually I only need my glassed for reading, I'm usually ok w/long distance vision, but it's not where it normally is. Vitamins: Ugh, I bought special post-op chewable wafers. I'm to take 5 day. I can't stand them! I don't know what I'm going to do. Anyone know anything about the spray vitamins? Protein: Ugh, another problem. I bought the supposedly "tasteless" protein pwder but I can sure taste it. I can't seem to take it. Maybe I should try mixing it w/something that has a strong flavor to cover it up. ?? I keep having chills/sweats. Is that my body still flushing out the general anesthesia? I'm not running a fever. Ok, I think I've covered everything so far.

My belly is going away.....it was so much gas....icky...icky...yuck yuck. I know this is groos but I have had frequent visits to the pot and I feel much better...I lose weight every time I go...so I am ok with it....Hey try centrum chewables...I only have to take one...then on our way home we stopped at Trader Joes and got some of the under the toungue b-12 and they aren't bad at all...then I use the chewable calcium wafers...I don't like them...looking for different...I only take 3 of those then I will be down to 2 tomorrow when I can start milk ect...iron...I dunno what to do..I have looked everywhere for the one I use to have and can't find them.....they're min little iron pills...I guess I will look at Trader Joes Thurs. when I go back after post-op. Oh protien- add splenda or equal or something...it's great.... Vision...yeah I have had some big problems with that...I had to have a cat scan while I was in the hospital...because my pupils dialated.....all the way and I couldn't see....they thought I had a brain tumor or a stroke..nice huh? I am ok now though.,..nothing wrong.