tammyvb12

I don't really know how to tell my story, but I can give a quick run down of how the surgery went and some of the thoughts I was dealing with.

Tuesday March 27, 2012, I was scheduled to have the sleeve as well as my gall bladder removed. Surgery was tentatively set for 3pm, but was moved up to 10:30am - 11am ish due to cancellation. I was ok with this, but I am scared of not waking up after anastesia. I have only had 2 other surgeries in my life and those have been within the last 4 years. I reported to the hospital with my husband by my side, scared as could be of the unknown. My personality is one that always has me prepared and preplanned for things to come. I used to joke that I had my life on a flowchart and if something was not on my flowchart, then it was not supposed to be in my life. Well, my husband made me realize that flowcharts can be altered - actually he was never on my flowchart, but I am so happy to have found my other part of me 5 years ago. He is the best thing that has happened to me and has truly been supportive. My size has never been an issue with him, but it has for me, so when I spoke with him regarding the surgery, I told him I was looking for his support, not his approval. He not only has been supportive, but has been so helpful and positive to help get me through the pain and stumbling blocks.

He was there by my side the entire time, from the time I left for surgery to as soon as he could be back at my side at recovery. He waited, patientily and ready to support me. He kept a clear head to fully understand what the surgeon told him of the surgery as well as what were the next steps. During my recovery time, he met a couple of work friends as well as waited to hear about the delivery of our granddaughter (now being delivered through c-section due to some complications). The mirical of cell phones - what would we have done without them!

Well, he stuck with me late into the first night. The hospital had a bedroom adjoined to my room that he could have stayed, but I wanted him to have a good night's sleep, so he did leave, but it was late. He helped me to start to move and to understand that I was not going to get anything by mouth until 5-6am the next morning. I was so pissed. All I wanted was some ice chips to suck on, I wanted water, I wanted something as my throat was so dry and scratchy, something to go down. But I was informed nothing - zippo, zero !! He helped me through this, but knew I was made - I love my water!!

The first night was terrible, the nursing staff tried to get me up to walk and go to the bathroom, but I was so drugged up that I could not walk and was so "out of it", but I was useless. They finally decided to in/out catheter me to relieve my bladder that was on the verge of bursting -- may be not literally, but it was way full and I was unable to relieve myself. Once that was done, it seemed that nature just stayed active and I maintained my own ability to relieve on a regular basis. When the time finally came that I was able to get something to drink, I wanted to gulp and fill myself up, but they warned me of dong this would cause my body to "dump". I did have some dry heaves, but did not produce any vomit and man did that hurt to heave. I heard the lady next door to me doing the same thing and I did not want to vomit, so I realized quickly that I needed to sip and not over induldge.

Husband came back the next day and spent it with me, focusing on every hour the need to get up and walk, try to relieve myself and start to take in liquids. With his support, my first day was very successful, but still a lot of pain. I did not go home until the second day, so that night he left some what early to head home, get some sleep and attend work the next day. I was able to meet the criteria for release the next day. Getting up by myself during the night to hit the bathroom and walk the hallway showed my determination to head home. Afternoon the second day, I was on my way home and off to my next adventure.

At this point, I have asked myself so many times if this is really what I bargained for. I was not prepared for the pain, the restrictions, the food intake and the pills. I told my husband, I would choose not to do this again at this point and regretted that I had done it. His encouragement was always that the pain will pass and the results will start to be seen. He found out that a guy at his work had just returned from the same surgery a week prior to me. With his interaction with this guy and seeing his status, my husband continues to provide support and positive comments.