Tuesday, July 10, 2012

It's Been Awhile

Hi Everyone!

I know it has been a couple of months since my last blog! It was really busy leading up to my surgery. I had a teacher certification exam I needed to take June 9th and then my surgery was June 18th! It has been a busy and very eventful start to my summer...so sit back and enjoy the following post :)

So my last blog indicated that I had no idea when my surgery would be. The people in the bariatric office made it seem like it would be months and months away. But in May I got a call that my surgery would be in June and I was so excited! But there was so much to prepare for. I had been studying for a couple of months for an examination that was coming up and now I also had to prepare myself to start my Optifast diet before my surgery. There were also the little things like cleaning out my house and doing some things I felt were necessary to ready my home and family for all the changes that would be occuring.

So skipping along to the surgery day...here goes! I'll admit, I was hungry. It was a gruelling process of that Optifast shake. I don't think I can ever drink any kind of chocolate shake again. My surgery was scheduled for 2 o'clock in the afternoon on Monday, June 18th, 2012. That morning I got up, saw my kids off to school and at noon my husband walked me into the surgery center. I was so nervous. I didn't know what to expect. The nurses were pretty nice. They got me all prepped and then allowed my husband to come to the back while we waited for the surgery to happen.

When it was time they wheeled me down to the operating room. It was so big and bright. I remember thinking how modern everything was...there were huge flat screens for the doctors to see every aspect of the surgery. I had been nervous about the going under the anesthesia. I am very clausterphobic and was actually panicking about them putting the mask on my face. I told the nurses about this in advance and they were really gentle about the whole process. I remember having such a heavy feeling in my head...a heavy pounding just before I went to sleep.

The next thing I know, I'm awake and I'm in pain! Let's not kid ourselves here...I had just had a major surgery. I believe my surgery started between 2:30 and 3:00 in the afternoon and I was in my room by 6 pm. My husband and three children came in shortly after, but I remember telling him to get the kids out of the room...I did NOT want them to see me in such pain. I found out later that it really scared my middle child...he was crying and upset. I felt horrible.

The next 24 hours are a daze. I was in so much pain and did not want to move. I was also very sick. I began throwing up in the evening...violently throwing up. It hurt so much...more than words can ever describe! We don't know if it was the anesthesia or the morphine that was making me sick. However, after they took me off the morphine and put me on another medication I did not throw up anymore. I felt really bad for my roommate. She had the surgery a couple of hours before me and was not having complications and I felt like I was keeping her from resting.

I threw up about 1/2 dozen times the first two days and leaked out of one of my incisions the first time I tried to get up. I could not sit up or turn on my side. It was miserable. I know that at some point I said something to my husband about "why did I do this to myself?" Although looking back, I would still do it again.

I stayed in the hospital until Thursday night. I should have gone home Wednesday, but given the complications I had, they made me stay an extra day. Please stick around for he next blog when I discuss coming home and coping with daily life right after this major surgery.

Stay tuned!

Cheers and Much Love,

Ellen