So it's been almost two weeks since my surgery. Sorry I didn't write sooner, but between being high on percocet and just plain passed out, I think my writing would have suffered had I attempted anything. Although the rantings of a post-op girl high on pain killers probably would have been entertaining... oh well. C'est la vie.
So I survived! I've been hibernating at home pretty much exclusively for two weeks, except for the past 3 days where I actually managed to go to work and be a productive human being. The recovery took a bit longer than I was anticipating (the surgery is so new that it was hard to know what to expect, but 3-5 days is what I was figuring on), but overall I'm doing pretty good. I get more energy everyday and the strength is slowly coming back to my abs.
The day of surgery went pretty well. I managed to keep my anxiety in check long enough to get into the operating room without bursting into tears, which, for me, is saying a lot. Ben was, as always, the most amazing support to me and helped to keep me calm both before and after the surgery. The surgeon, anesthesiologist, and nurses were all amazing and, other than having the surgery delayed by a couple hours (I hate waiting), I have very few complaints about how things went.
*surgery detail talk alert... if you'd rather not hear this part, skip down a paragraph*
The surgeon made five incisions, four horizontally along my stomach in line with my belly button, (one actually IN my belly button) and one in the middle of my chest, just below my bra line. He had to separate my ab muscles to get access to my stomach (if I understand right), which I can still feel the affects of, even now. The surgery itself lasted three hours.
After the surgery I woke up laying down on a gurney and VERY out of it. Opening my eyes made the room spin, so I kept them closed for the first while. Ben's voice was nearby pretty quickly, which I was very thankful for, and they didn't wait too long before making me stand up and walk over to a recliner-like chair. They want you to sit up as soon as possible to help strengthen your diaphragm. They also want you to get up and walk, which I did with great reluctance. I was absolutely exhausted and moving made me nauseous. But I managed to do as they asked, with the help of a fantastically spunky nurse named Heidi. I managed to fall asleep in the recliner chair every time they let me sit back down (I've never been able to fall asleep sitting up before, which tells you how exhausted I was). I honestly don't know how many hours we spent there after surgery. They had me sipping on water and I kept it all down fine, which was a very good sign. The anti-nausea meds, narcotic pain killers, and a drug to stop stomach spasms all did their job marvelously and left me in very little discomfort. (Funny sidenote: Ben told me that I looked like the Michelin man after surgery... they'd pumped me with six pounds worth of fluids during the surgery!)
By early evening, they let us head out to our hotel. The night was spent sleeping, interrupted only by Ben's alarm going off every time I needed to take another dose of something. I was also supposed to get up and walk around every few hours for as long as I could stand it. Which at first wasn't much at all. Actually getting up from the bed was the most painful thing (my abs would scream in protest), but otherwise it was just exhaustion that made me want to lay back down. Ben was wonderful and took amazing care of me through all of it, even letting me watch Millionaire Matchmaker while two sports had playoff games.
The next day we very carefully got me to the doctor's office, about 10 minutes away. He took a look at everything and told me it all looked great and that we could go home a day early, which was a wonderful bit of news. The hotel bed could not stack up against our memory foam bed at home. :) We managed the drive home (an hour and a half long) without any trouble, which was a huge relief, considering the fact that nausea is one of the biggest side affects of the surgery and I get carsick easily anyway.
The next few days are all kind of blurred together. I spent most of my time on the couch, watching five minutes of a sitcom before passing out. I was on a strict clear fluid diet for the first week, which wasn't too bad until the fourth day, when I started feeling the hunger pains. I also started having gas pains, which were only alleviated when I stood up and walked around. Needless to say, it wasn't the most fun few days. I only got really badly nauseous once, for about 12 hours, when we had started spacing out my meds more to see how I'd do. Let me tell you, that was NOT pleasant. Thankfully, I managed to get down an anti-nausea pill before I had to actually throw up. I honestly have no idea how I would have managed that if I did have to, simply because my abs were useless. I'm very thankful it all worked out without it coming to that.
The doctor was awesome through everything. He checked on me everyday, making it very clear that I could call him ANYTIME, day or night, if I had any problems or questions. I would recommend him to anyone considering this surgery who lives in the Pacific Northwest.
I went in for another checkup a week after, when I was finally given the okay to go to full liquids. Basically that means I can have smooth yogurt and creamy soups. Which, at that point, sounded like heaven. Broth and Crystal Light were NOT cutting it for me. The appointment went smoothly, other than me being dehydrated and my heart rate being a bit too high. I went home and continued to rest up, very happy to have something in my stomach that actually provided nourishment.
And now another week is almost up! Tomorrow I get to enjoy the wonders of soft foods. After I'm done with this blog, actually, I'm going to head to the grocery store to pick up some refried beans and pico de gallo! (That may not sound exciting to you, but to me, it sounds like HEAVEN)
Oh, and for those of you interested in my weight loss... I started my journey at 232 pounds and have managed to lose 28 so far. 18 of which were before the surgery and 10 since then. My goal is to be at 150 pounds by October 21st, the day Ben and I sail off on our 5 year anniversary cruise to Mexico. I know it's a steep goal, but I think it's do-able. Gonna be back in my bikini, sitting by the beach in no time! :)
TTFN,
Leigh
