Step by step guide to the VSG experience!

[DougNichols 124]

This is my step by step guide to what you'll probably experience getting sleeved. I'm writing this because I really wanted a step-by-step experience before I went and couldn't find a detailed one. Keep in mind, this is what I experienced but written to help you understand the overall process. Your experience will vary based upon complications, previous surgeries, etc.

That said, here we go:

After not eating or drinking anything past midnight, you'll arrive at the hospital early in the morning, probably like 6am'ish. Personally although I could eat the day before, I only drank Soups because I imagined the pain of pushing out a BM immediately after surgery would hurt - bad. And I wanted none of that. My plan worked perfectly. Advice: Eat nothing the day before.

You're guided to a lonely little room and given a hospital gown to put on plus some cute socks. Your family can hang out with you, and be there until you're actually wheeled away. The operating room nurse will come in, asking questions about your medical history, allergies and all that. Followed by another nurse who is charge of inserting your IV Fluid line. Then the Anesthesiologist shows up, asking the same questions both other nurses did. Almost like nobody reads your chart. You might get a surgeon visit, asking if you're ready to go and telling you a little about the surgery. He can meet your family members, and after an hour or so they wipe off your belly with a pre-OR towel to clean it off and begin the cart race down the hall.

The Anesthesiologist says he's giving you something to warm you up - it'll actually knock you out LOOOONG before reaching the OR.

You'll wake up to an excruciating pain in your stomach, like someone stabbed a sword completely through your chest. You can't breathe in fully because of the pain, and might panic a little. You're in a well lit room with several nurses and other people, but separated by thin curtains. You can hear the person next to you very clearly as your nurse hooks up your morphine and hands you a little black button to press. You'll press it - A LOT. It beeps once if successful (every 10 minutes), and three quick beeps when you got nothing.

Then they roll you into your room where family is already waiting. You'll tell them that it hurts really bad, but God bless morphine as you begin watching the clock to see when the next fix will be.

Press, beep, sleepy time.

Whirrr blip bop beep leg warmers.

Press, beep, sleepy time.

Whirrr blip bop beep leg warmers.

Repeat for several hours.

Another sound vibrates through the room. A whizzzz blip blop beep every few seconds. That's the leg massager. It's attached like a bandage wrap around your knee down to your ankle, with wires connecting to the end of your bed. The funny sounding device mashes different parts of your leg, like a weak blood pressure machine, every few seconds to ensure deep vein thrombosis doesn't set in. When you're ready to walk around (which won't be for a while), you can either yank your leg up and pull the plug out or have the nurse disconnect manually. Keep in mind that it'll start beeping like a flat-lined heart monitor if you do it yourself, and they might get annoyed.

Now comes your primary nurse who'll write her name on a little chalkboard along with your "tech". My tech was Sunny, which was an awesome name! The tech rolls around a little cart containing a blood pressure machine and thermometer. You'll hear the squeaky cart roll in once every few hours, at which time she'll ask you your name. You already know my name from 2 hours ago, did you forget or what? Like someone else snuck into your room?

After she leaves, along comes the "breathing nurse" who has a third-grade toy with a ball inside. She instructs you to stick one end in your mouth and suck on it until you reach 2800. Of course, you still can't breathe in all the way because it hurts like the Jesus, but she makes you try. You say "dude I can't breathe, hurts" and she's like "whatever". This is to avoid Pneumonia so be sure to not skip this, even though you want to bounce the plastic toy off her forehead for putting you in so much pain.

Every couple hours I played with my new plastic ball toy, pressed my black button and sat around in pain. You won't be able to roll over on your sides because it hurts A LOT. The main nurse will instruct you to do it however, in order to get out of bed. After some time the marching, way too happy, morale officer of the floor will arrive with something like a cute dog. Mine was eating a candy bar, so I wanted to slap her too. She asks if I wanted to pet the dog - uh dude I can't reach down that far. Show him to my mom.

You'll get a menu with a number to call for some chicken or beef broth. I chose chicken my first round, along with a powdered Protein packet and apple juice. No way you'll eat the whole thing, maybe like 1/4 the bowl and 1/3 the apple juice container. It was quite yummy, and I didn't realize I was hungry.

If you need to pee, they force you to use this big plastic jar to see how much Fluid is coming out. Once you fill it up, they get all excited and measure it then dump into the toilet.

