The first day or so home I was pretty depressed. I didn't say anything out loud, but inside I felt I had made a huge mistake. I kept wanting to wake up and find it had all been a bad dream.
I was in a lot of pain and walking wore me out. All I wanted to do was sleep. Luckily I wasn't having problems drinking, but the protein shakes were making me gag.
Brian was awesome! He took a week off and was so helpful. He even gives me my daily blood thinner shot in the hip. I am amazed as what a wonderful man he is. Kids were helpful too. Cody gave me lots of hugs and told me he loved me more times than probably the whole last year.
I was able to handle the chicken broth and sf jello. I wasn't hungry, except for head hunger. I have never noticed so many food commercials before!
On the 5th day I broke down crying. I was miserable. I was in pain and still thinking I had made a huge mistake.
Day 6 I felt better emotionally. Brian convinced me to go to the store with him. It helped to get out of the house.
The next day I had my appointment with the nurse practitioner. She said everything was healing as it should and all was normal. She gave me the go ahead to move on to the next stage in my diet. I can now have:
eggs (soft scrambled, soft boiled or poached in water)
cottage cheese
low fat shredded cheese
greek yougurt plain or vanilla with splenda
poached fish fillets
pinto beans mashed or purred.
Also I can now mix my protein shakes with lactaid milk or soy milk. That was a relief because mixing them with water was gagging me.
Brian and I stopped at the store on the way home and got some of my new food items! I fixed an egg (soft scrambled) when we got home and was able to tolerate it just fine.
This brings us to today...
Today I had another egg for breakfast. Had some pain and heartburn after it. Waited my 30 mins to drink and took a drink. As soon as I did it all came back up. I ended up with the whole egg coming back up. That made my stomach hurt A LOT!
Did dishes, straighten the house some and even took a walk around the block with the boys and dogs.
I am feeling much better today. I still have a lot of pain and my emotions still get to me, but I don't feel I make a huge mistake any more.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Day 2 and 3
Didn't get much sleep and the dr. came in at 6 to check on me. Around 10 they took me down to do my swallow test. I was so thirsty that the nasty drink they gave me wasn't half bad. I passed the test and was able to have ice chips and water after that. They also removed my catheter and told me walk the halls as much as possible and to sit up in the chair not lay in the bed.
I had difficulty walking. I had to use a walker and couldn't stand up straight. My legs were also very very shakey.
They also had me use the breathing thing where you suck air to help me clear my lungs. They had me on O2 still also.
They were supposed to bring me something to eat at 3, but it was after 4 before they did. Dinner was sugar free jello and chicken broth.
I was supposed to go home that night, but when I did some more walking I started having trouble breathing again. They called the dr. and he kept me one more night.
The next day I did some more walking. I was in a lot of pain, but it was manageable. I was really tired. Around noon they released me. The ride home wasn't too terrible.
When I go home I had a surprise waiting. Brian had bought me a new recliner. My old one's frame was breaking and he was worried about me getting up and down in it.
It was good to be home, but I was so weak and tired.
I had difficulty walking. I had to use a walker and couldn't stand up straight. My legs were also very very shakey.
They also had me use the breathing thing where you suck air to help me clear my lungs. They had me on O2 still also.
They were supposed to bring me something to eat at 3, but it was after 4 before they did. Dinner was sugar free jello and chicken broth.
I was supposed to go home that night, but when I did some more walking I started having trouble breathing again. They called the dr. and he kept me one more night.
The next day I did some more walking. I was in a lot of pain, but it was manageable. I was really tired. Around noon they released me. The ride home wasn't too terrible.
When I go home I had a surprise waiting. Brian had bought me a new recliner. My old one's frame was breaking and he was worried about me getting up and down in it.
It was good to be home, but I was so weak and tired.
I had surgery
I had gastric bypass on March 3. I had planned on doing a daily update on here, but things didn't work out that way. There are several reasons. One I was too tired and in too much pain to sit at the computer. Two, it would have been a pity party post. Now that I am doing better I will go back and update.
I had to be at the hospital at 6:30 and my surgery was scheduled for 8:30. Brian wound up having to work until 2:45 am, so he was exhausted. We got to the hospital, I changed into my gown and they began hooking me up. I got an i.v., blood pressure cuff, O2 monitor, etc. They also put compression things on my leg that would inflate and deflate at various levels to keep blood flowing in my leg. About 8 they took me back to the OR. All I remember is looking up at the big lamp above me and the dr. talking to me about how to lay my head on a pillow he put behind my neck. He told me to point my chin up towards and the ceiling..... next thing I know I am being wheeled down the hallway to the recovery room. I was really confused. I didn't know where I was or what had happened. It was a strange feeling.
In the recovery room I was pretty much out of it. I would come around, they would ask me something and then I would go right back to sleep. At some point I did get to talk to Brian on the phone the nurse had.
Finally it was time to go to my room. Brian had left to go get Kris from school, so he wasn't there. As soon as I got to my room my dr. wanted me up out of bed and into the chair. That was a feat. I was so shaky and in pain. I managed to do it though. I sat in the chair and dozed while people came in and out to do vitals, blood, pain management, etc. Finally Brian and the boys got there. I had left my glasses with Cody and when Brian took them out of the backpack they were broken. That bummed me. I was already dizzy and not having my glassed didn't help. Luckily Brian was able to run to the store and get some super glue and fix them temporarily.
They stayed awhile and I went to bed. Some time during the night I woke up to a bunch a people in my room and they were on the phone to my doctor. Later I learned my O2 sat dropped into the low 80's and they were afraid I was in respiratory depression. They hooked me up to more monitors and to my CPAP machine with some O2 hooked in.
More in next post...
I had to be at the hospital at 6:30 and my surgery was scheduled for 8:30. Brian wound up having to work until 2:45 am, so he was exhausted. We got to the hospital, I changed into my gown and they began hooking me up. I got an i.v., blood pressure cuff, O2 monitor, etc. They also put compression things on my leg that would inflate and deflate at various levels to keep blood flowing in my leg. About 8 they took me back to the OR. All I remember is looking up at the big lamp above me and the dr. talking to me about how to lay my head on a pillow he put behind my neck. He told me to point my chin up towards and the ceiling..... next thing I know I am being wheeled down the hallway to the recovery room. I was really confused. I didn't know where I was or what had happened. It was a strange feeling.
In the recovery room I was pretty much out of it. I would come around, they would ask me something and then I would go right back to sleep. At some point I did get to talk to Brian on the phone the nurse had.
Finally it was time to go to my room. Brian had left to go get Kris from school, so he wasn't there. As soon as I got to my room my dr. wanted me up out of bed and into the chair. That was a feat. I was so shaky and in pain. I managed to do it though. I sat in the chair and dozed while people came in and out to do vitals, blood, pain management, etc. Finally Brian and the boys got there. I had left my glasses with Cody and when Brian took them out of the backpack they were broken. That bummed me. I was already dizzy and not having my glassed didn't help. Luckily Brian was able to run to the store and get some super glue and fix them temporarily.
They stayed awhile and I went to bed. Some time during the night I woke up to a bunch a people in my room and they were on the phone to my doctor. Later I learned my O2 sat dropped into the low 80's and they were afraid I was in respiratory depression. They hooked me up to more monitors and to my CPAP machine with some O2 hooked in.
More in next post...
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