Surgery and Post-Op

Ready for the hospital in my awesome pjs!

I had my surgery nearly two days ago so I thought I'd do a quick update as to how it went and how I'm doing now since I probably won't post for another week or so (what with Christmas and all).

All Dressed up with nowhere to go.

Still waiting to be taken to surgery

Surgery Day:  I woke up excited and ready to go! I could not wait to have my surgery!  I arrived at the hospital at around 8:45 AM, weighed in (151.2 lbs which was a total 5 lb loss from when I started my liver shrinking diet), peed in a cup (trust me this was the highlight of my morning since I wasn't allowed to pee when I got up!!), then changed into a "lovely" paper hospital gown and laid down in bed where all the very nice nurses proceeded to stick me with needles; some putting stuff in, some taking stuff out, and of course I had to have my IV put in.  The worst part to all of this was the medicine they injected in my belly to help prevent blood clots (stung like crazy for about 5 minutes) and when they finally opened the IV and the medicine started coming in (apparently I have very sensitive veins and my hand burned and ached for about 5 minutes; it really sucked).                                                                                                                                After I was poked, prodded, and hooked up I got to enjoy a wonderful 45 minute wait where I watched some news and my mom pace a hole in the hospital room floor.  Pretty easy to say she was way more nervous than I was (not hard to do since I'm pretty sure I wasn't nervous).  At around 10:15 they came and wheeled me into holding where I again got to wait, but maybe only 30 minutes, until some very nice doctor gave me pre-anesthesia loopy drugs.  I was very "wooooooo" as I was wheeled back to the operating room.  Then I moved onto the surgery table and they put a face mask over me, pushed on my throat (why, I have no idea) and that is the last thing I remember before waking up in recovery.  Apparently I'd told the recovery nurse that I go by Ally, when really I go by Alex, lol oops.  They were very nice, giving me pain meds (yay meds!) and ice chips and by 12:30 I was wheeled into my room where I got to see my mom.  I believe she was very relieved to see me. :D

So yeah, just a little bit loopy.  Post surgery

I dozed for about two hours, then around 2:30 decided it was time for two things: morphine and walking (and yes in that order please). :D  The nurse was very impressed with me wanting to get up on my own and walk.  She said they normally had to go in and conjole the patients to get up and start walking.  My first walk was a success, but after going down two hallways I was super thirsty and had to get back to my room for some water.  It was at this point I discovered how wonderful it felt to sit.  I'd thought laying back as flat as possible would feel the best but it's just the opposite.  Sitting up is now one of my favorite positions on the planet!
Anyways, at around 3 my lovely friend came to see me and give me a present!  A froggy pillow with a froggy blanket inside!  I love it!  And she took me for 2 walks!  I was so glad she came to see me.  She's one of the best people I've ever had the pleasure to know!  After my last walk (at around 4:30) I decided it was time to go and I got to sign my discharge papers.  I stayed at the hospital a bit longer so my mom could pick up my prescriptions and so I could have my "dinner"; chicken broth and cranberry juice.  I'm told I had an excelent recovery at the hospital, but by the time I got home I couldn't sleep more than two hours without my pain meds (yay for hydrocodone elixir).  I took pain relief at 9 PM, 1 AM, 3 AM, and 5 AM.  It wasn't until my last dose that I actually slept for a good 5 1/2 to 6 hours!

1st Day Post-Op: Day one post op wasn't too bad, except I could never really tell when I was hungry, so I could never really tell when I was satisfied.  All the books and doctors say to stop eating when you're satisfied so as not to stretch the limits of the band and make yourself sick, but seeing as how it's just clear liquids right now, I'm not too worried.
This is when I started noticing a lot of the gas pain.  When they go in laproscopically, they have to pump you full of gas and that gas has no where to go once it decides to dissipate  so you tend to have all over body aches and, at least in my case, I had the added bonus of lost of burping and farting (which in all honesty felt awesome every time; just saying).

My incisions (one is hiding off screen though)

Sleeping on my back has also caused some neck pain since I am a side sleeper but it's not so bad.  However this could be some of the reason why I'm not sleeping for very long periods of time.  It is now 3 AM on my second day post-op and I woke up about an hour ago (about 5 hours after I went to sleep) and am wide awake.  Maybe I'm hungry, so I'll go down and have some broth and maybe a Popsicle and maybe then I'll be able to get some sleep.
Hope this helped fill you in on what it's been like the last day and a half or so. And I hope you enjoy the included pictures!

Stay safe, stay happy, stay hopeful




This is sleepless in Idaho signing off.