Twelve hours goes by, and you're bored. There's only so many reruns of American Choppers you can possibly watch on television, so it's time to get up and walk around. You beep the tech to unhook your legs, then roll onto your side (OUCH) and get out of bed like some 108 year old man in violent pain. I had timed a morphine shot before attempting this, just in case. But it made me really dizzy, not recommended.

You'll also have 2-3 new friends during your walk: Catheter, On-Q pump and Drain. The catheter is where your pee goes. Personally, I didn't need one but many people do. In that case, there's no need to pee into the large tupperware container. Second is your drain, which consists of bright red Kool-Aid looking stuff the nurse will squirt out every few hours. And finally a big ball labeled "On-Q Pump". MAKE SURE these are clipped to your hospital gown. You do not want any of those items hanging free, because they will pull out of your body over time, leaving a nasty mess on your stomach. And that's bad.

Now they unplug your morphine/IV mini-tower and you begin a journey down the hallway holding onto it in tow. Everybody leans on the tower, no biggie. Just don't expect it to carry you, or that tall monster topples over like Godzilla at the end of the movie. There's a spot to hang your pee jar on, but don't do that or nurses get really pissed off cause it might spill in the hallway. I figured everybody would be excited to measure it, so I'd take it to them as I walked. They weren't at all enthusiastic.

After two laps, it's time to return to bed. It hurts a lot, so you'll mash the black button like a Pavlovian dog until the morphine kicks in. By now, 12 hours have elapsed and it's time for bed. Be sure to get some food before the kitchen closes, which was like 7pm for me. I knew I stayed up until like 1am, so I wanted reserve food. Into the nurses' refrigerator it went to be heated up later.

Now here's an important point: Those Protein powder packets turn into nasty floating white stuff in your broth when microwaved. Don't add it to your last meal of the day that you're planning on reheating.

After watching Craig Furgeson be silly on the television, it's sleepy time! Or not - the squeaky cart rolls in, and Sunny tech girl asks your name AGAIN. Honey, it's still me for the love of God. Then the nurse checks on you, ok I'll breathe into my toy now that I'm up. And finally more sleep.

At 6am yet another nurse arrives to take your blood. I'm sleepy, whatever - just hurry up. Sunny's back AGAIN asking my name. It's rush hour traffic. They unhook your morphine and switch to oral pain killer liquids. Everytime you get dosed, they ask your name and birthday AGAIN. I should have had it tatooed on my arm before I arrived. Time to eat, walky time.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP! While I'm laying there, my mini-tower new walking buddy starts behaving like he's having a seizure. I never plugged him in after the last walk, and his little battery is getting low. Be sure to re-plug!

How many nights you stay depends upon your insurance and pre-arrangements. I highly recommend you stay as many nights as possible. Can't stress this enough: Trying to get fluids in at home (which hurts!) vs. the IV fluids is a huge leap. Don't be in a rush to leave.

You're given a large stack of papers describing the medications they prescribe upon exiting the hospital. You'll need someone to drive you to the pharmacy to get all of them filled. You MUST have these meds, they include the pain medication which will be vital that first night out. You also need someone to drive you back to the hospital in case of any complications. Things to have at home BEFORE you arrive:

- A thermometer (mandatory). If you feel horrible and need to call your surgeon, he'll ask your temperature. "I don't know" is the wrong answer - have a thermometer at home.

- A blood pressure machine (mandatory). You can buy these for like $40 that go on the wrist in case your arm is too fat to hold a standard velcro wrap. If you've been on blood pressure medications BEFORE surgery, they will knock your BP into the very-low-danger-zone afterwards, so this is vital to keep your eye on. If this happens, call your primary doctor immediately to see how you need to adjust those drugs.

- A heating pad. Absolute God-send after you've just painfully rolled out of bed to pee.

Anyways, this was my experience! I hope this assists someone who wants more information about what happens behind the hospital doors.

[My Big Day 3/15/2011 4]

Love the humor you added to your story and thanks for not sugar coating the fact that it will be painful afterwards. I am waiting insurance approval and plan to have surgery March 15th. I know my surgeon personally as I am a nurse in the operating room and my husband is a surgical technician. I can't wait for my real journey to get started as soon as I get past the hurdle of insurance. Good luck on your post-op journey...looks like you are doing great.

