jfire204
I am now a post op
Jan 22, 2010
Well folks, Tuesday the 19th was the big day. what a journey it has been since then..... i just wanted to write about my experience while it is fresh in my mind.
St Vincent Charity Hospital Cleveland
Dr Aviv Ben-Meir
First off everything went well. I am thrilled i did it and the whole process was fairly uneventful.
I guess day one started on Monday with the the bowel prep. I have tried and ingested many different things in my life, but i must say Magnesium Citrate is the absolute worst. Not just for the results it achieves but the taste is truly awful. Three 10oz bottles sure did the job. I don't know what i was thinking but i had allot of tasks to complete that day and had my 3yo daughter with me as well. That was a bad idea. I began drinking the stuff on an empty stomach at about 10:30am. by 11:00am i was glued to the toilet until about midnight. It was quite an internal struggle to drink the second dose at 2:00pm, but i did it.
Alarm went off at 7:00am for my 9:00am arrival to the Hospital. My friend had dropped me off at the hospital in the morning. Just wanted to add that i chose to go through this by myself. i am a very social person however i like to keep personal issues to myself. No one was with me from the time i was dropped off until i was picked up. Again this was my choice.
Everything was prepared for me when arrived at the hospital and admitting sent me straight up to the Pre Op department. I waited about a half an hour, received my ID band and was sent to change into the gown. All of my personal items were placed in a locker so i did not have to worry about them. I then hopped on a bed, met with anesthesia, and got my IV. My surgeon stopped by to say hello and answer any questions that i may have. I was then taken to the OR at about 11:00. They asked me to scoot over to the table placed a mask on me and started securing me to the table. i was in there for about a total of three minuets when they said we are going to start putting you to sleep soon. Those words are the last i remember until i woke up in PACU.
OOOWWWWWCCCHHHHH. i woke up to a ton of pain and my groaning and swearing elicited a prompt response to the team in the unit. I was quickly given something IV for pain that curbed it very quickly. I would like to add that the pain i felt when i woke up far exceeded any expectation i had. With that said they reacted promptly to elevate it. I was given a button that gives a dose of morphine each time i press it. This became my best friend the remainder of the day. I remained in PACU several hours after surgery popping in and out of consciousness.
At around 6:00pm i was taken up to my room. The nurse assessed me with an emphasis on my pain level and promptly said OK its time to get up out of this bed. She slowly, gently assisted me and before i knew it i was "walking" down the hall. It was incredible how the pain had subsided so much from just a few hours ago. The rest of the night was mostly spent recovering and i think i may have walked once or twice more.
At 8:30am i was taken down to radiology for a test to ensure that the pouch is intact with no leaks. They stand you up in front of an x-ray machine for a series of films. Some while you are sipping a dye solution and some without. Don't worry the dye is lovely compared to the mag citrate. After my second dose of the dye i began to feel full to my throughout. It was noted by the radiologist that the dye was moving quite slowly out of my newly formed pouch. I waited for about an hour did some walking, took some more films with the same results, and repeated again in other 30min again the same. The radiologist suggested that i try a few ice chips. BAD IDEA. i found out what it feels like to have a "full pouch" very unpleasant however it goes away in about 20min. Eventually the dye was able to clear and i was sent back to my room at about 2:30. After a long exhausting day in radiology i took a long much needed rest. I tried sipping on ice chips through the day that induced horrific hiccups each time i tried. The pain was managed well so i just kept walking up and down the halls trying to get things moving. The surgeon stopped in that evening and said i had a little extra swelling that occurred from time to time in patients and that it will go away but they will probably keep me an extra day just to be sure.
I woke up the next morning and began to sip ice chips without an issue. i progressed to clear liquids throughout the day with success. As much as i could i just kept walking to keep the healing process moving. I actually was feeling pretty good this day. That afternoon the catheter was removed and made walking that much easier. The morphine pump was also removed and i was given liquid percocet for my pain. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful.
Got my first tray the next morning of broth, tea, and juice. All went down well. This day Was spent focusing on moving and getting enough fluids in. In the evening the house doctor came in and removed the drain from the center of my upper abdomen. I would suggest getting a dose of pain medication before this is done because you do feel some discomfort. The surgeon stopped back in and said that i was progressing well and will be going home the next day.
The next morning the IV was removed and i was allowed to take a shower. The dietitian came in that day for some teaching as well as the Bariatric nurse for discharge instructions. Oh and my BP had been so good while in the hospital that i was instructed that i no longer need to take them!! I spent the rest of the morning focusing on moving and getting enough fluids in. i was released around 1:00pm and was feeling pretty good. I walked to my friends car and strapped in for the 1.5hour drive home. i wish i would have taken some pain medication before i left because the bumpy ride took a toll on me. I arrived home and promptly opened the pain medication which quickly relived any discomfort. I asked my friend to hang around for awhile until i get things in order, so we watched a movie, i took a nap. When i woke i was able to easily perform the day to day tasks so i cut him loose.
