Day of new beginnings

Yesterday was the beginning of the rest of my life...I am officially a banded woman. (Pardon me if this post suddenly takes a turn into left field, I am still living in liquid vicodine land.)

The day started bright and early with the alarm going off at 0315. After smacking the snooze button a few times I finally rolled my very tired bones out of bed. Dragging my knuckles on the floor(not because I am a primate, but because I am THAT tired)I navigate to the shower. A shower sure goes a long way to helping one stand upright.

Hero and I hit the road just after 0500, making it to the hospital at the appointed 0545. He parks the car while I try to have a coherent conversation with the nice lady with the pretty pink nails in admitting. Not long after I find myself in a hospital gown, that thank goodness covered my backside trying to pee in a cup and not on my hand to prove that I am not pregnant.

After answering a million health history questions and the pregnancy test coming back negative the nurse wraps both of my arms in warm blankets trying to get the tiny veins in my hands to cooperate so that I don't have to have an IV inserted into my elbow. NO such luck, I end up with the IV in my left elbow which later causes me issues.

The next visitor to my pre-op suite is the nice nurse who does the consult for the "good-night, la-la-land doctor, " anesthesiologist. After answering her set of million questions, she cleared me for surgery. Then my surgeon came to see me. My surgeon is a really quiet man, but he has a gentle bed side manner. The anesthesiologist next graced my presence, he was a tall, towering man, but the gentle giant type.

Shortly after 0730 I was kissing Hero goodbye as being rolled away to surgery. I remember moving over to the operating table, after that my mind is a blank. My next memory is the big hand of the anesthesiologist shaking my shoulder; telling me to wake up. Phillip later told me that it was about 45 minutes from the time they wheeled me away until my doctor came out to tell him the surgery went well. I spent about an hour in recovery. All I remember was being asked if I was in pain and if I was nauseous, after answering yest to both my needs were well taken care of.

At 0930 I was wheeled into my hospital room and reunited with my beloved Hero. An hour later I was up and walking. The nurse from my surgeons office came by to say hi, followed by the respiratory therapist to show me how to use the incentive sperometer. The next several hours were a blur of sleeping, vital checks, heparin injections, anti-inflammatory and pain meds, walking the halls and sucking on the incentive sperometer. Around noon I was brought lunch; beef broth and red jello. I had to make a choice, one ounce of broth or one ounce of jello. That was the way I understood it in my still foggy mind. I chose the broth. After more naps, walks, sucking on the incentive sperometer, and meds I started to come out of the fog.

By 1500 I was really missing my Miss M and asking Hero when he was going to go pick her up so that I could see her. She had spent the night with Hero's parents. After a quick call to his mom, Hero told me that she was bringing Miss M to us. Traffic was really bad so I had to wait until 1800 to see my precious little girl. She was so gentle when they placed her on the bed next to me. I didn't think she understand when I had tried to explain mama's surgery to her the whole week previous, but I now know in her own way she understood that mama was hurting.

Our quick visit, was just that and soon I am all alone in my room. I am exhausted but can't sleep, so I watch TV. Shift change for nurses brings on a whole new set of wonderful nurses. Throughout my stay I was blessed with a caring nursing staff. I am the kind of patient that doesn't want to be a bother, so I will wait until the last possible moment to ask for anything. My night nurse told me not to wait and was good about telling when I could have another dose of liquid feel good. I dozed off and on all night, it is very hard to get sleep when the nursing staff is doing it's job of taking care of you. Vitals every few hours, heparin, anti-inflammatory, and pain meds every few hours but never in sync, changing my IV bag, and constantly turning off the IV alarm because I have inadvertently once again bent my arm thus cutting off the flow of the IV. (See I told you having it in my elbow would cause me problems.)

Finally at about 0530 this morning I fall into a deep sleep, this is just after they capped off my IV and I could finally bend my arm. Alas this was not to last long as I am shaken awake by my new day nurse telling me that I can go home as soon as my ride gets there. This was at 0730, I think they were trying to kick this bird out of the nest. I tell her that my husband was planning on being there at 1000 to pick me up, she assures me that is fine. Over the next couple of hours I am visited by my surgeon, the respiratory specialist(I had issues keeping my blood oxygen up when not on oxygen all night), and nurses taking my vitals; bearing breakfast and feel good juice. Hero and Miss M arrive just before 1000 and I am walking out of the hospital shortly there after.

After going to my surgeon's office to schedule my one week follow up appointment we head home to pick up my prescription of liquid bliss so that we can get it filled on base. I drop off my prescription at the pharmacy. We head out to get lunch for Hero and Miss M, I was still in the clear liquid diet mindset and didn't even think about getting lunch for myself. To be honest I have not felt hungry at all yet, but have eaten because I know it is necessary. Not like drinking an ounce of broth for a meal is much, but it is enough. Hero asked if I was going to get some soup, that was when I remembered that I am on full liquids now, meaning I can have creamed soups. The deli we are at had cream of potato soup on the menu, I order a cup of soup. After three spoon fulls I am done, we take the rest of the soup home.

On the way home we stop to pick up my liquid bliss. Once home I take some, and then head upstairs to take a nap. Hero puts Miss M down for a nap as well. We both fall asleep fast. Sometime around 1430 I hear him come in and get ready to go out for a run. When he returns about an hour later Miss M and I are still asleep. After Hero showers I get up and get dressed to go to my very first support group meeting.

Hero drops me off at my meeting, he and Miss M go get themselves some dinner. My very first support group meeting went well. They were shocked that I came tonight, especially since I just had surgery the day before. Many of them said that they were still in bed. I commented that I was, but I knew I had to get up and out, even if I can only tolerate short trips for now.

When we got home I blended the cream of potato soup so that it was smooth there were no chunks left. My meals are supposed to be between 4 to 6 ounces by weight. I weigh out the blended soup and it is exactly 4 ounces. After about 4 bites I am done, there is enough left over for another couple of meals. I am surprised at my lack of hunger. I had read it would be that way, but it is one of those things you just can't imagine until you go through it.

I have 5 small incisions on the upper part of my tummy and one longer one. All of my incisions are above my rather large umbilical hernia. My surgeon repaired my hiatal hernia yesterday, but is waiting until I lose my weight to repair the other hernia so that I won't have problems with it.



The pain is enough to stop me from running a marathon or bending over to touch my toes, but it is not so bad that I can't function. I am still waiting for the gas pain I kept reading about....

I am home, and doing well. Right now I am going to go meet my pillow and comfortable bed for a date with dream land.