Ok... Today is 4 days post op.. I'm home.. I'm somewhat comfortable... I'm already confused! HAHAH! Let's go to surgery day! On the 22nd I had to be there at 5:15 for the dose of heparin before surgery at 8:15.. Pre op time with my mom was good, my hubby stayed home so he could get our two kids off to school, and be there when they got home.. We waited and waited.. Finally the team started trickling in and introducing themselves. I had a great team of nurses, anestethesiologists and of course my surgeon! I got suited up.. Anyone else have to wear the weird space age pants and hat thing? I swear I looked like an alien! Before any surgery I try to remember all I can before I go under.. This time I was able to remember getting to the OR and speaking to the people. It was soo cold in there, I said "It feels like a morgue in here!" I held my mask to my face and the next thing I remember is the nurse telling me to take deep breaths. I do, and then I remember her telling me again to take more deep breaths, but this time it's after surgery. Everything went smoothly, no complications. He said my liver looked great and he could tell I followed my pre-op diet.. He even took the picture like I asked him too of my stomach before he detached it. It's great and gross! I get up to my room, I don't even remember being in recovery at all, or the trip up to my room.. I dozed a bit, then realized I had a cath.. UGH.. I didn't think I was going to have one, but I woke up with one.. I got a dose of pain meds and took a stroll around the nurses station and the floor. Did great, felt great.. Thirsty as hell, but I was expecting that anyway. I did have some gas pains, nothing like major or crippling, just annoying for a few days.. I was feeling well enough to tell my mom she could go ahead and go home for the night and I'd see her in the morning... BIG MISTAKE!!! Once all the anestestia wore off, and I was trying to be a tough girl my pain got way out of control around 2:30 that morning.. OMG!! Full blown hissy fit, sobbing (which didn't help my pain) infront of my poor male nurse... I asked if I could have a heating pad and that helped me finally go to sleep around 4 that morning.. I am then rudely interrupted from my slumber for the contrast test. So they make me drink this crap that is horrible to see if everything is running right, and stuff isn't leaking and all that good stuff.. I pass.. They even tell me I pass while I'm down there. Telling me I'll start my liquids that day.. YAY!! I go back up to my room.. Wait... wait.. wait.. wait for water.. Just gimmie some water!!! Finally my doctor's PA comes in like, "where are your liquids?" "uh, I don't know.. they haven't given them to me". Once she started talking I got my water! Soooo thirsty.. I sipped.. sipped.. sipped.. Apparently while I was drinking the water, my stomach decided it didn't like the morphine they were giving me anymore.. Every time I got a shot, I got soo sick to my stomach.. Like you know you're gonna puke when all that saliva starts forming in your mouth sick.. Then the heaving started... owwwwwww!! We went back to the dilauded (sp?) Until I could have the lortab elixir.. Night two my mom stayed, pain was manageable, but getting liquids down, not so much.. I didn't know how much I was supposed to be drinking when.. I wish they would have a chart saying by this time, you should have 60 cc's in such n such time.. So I got really confused.. Saturday rolls around, day to go home.. Woo! The on call doc comes and checks me out, gives me the ok to leave.. I didn't like him at all.. He just asked if I was drinking ok at that point I was, and poked my belly. Said ok.. Thankfully for my nurse, she reminded him that I hadn't had full liquids, meaning the shake, so I shouldn't be discharged until I had those after lunch. So lunch came, I drank the unjury shake with no problems and got to come home! I had FANTASTIC nurses, well except for two.. But they were CNA's and LPN's. My RN's were fantastic! I look like I've been beaten with all the bruising from the heparin shots and people's hand prints on my arms from moving me.. I do have a drain, they call it a "grenande". It's gross... UGH... My first night at home I slept soooo good.. Sooooo good.. My kids haven't been too crazy, but they know mommy isn't feeling so hot.. Last night I didn't sleep well.. I kept thinking about blood clots.. I have anxiety really bad, so it ran off with itself. Once I took my anxiety meds, I was ok.. And here I am today. I've already walked around my culdesac a few times, had my protein drinks, and getting ready for some juice before I update my FB. If you've finished this, thanks so much! I am sooo looking forward to this journey!!