[Caliblonde 25]

This totally made me laugh. Thanks for posting it.

[creativeteach 20]

Thanks for sharing your story.

[GeorgieGirl1957 0]

Well your experience was a little different than mine, but we're both almost the same amount of time post op.

How is the weight loss going? Are you feeling good? Problems? Any other thoughts you might want to share?

gg

[DougNichols 124]

How is the weight loss going? Are you feeling good? Problems? Any other thoughts you might want to share?

Feeling fantastic! Went to the gym today, and set the treadmill on level 1, speed 1 (pace around the house kinda intensity) for 30 minutes.

Found some great organic Soups that are all creamy, and got my V8 / ISOPures.

Not weighing myself, cause I know it'll drop like magic. Just focusing on the basics - the rest will fall in place.

You?

[VSGandMe2011 (DisneyMomma) 20]

That was great!! Thanks, Doug!!!

[BZButterfly79 19]

This was awesome and so what I like to read very funny and true-thanks!

[morethan 4]

My surgery is scheduled for Monday, February 7, 2011. Your adventure made me laugh so, that I will reflect back on it on Monday. I have had an abdominal surgery before, and could recall the things you have shared in your story. I am hoping the pain will be less severe since it is laposcopic (as oppose to the open surgeries I have had in the past). Never the less I am still excited about finially getting sleeved. But, that for making me laugh. :laugh:

[myrori 55]

I don't remember the recovery room at all! I don't remember getting taken to my room. I remember waking up in my room when my husband was asking me where I wanted my clothes. I had a diluadid pump, not morphine and I hit that button every time I could! They never got me out of bed until the next day after they took my cath out.

They had given me a hug bear in pre op along with that damn third grade toy I wanted to break into a million pieces.

A word of caution, not everything you think you just thinking while on drugs stays in your brain,,,,,, evidently my thoughts flow freely from my mouth when on drugs. I was told I talked to a girls friend and kept telling how much I love diluadid and when they came in the middle of the night to take blood and so rudely flipped on the lights I thought I was thinking it , but I actually said out load " how F^$@Q$%#^ing rude"! So you have been warned your thoughts may flow freely on drugs:)

[Diane 24]

Thanks for the cute story Doug. I am getting sleeved on Feb. 14th - your story made me laugh - and because I have had other surgerys before it had a familiar ring to it. LOLS.

Keep us posted on your progress!

Diane

[brandman25 0]

Man not trying to be mean but man im glad my expeirience was nothing like that i had surgery woke had no pain but gas in my chest and that was gone 2 days later i felt 100% by the 3rd day.

Knock on wood lol

[Becca 108]

That is so great to share your experience in such detail! I am so jealous though- I never got a morphine pump! I did get the good stuff through my IV anytime I needed it, but waking up with no pains meds was not nice. I cried for some in recovery and then when they moved me to my room, I started screaming for the nurse because my stomach was burning. LOL Once that was over, I was fine. The nurses were good about taking care of me and making sure I had my pain controlled. I wish you the best and I am impressed you are already at the gym! Way to go!

[Disney 20]

Thanks for sharing, Doug! Love, love, love details!!!

One thing I have never understood, they actually expect that you will be coherent enough to use that morphine pump immediately after surgery?!? and they SPECIFICALLY say that family members cannot push it for you. FORGET that, my mother and my sister were pushing it for me when I was so out of it, but so OBVIOUSLY in pain that my knuckles were white from grabbing the railing on the bed after I had my hysterectomy. Really a silly rule to let you get to the point of hurting so much that you can barely ease the pain again.

I mean, I was pretty much out of it for just about 24 hours after surgery( I get really nauseas and have to take tons of Phenergan, so therefore sleepy time), there is NO way I could have pushed that button. In fact, my sister was watching me, and she would say, it's been long enough, it's ok to push it now, and I would try but I was pressing the side of the thingy, not the button on top.

[hollieann 0]

HI Im 3 weeks post op! and everytime i bend over or lay on my side! the pain is awful in my tummy...just wondering if anyone else still had pain this far out??? No fever... or vomitting..just pain bad enough that you gotta move to get out of the position fast.... once you move to your back it stops... ..scared! help!