I was banded on October 31st, Halloween no less. My husband took me to hospital while my mum looked after our 7 month old son. I was hard going in as I had never been away from my son before.
We arrived at the hospital at 7:30 am and went to admissions. After doing all the paper work they took me through to the day surgery unit to wait. I had a quick chat with the nurse who took my blood pressure and had a chat about the day with me. I waited for about an hour and they then took me through to the changing area. I put on one of their lovely back to front gowns and was in the process of putting on embolism stockings when they came through and said I was up in 15 min. I got to say a very quick goodbye to my hubby and then went through to the pre-surgery waiting area and had a bit of a lay down on the bed before being wheeled in to surgery. I also ran in to my friends mum and had a bit of a chat with her.
Once in surgery they hooked me up to a drip and then sent me off to sleep with some gas. I woke up in recovery to the voice of a nurse who was 7 months pregnant. It was the same nurse who looked after me in recovery after having my son via c section. Turned out the day my son was born she went home and found out she was pregnant so she referred to me as her good luck charm as she had been trying to get pregnant for 3 years. I also remember her putting ice on my lips and mouth, it was so nice.
I then went to the ward and was hooked up to this thing that pumped air around my legs to prevent blood clots. I slept heaps and later that night they helped me get up so I could go to the toilet. I then slept some more. That first 24 hours I sipped water and at lunch the next day i had a bit of broth, but wasn't really hungry. I had a self administering morphine pump but didn't need to use it. I had one lot of morphine at mid night they day of the surgery and then nothing else, I was a bit sore but not in any real pain.
I had visitors that day and saw my son and slept heaps. I was supposed to stay 2 nights but at 8 am on the second night I was watching a film with my hubby who was laying in bed while I sat in a chair. I walked to the nurses station and told them I wanted to go home to my family. They rang my doctor who said ok so home I went a little over 24 hours after the surgery and needed no pain meds.
The first 5 to 7 days are the worst I think but with every day it gets easier. 3 days after surgery I was bathing and feeding my son. 10 post op and I am walking 3 km with no pain. I would do it all again in a heart beat.