One Week Post-Op

I am feeling better and stronger everyday. I have learned the secret to tolerating the protein drinks is to have a variety and not have the same thing each day. Some of the heavier milky shakes are hard to swallow, so I have enjoyed finding thinner more fruity protein drinks that go down easier. My one week appointment with my surgeon was uneventful. He said my incisions looked good and that I was doing very well. He progressed me on to the soft foods stage of my nutrition program - which was great news to me!!! I have been enjoying refried beans with cheese, eggs with cheese, and even tolerated some broiled flounder with lemon.

Weight History:

High Weight - 251
Preop liquid diet - lost 12 pounds
Hospital stay - gained 6 pounds (fluid)
One week post post op - lost 14 pounds total since beginning the preop liquid diet

I am on my way to being healthy!!!

Surgery Day! 8-5-10

I had to be at the hospital at 9:25a and surgery was scheduled for 11:25a. I was a little nervous, but in control. The pre-op staff were very nice and took good care of me. It was nice to have the versed to help me relax. The operating room was running behind, so I was not taken back until around noon. That is a weird feeling when they are wheeling you down the halls and into the operating room where all of the instruments and such are. It got colder and colder the closer we got to the OR. Finally when in the OR the nurse threw a warm blanket (felt like it had just come out of the dryer) on me. There was no waiting around. The anesthesiologist gave me oxygen and put meds in my IV and I was out! I don't remember the recovery room at all. Just as soon as I was awake, they moved me to my hospital room where my husband was waiting for me. I had to have my C-PAP with oxygen on for a while because me O2 levels were not maintaing well. I was immediately hooked to the PCA pump and had no pain - just stiffness and awareness that I had been operated on. The worst pain I had immeditately after the surgery was my neck and upper back - apparently a result of whatever position they had me in while in the operating room. My husband massaged some of the soreness out for me and after some rest this disipated. I spent one night in the hospital and had the best nurses around the clock. I had regular intervals of intervenous pain medication. By midnight, I was to be up and walking, so my nursing assistant took me for a midnight walk around the halls and I did well. I was allowed ice chips for the first 18 or so hours. Then I was allowed to sip on crystal lite lemonade. I was given a liquid lunch (broth, sf popsicle, sf jello, tea, water). I spent the day taking short walks around the hospital halls with my husband. By 6p, we were getting ready to be discharged. I had a liquid dinner while waiting for my surgeon to visit and discharge me. The last thing to be removed before leaving was the j-vac drain. It was quick and very uncomfortable. I was exhausted by the time we got home and went straight to bed. My husband was a SUPER nurse and took very good care of me. By day 3 out of the hospital, most of my soreness was gone and I could walk around the house just fine. Spasms in my esophagus and upper abdomen bothered me the first few days, but the surgeon's office said this was normal and would go away within two weeks - which it did. It was VERY hard to get the required fluids and protein in during the first week. I was also plagued with water diarrhea for several days until I could proceed to the soft foods diet at one week. All in all I had a very successful surgery and hospital stay.

Pre-op Testing - What a Day! 7-28-10

I was not nervous at all about this day. It was just another step closer to getting my surgery. Unfortunately, I had an "episode" when they came to draw blood. I was expecting to have blood drawn, but I was NOT expecting to have an ABG (arterial blood gas) draw. I got sick and almost passed out. They had to call a supervisor to do the draw. It was very embarassing. The rest of this visit went fine (ekg, regular blood draw, and chest xray). I packed a cooler with my protein shakes and water for the day. All in all the testing visit at the hospital took about 2 hours.