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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> Well, as far as knowing what to expect I can tell you a little more about what went down on Monday.
Firstly I called the admitting dept at about 7pm on Friday, gave them my name and birthday and they told me to be there at 5:30am on Monday. So I was a little stressed about being late so I arrived around 5am at the entrance they told me. It seems the admitting dept is closed until 5:30 though so I had to wait down at the entrance until 5:30.
Around 5:30 I went up to same day admitting, and took a seat while they turned on the lights, and got papers etc ready. There where a number of people there for what seemed a bunch of different procedures. They had everyone sign in and wait to be called.
A little while later they called me, and I had to verify my name and birth date on some forms. After that they gave me a wrist band and sent me on to a small doctor's office type room. Once there I was directed to change into a gown, hairnet, and socks. Something they talked a lot about is the stuff you bring with you. They offer to put your valuable in the hospital safe, and to hang on to your bags for when you are moved to your room afterward but I had my family hang on to them.
At any rate I was in the room all changed for a while and a bunch of different people came to have me sign this and that. Some nurses, the anesthesiologist, and finally Dr. Ren. One form that turned out to be significant for me later was the form that enabled them to correct a ulcer of some sort if I had one. It turned out that I did, and from what I understand it is basically where your stomach has poped up into your chest cavity a bit, and they shove it back down (this is my interpretation they had some medical lingo for what they did).
After speaking to the doctor things moved pretty fast. They came and got me, and lead me into the operating room. I had to mention that I would like to use the restroom, and they let me do that, to be honest I was not sure how that works when you go under so I wanted to make sure I did not go on the table lol. Now up to this point I was pretty nervious, but it really hit me as I was walking to the room. Seeing the scrub sinks and the big peices of machiery made it all very real and in a sense frighteneing. Yet I gathered my courage and kept going. I got into the operating room itself and they had me lay down on a rather uncomfortable bed. After this there is not much more to tell, the anesthesiologist put in a iv, strapped down my arm, asked me to lean forward to put a blanket under my back. Then he placed a oxygen mask on me and asked me to take a few deep breaths.
Next thing I know I was in the recovery room. I slowly drifted back into wakefullness. I would be awake then doze off again, and I am not sure how long this lasted. Eventually I was awake and I remeber my mouth was extreamly dry. I asked the person that was watching me for some ice but she said it was too early for that, but I could have a swab. Never have I appreciated a spongy swab dipped in ice Water more then at that moment. After waiting there for a time a bed was arranged on the 13th floor, and they moved me up.
At this point there was not really much pain, just some woozyness (is that a word heh?). I layed there for a while, and the nurse told me about my options for pain managment, and about the spirometer (the back page of one of the pages in the packet you got from pre-surgical testing talks about it). The nurse also gave me some ice chips and said I could have some broth in 4 hours. There was a long period of just laying there, I would not say I was bored, just sort of relaxing, and I used it to put my mind in order.
I do need to make a side note that the nurses I had while I was there where really 10/10. They where very helpful, and knowledgeable. I was in a double room and they moved some people in and out that where personable and I spoke to them to pass the time.
I got up eventually, and I walked around, but right when I was getting back to bed I had the most queezy feeling and felt like I was going to puke. I told the nurse and she hooked up some stuff to my iv for queezyness that took care of that.
Later the doctor came in breifly and told me everything went well, and that I was a-ok.
I had some broth, and it went down quite easy. This turned out to be a little decieveing. I suppose that the stomache had not swollen like they said it would at this point and that is why I was able to drink so easily. As it is now I have to drink extreamly slow or I get a sort of backed up feeling.
The night passed fitfully. When you go into the operating room they put your legs in these blow up things that keep your circulationg going, and they had me wear those during the night. They where very uncomfortable, and hot, but oh well.
The next morning they had a meeting around 8 for the lap band patients. I met some of my fellow patients there. I had thought about going around before that to, I don't know just sort of say hello, but then I thought that they probably wanted to be left alone, and it would be rude of me to intrude. Anyway they went over the post sugery diet, and talked about your next visit for the esophogram.
Then it was all done, I told the nurse I was ready to leave, signed some papers, and took some pain medicine for the road (Thank goodness I thought of this because it seemed like every pot hole on the way home was ten feet deep). I had my family pick me up and went home.
Now I am at home. I find it a little difficult to lay down because it is hard to breath deep without pain, so the first night I pretty much slept with my back up. I did not get a very good night sleep, and there has been some soreness and pain. Oddly enough my computer chair gives me the best position to sit both minimizing pain, and making it easier to get up. Getting up from bed and chairs is hard because I use my stomach muscles for that, and they are really sore.
I have felt the pain and soreness go down since I got home, so I feel pretty positive about that. On the way home I picked up some pepcid complete chewables because I noticed that they kept hooking me up to a pepcid iv bag in the hospital. Nobody said acid would be a problem, and it hasn’t yet but I just wanted to be prepared. I also got some gas-x disolvable strips. Apparently they shoot some CO2 into you during the surgery that gives you shoulder pain similar to gas, and the gas-x does nothing for that, but it helps for regular stomach gas. I also got some kids gummy vites because I could not find any Centrum chewables.
Whew, that is about all I can think of off the top of my head. It is sort of a rant, but believe it or not it sort of helps to lay it all out on here, I have never been a journal person but I imagine this is what being one feels like.
I hope it helps, and I wish you the best of luck. Even when the pain and soreness where at their worst I did not regret my choice.