Home! Long Post

Hi guys, I thought I would drop in here and post an update. I had my surgery thursday. I was in my room by 11:30 or 12:00. At about 2:30 the pain meds had taken the edge off and I told my wife to help me to get my fat ass up an lets go for a walk. The nurse had told me that I would have to get up in four hours after getting in my room so I thought I would get it over with. I walked for about eight or nine minutes and lengthed that till I was up to twenty. Trust me I was not moving very fast but I was moving. Saw my surgeon in the hall as I was walking. He is not the most personable guy you ever want to meet, but he said some thing about your going to do alright, from him that is really excited. Don't get me wrong he his not rude or anything it is just his way, any way I ended up walking about five times thursday and it really does help. One thing that amazed me is that I saw my surgeon in the hallway three of the five times I was walking. The morphine helps to. Don't be afraid to use it. It took a little while to get on top of the pain but once I did it made it easier to function. In recovery I woke up and felt like I had been run over by a truck, but it did get better. Friday I had my upper GI, drink the nasty stuff and got xrayed. The contrastng agent, the nasty stuff wasn't that bad when it happened, it was the after taste that got worse as I waited to get the results. All was well. They took off the morphine pump, started to give me liquid loritab and allowed to start sipping. I never new a sip of cold water or lemonade could taste so good. Walked five or six times saturday, twenty minutes ea. time. Doc told me I would probably go home Saturday. Saturday woke up ready to go home. Sipped breakfest and watched tv. The Doc had told me to sit up all that I could, when I sipped liquid, my ass was hurting so told my wife I was going for a walk, of course she went with me. Walked down the hall and some guy I had seen in the hall's the last couple of days said I was moving alot faster and looked better than thursday, I thanked him and told him I was going home today and I felt great. Walked down the hall past another nurses station and one told me I was going to walk a hole in the carpet, told her the same thing. While going for my second walk the Doc said he would be in my room in a few minutes. Went there and waited about thirty. He sat down and told me I doing great and we went over my after care and he answered our questions. Go to his office this friday and get my staples out. One thing I will say is his Phys. Asst. told me that my sticking to the pre-op diet really made their job easier. It only took them 55 minutes. He said my liver had shrunk and the fat over my intestines had thinned out and it really helped. The last time I was in his office the PA asked me if I was sticking to the diet and I was, but I told him even though I was eating the low fat foods I was eatng lager portions of salads and veggies than was on the diet, he said it was OK as long as I was choosing the right foods. No catheter. When I got to my room it hit me it didn't feel like there was a tube down mr happy's throat and also no j tude drain. He told me in his office that only about 20 percent really need one. So far this has not been near as bad I as I thought it would be. Your mileage may vary. Had to include that disclaimer. So here I sit, at home, getting excited about all the things I might be able to do in the future. I am on vacation next week, and can't drive till after I have my staples out on friday, but I am ready to get living right now. pan head