So it's actually been about 10 days but what a 10 days it has been so I'll run through surgery day real quick in case anyone is interested in those experiences.
Check in at 9:30 a.m. and I get my fancy grippy socks and gown. I'm taken back to the OR around 11 and the procedure took a little over an hour. The doc "reused" one of my incision sites from the lapband and I have one other small incision then several tiny holes that won't scar at all. One difference between when I got the band and this was coming out of anesthesia. This time, I was SO tired. I couldn't quite keep my eyes open and just wanted to snooze. They take me to my room for my overnight stay which was private so that was nice. Hubby was already there waiting. They had me hooked up to a pain pump for comfort and overall it worked fairly well. Around 3 pm, the nurse came around to get me up and into a recliner. That hurt quite a bit. I sat for a couple hours, again snoozing off and on and then back to bed for me. Around midnight, I went for my first walk. Of course, there was no ice chips, water or anything until morning. They took me in for the leak test and I passed with flying colors. At that pint, I ordered up some broth and jello and had a big ol' party in my bed. LOL. I was discharged around 1:30 pm.
Recovery has been OK. They gave me liquid Loratab for the pain and that worked OK but I was somewhat surprised that they only gave me enough for 5 days and then I had to settle for Tylenol which seriously doesn't work that well. They also gave me stuff for nausea and acid reflux but I haven't really had to use either of them. I am not hungry at all. Here is where I become a bad patient. My mom had taken my kids back to AZ for a couple weeks while I had this done and I had to go get them to bring them back. So I took a flight on day 6 to AZ. That was probably a bad idea but I figure I have my old bariatric surgeon in AZ and I know he'd help if something came up so the comforted me a bit. I can tell you that I definitely overdid it on Day 6. Too much activity and walking around. By that evening, I was starting to feel nauseous and uncomfortable but by the next morning, I felt a lot better. I opted for a hotel room instead of staying with my parents and I'm so glad that I did. I know I'm getting more rest this way and the girls could definitely use a break from Grandma and Grandpa's house.
It is now Day 10 and I feel pretty good. I didn't have to take Tylenol yet today so that's a good thing. I have stuck to my postop diet even while travelling. I moved on to full liquids on Day 4 and tomorrow I get to move onto pureed. I'm looking forward to apple sauce! Honestly I'm not hungry. I have to force myself to get half a protein shake down or yogurt. I'm probably only getting about 400 calories a day but making sure I get all my water, especially in this Arizona heat. While I am not hungry, I do want to EAT. I am sick of drinking my food. I was to actually chew something. I'm going through a lot of gum to try to get past that.
I did have a WTF moment as I got ready for my trip. I was so SWOLLEN. I've been battling the growing sizes in my closet for awhile now so I have a pretty limited wardrobe anyway but I wasn't prepared for this. Clothes that fit just a day before surgery were just too tight in the belly. I realized I had nothing to wear! So I head to go out shopping 5 days after surgery and certain fabrics didn't feel good on the incisions and what not. So I'm basically living in sweats and oversized tshirts. I feel fat and sloppy. It's humiliating enough that I've gained all this weight back since all these people last saw me but I can't even show up in clothes make me feel sexy and confident, or at least as sexy and confident as I get these days.
I haven't weighed myself. I didn't want to weigh in the first week as I know I was retaining a lot of the water from the all the IV bags I went through. Doc likes his patients REALLY hydrated. My parents don't own a scale so there ya go. I'm hoping for a very pleasant surprise when I get home. I am feeling a little fatigued but I know that's from the low calories and not having my vitamins ready to go.
Overall though, I'm feeling pretty good...getting my strength back and starting to feel like myself again. I really hope not to be disappointed when I finally weigh myself.
One last thought. Now that I am no longer banded, I need a new blog name. Any suggestions?
6 comments:
Wishing you much success in your journey :)
Yippie.....sounds like all is well !
How about .... Unstoppable Me? ;-)
XO
It sounds like you are right on track for your recovery. Don't push too hard! Doctors orders. The scale will reward you eventually but don't get stuck on the numbers.
Tracey
So glad to hear you're getting your strength back. Can't believe you went on a flight and all that a few days post-op. Lady, you is CRAZY.
Can't wait to hear about the first weigh-in! I bet it'll be pretty darn impressive, since you can't eat much yet.
You'll be back into your skinny jeans within 6 months!
Thanks for checking in. I had been wondering about you. It's probably a good idea that you didnt way bc I am sure the number was up from surgery and swelling and water! It's the start of a new chapter.
Hope you continue to have a smooth recovery, you've got this! Sorry you had to start with a vacation when you aren't 100%, but I bet you'll really be feeling great very soon. Sending lots of positive energy your way!
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