Its now my first morning at home and i am enjoying a protein shake for breakfast as i write this. All is well, things are looking up, its always darkest before the dawn..... Just had to toss a few of those in.
ill give you folks an update as things move forward
Joe
0 comments
St Vincent Charity Hospital Cleveland
Dr Aviv Ben-Meir
First off everything went well. I am thrilled i did it and the whole process was fairly uneventful.
I guess day one started on Monday with the the bowel prep. I have tried and ingested many different things in my life, but i must say Magnesium Citrate is the absolute worst. Not just for the results it achieves but the taste is truly awful. Three 10oz bottles sure did the job. I don't know what i was thinking but i had allot of tasks to complete that day and had my 3yo daughter with me as well. That was a bad idea. I began drinking the stuff on an empty stomach at about 10:30am. by 11:00am i was glued to the toilet until about midnight. It was quite an internal struggle to drink the second dose at 2:00pm, but i did it.
Alarm went off at 7:00am for my 9:00am arrival to the Hospital. My friend had dropped me off at the hospital in the morning. Just wanted to add that i chose to go through this by myself. i am a very social person however i like to keep personal issues to myself. No one was with me from the time i was dropped off until i was picked up. Again this was my choice.
Everything was prepared for me when arrived at the hospital and admitting sent me straight up to the Pre Op department. I waited about a half an hour, received my ID band and was sent to change into the gown. All of my personal items were placed in a locker so i did not have to worry about them. I then hopped on a bed, met with anesthesia, and got my IV. My surgeon stopped by to say hello and answer any questions that i may have. I was then taken to the OR at about 11:00. They asked me to scoot over to the table placed a mask on me and started securing me to the table. i was in there for about a total of three minuets when they said we are going to start putting you to sleep soon. Those words are the last i remember until i woke up in PACU.
OOOWWWWWCCCHHHHH. i woke up to a ton of pain and my groaning and swearing elicited a prompt response to the team in the unit. I was quickly given something IV for pain that curbed it very quickly. I would like to add that the pain i felt when i woke up far exceeded any expectation i had. With that said they reacted promptly to elevate it. I was given a button that gives a dose of morphine each time i press it. This became my best friend the remainder of the day. I remained in PACU several hours after surgery popping in and out of consciousness.
At around 6:00pm i was taken up to my room. The nurse assessed me with an emphasis on my pain level and promptly said OK its time to get up out of this bed. She slowly, gently assisted me and before i knew it i was "walking" down the hall. It was incredible how the pain had subsided so much from just a few hours ago. The rest of the night was mostly spent recovering and i think i may have walked once or twice more.
At 8:30am i was taken down to radiology for a test to ensure that the pouch is intact with no leaks. They stand you up in front of an x-ray machine for a series of films. Some while you are sipping a dye solution and some without. Don't worry the dye is lovely compared to the mag citrate. After my second dose of the dye i began to feel full to my throughout. It was noted by the radiologist that the dye was moving quite slowly out of my newly formed pouch. I waited for about an hour did some walking, took some more films with the same results, and repeated again in other 30min again the same. The radiologist suggested that i try a few ice chips. BAD IDEA. i found out what it feels like to have a "full pouch" very unpleasant however it goes away in about 20min. Eventually the dye was able to clear and i was sent back to my room at about 2:30. After a long exhausting day in radiology i took a long much needed rest. I tried sipping on ice chips through the day that induced horrific hiccups each time i tried. The pain was managed well so i just kept walking up and down the halls trying to get things moving. The surgeon stopped in that evening and said i had a little extra swelling that occurred from time to time in patients and that it will go away but they will probably keep me an extra day just to be sure.
I woke up the next morning and began to sip ice chips without an issue. i progressed to clear liquids throughout the day with success. As much as i could i just kept walking to keep the healing process moving. I actually was feeling pretty good this day. That afternoon the catheter was removed and made walking that much easier. The morphine pump was also removed and i was given liquid percocet for my pain. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful.
Got my first tray the next morning of broth, tea, and juice. All went down well. This day Was spent focusing on moving and getting enough fluids in. In the evening the house doctor came in and removed the drain from the center of my upper abdomen. I would suggest getting a dose of pain medication before this is done because you do feel some discomfort. The surgeon stopped back in and said that i was progressing well and will be going home the next day.
The next morning the IV was removed and i was allowed to take a shower. The dietitian came in that day for some teaching as well as the Bariatric nurse for discharge instructions. Oh and my BP had been so good while in the hospital that i was instructed that i no longer need to take them!! I spent the rest of the morning focusing on moving and getting enough fluids in. i was released around 1:00pm and was feeling pretty good. I walked to my friends car and strapped in for the 1.5hour drive home. i wish i would have taken some pain medication before i left because the bumpy ride took a toll on me. I arrived home and promptly opened the pain medication which quickly relived any discomfort. I asked my friend to hang around for awhile until i get things in order, so we watched a movie, i took a nap. When i woke i was able to easily perform the day to day tasks so i cut him loose.
Its now my first morning at home and i am enjoying a protein shake for breakfast as i write this. All is well, things are looking up, its always darkest before the dawn..... Just had to toss a few of those in.
ill give you folks an update as things move forward
Joe
Got my surgery date!
Dec 20, 2009
Well January 19th is the big day. Pre op testing December 28th. Damn excited to get this going
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