Aidanog

I was readmitted to the hospital on Labor Day with persistent nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Oh, and - of course - dehydration. This began six days of decline - I was in terrible, terrible pain and couldn’t keep so much as an ice chip down. They put in a picc line for nutrition. Meanwhile, the pain got so bad, so unreachable, that I don’t remember most of the last 2 days. Finally, at 9:30 pm on day 6, my doctor called me to say he’d come back to the hospital to look at every test I’d taken so far, and he called the chief of radiology to do it with him. They felt strongly that my gallbladder had to come out...NOW. They started the surgery at 2:00 am, and that saved my life, because the minute they visualized the gallbladder and determined it was necrotic and gangrenous, it burst. It was a long night for the surgeons. And my poor wife. I was immediately greatly improved. And as a reward, was given soft foods, which my new stomach was happy to receive. I’ve had one complication from the 2nd surgery. One of the incisions became infected. I now have a home nurse come every day to change the dressing and re-pack the wound. I have another 3 weeks or so of the wound care to go. <sigh> I can’t wait until I feel like myself again. I lost 40 pounds in a month, but not the way I would have liked, and it hasn’t brought me much joy yet. Does anyone else find soft/solid food easier than liquids? I get this uncomfortable gurgle in my belly with every sip. It makes it hard to get my fluids in.

My surgery was 8/22, and also included the repair of a huge hiatal hernia. (Huge is the clinical term...I thought they were trying to justify the extra 90 minutes and $16k.) I had some rough pain after surgery, spent three nights in the hospital, and stopped taking pain pills on day six. I tolerate liquids ok, though feel like there’s a traffic jam in the middle of my chest when I swallow anything - even water. On day 7 or 8 (Days have blurred.) I got a wicked rash across my torso and right arm. I’m fairly certain the rash is an allergic reaction to the antiseptic soap they sent home to wash my incisions. I think mostly to keep me sedated, and thus not an inconvenience over the holiday weekend, the Rx for the rash was 200 mg of Benydryl every 4 hours. I spent the last 3 days as a zombie - sleeping so much that I’m afraid I’m now dehydrated. I’d go to the ER, but, since my own doctor’s office doesn’t seem to listen to me, I’m afraid they won’t listen to me, either. I’m feeling panicky... I’m supposed to return to work on the 12th, and I’m only tolerating applesauce and yogurt, and I’m so weak, I can’t begin to describe it.

I am a week post op - surgery 8/22 - and just now able to write about this. There were some unforeseen complications ... among other things, a huge hiatal hernia so large, they couldn’t see it on the endoscopy... a stomach too thick for the regular stapler, requiring a larger port and larger stapler. Surgery lasted more than 90 minutes longer than the original range. (My poor wife was freaked out.) When I woke, I was in a lot of pain. The recovery room nurse seemed to think that asking for something for the pain was a clear indication I was an opiate addict. It wasn’t until I got to my room that I learned that I was in the first week of a new protocol 1) no longer using morphine post-op and 2) trying to limit pain meds across the board. After about 8 hours my surgeon came to check on me, and he ordered morphine. The nurse gave it to me once, and then told me they were cutting back. The next morning, When I told the attending that nothing was getting in front of the pain and that they had cut off the morphine, she said that wasn’t the case. That is how that went for the four days I was in the hospital. Always with the subtle implication that, if I was asking for pain meds, I was probably an addict. I didn’t feel like the floor nurses had any idea that the surgery was longer and harder and more invasive, and I felt any attempt to explain to them would come across as rationalization. All in all, pain control was not at the top of the list during this hospital stay. Yesterday I went to my 1 week follow up with the surgeon. On discharge, I had been given an Rx for 15 Oxycodone for “breakthrough pain” - though no one explained what that was - and 30 Tramadol. The doctor’s nurse asked me how many of each I had taken, and if I had brought them with me, so she could count! When I said I hadn’t, she LITERALLY tsked! Is this Universal now? I’m sure I could have handled this better, but I was in pain, and I didn’t. But soon I’m going to get a patient survey.

I drank the Siggi’s drinkable yogurt. It was sweet, but less sweet than protein shakes, and it had the tart edge and fruit flavor (but no seeds/solids).

I’m 24 hours post-op, also. The pain has been worse than I expected, too. I won’t go home til tomorrow. Good luck! Feel better!

Clear liquids? Oi! I had tomato soup with 2 ounces of lean chicken Italian sausage in it the nigh before my surgery! Ask if if you can have egg drop soup! It is low cal, low carb, and has protein. Good luck!

I’m so sorry! Stay up late, or set your alarm for 2:00 am, and drink a really big glass of water. Then go back to sleep and sleep and try to sleep late.

I got the call! My bypass surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 7:30!

I don’t really like sweet things, so I had to work at learning to like the protein shakes during my pre-op diet. I found that two shots of decaf espresso made me LOVE the Premier Protein caramel a chocolate flavors. God Almighty couldn’t make me like the vanilla...I can’t give them away. People seemed at a loss when I told them they couldn’t bring food after I got home from the hospital. Now, when someone asks what they can bring me when they visit, I’m just going to tell them 2 shots of decaf espresso!

Aidanog, if it makes you feel any better, I'm an RN that places PICCs, in addition to other specialty IVs. It's a very routine, low-risk procedure with very few complications. If you're okay with the surgery, you're going to get through the PICC just fine. They should numb you with a little lidocaine that stings a bit, but after that you shouldn't feel anything else, and everything is done through a single needle stick. You'll be fine Thank you for your comforting words. I know I shouldn’t be afraid, but I’ve had such terrible experiences with needles lately, just typing about them, my chest tightens up. But this, too, shall pass, and this time tomorrow night, it will be over!

I will be thinking of you tomorrow morning and sending you lots of positive energy.

It’s funny... the 800 calorie a day, low carb pre-op diet has been so restrictive, it has kept my mind completely off of the surgery. It hasn’t been an easy 2 weeks!

I kinda like the idea of 20 year old me rearing his ugly head and walking the halls with a giant boom box circa 1983 on his shoulder, playing music with the volume and the bass turned way up! Thanks for that mental image. I, too, laughed out loud. I have lupus, which last year, during a flare, caused a massive heart attack which left my heart damaged. It’s strong enjoyed to get by, but not if I stay at my present weight. It took a year to get where my cardiologist would clear me for surgery, which put me right back in the hottest part of the year...the most dangerous time for my lupus. I’ve been spending a lot of emotional energy just concentrating on not dying. I will be so glad when this is done and the next part of this journey is underway.

My typing was a little off last night! It should have read “Music for walking the hospital halls...”. I have a small Bluetooth speaker that lives in my backpack that I am taking, but for walking I will use headphones. I had friends suggest music for a playlist - songs they thought I would like or that were important to them, or were healing. A nephew and niece were particularly in tune with the exercise. Some people didn’t give very helpful suggestions..(“Anything by Chance the Rapper...”) but now that it is completed, it is an interesting, enjoyable playlist that also makes me think about these people I love and keep them close.

I am scheduled for 8/22. I am remarkably calm about the surgery, no worries or anxiety about it at all, but the day before I have to go in and have a picc line inserted - they haven’t been able to get veins without sticking me 7-10 the last three times I’ve been for blood work- and I’m terrified of the picc line. I know that isn’t rational, but try telling yourself that your fears aren’t rational when yours in the middle of an anxiety attack! Otherwise, the bag is packed, liquids purchased, dog walker engaged. Playlist for waking the hospital Halas is downloaded. I’m ready for the surgery. Bring it on.