Recovering from Surgery at the hospital...October 28-30, 2010
"If you want to enjoy a rainbow, you have to put up with the rain".--Dolly Parton
Recovery at the hospital wasn't easy. At times I was in so much pain that I swore I had made a bad decision. I said.."look at me I mutilated my life" The truth is even though I was in pain and uncomfortable I felt productive, proactive, and like I was for once in years"gettin to livin". I have told many of a day last December when I woke up at home out of breath, ill with pneumonia, and to fat to get out of bed to grab my inhaler and my water. I said to myself... Self, get off your fat ass and do something about this or blow your brains out...Get on with it but ya cant keep letting your self wake up each day dead...be dead or live alive. Even though I was in the hospital recovering from gastric Bypass and even though there was multiple complications and I felt like shit...I was living for once not dieing. I have stopped the dieing process and chose to live. So living is what I planned on doing.
As of the second day of recovery I had been poked and prodded at so much . You see my left lung partially collapsed due to shock and trauma of the invasive abdominal surgery
I subjected myself to. The medical staff had to insert a breathing tube until they could repair the lung and get my oxygenation on track. My levels were in the low 80s and needed to be in the high 90s. I also noticed that one of the reasons I was in extreme pain is because they had to make 8 incisions verses the 4 they planned on making. Both of my surgeons are very respected in the weight loss surgical field, said the surgery was difficult and they were surprised how good I was healing....? Hello?? I felt like Poo. I had endured CT scans, Echo cardiograms, vascular sonograms, Chest ex rays and even 14 tubes of blood work. This all happened my second night during my stay so as you can imagine sleep was a commodity I searched for and took when I could. I was working with a respiratory team and we were working very hard to find out what was wrong with me.People have asked me wernt you concerned with the risks? Yes but I also had risks to staying fat and I would much rather be taking my chances walking this journey than eating myself dead. Remember Progress always involves risk; you can't steal second base and keep your foot on first!
I subjected myself to. The medical staff had to insert a breathing tube until they could repair the lung and get my oxygenation on track. My levels were in the low 80s and needed to be in the high 90s. I also noticed that one of the reasons I was in extreme pain is because they had to make 8 incisions verses the 4 they planned on making. Both of my surgeons are very respected in the weight loss surgical field, said the surgery was difficult and they were surprised how good I was healing....? Hello?? I felt like Poo. I had endured CT scans, Echo cardiograms, vascular sonograms, Chest ex rays and even 14 tubes of blood work. This all happened my second night during my stay so as you can imagine sleep was a commodity I searched for and took when I could. I was working with a respiratory team and we were working very hard to find out what was wrong with me.People have asked me wernt you concerned with the risks? Yes but I also had risks to staying fat and I would much rather be taking my chances walking this journey than eating myself dead. Remember Progress always involves risk; you can't steal second base and keep your foot on first!
That night I remembered a bible verse that I had held to in weeks past. "The Lord is near to all who call on him,To all who call on him in truth, He fulfills the desires of those who fear him he hears there cry and saves them." (Psalms 145:18,19) Oh how I cried out tho him..GOD I'm dieing,I'm in so much pain, I'm scared, I'm troubled...give me strength and PLEASE deliver me from this pain!! My Parents were such a support for me they walked with me hand in hand the whole experience. Never once did I feel alone or support less. I had Dad and Mom there walking me through this. I know my parents were exhausted but they never let it show. Jess kept Tabb's on me via phone as she cared for landon. One evening I called her and cried for a good hour "I cant believe I did this Jess...I in so much pain". She just listened and then said Hun..You can do it...it seems bad now but you will look back and see how this was the right thing to do!" Everyone let me know they loved me and I needed to hear it. If you are contemplating the decision of a possible gastric bypass..Make sure you have a good support system because, you WILL need it.
As I was walking through the pain and change I also faced a new way to eat,drink, and live. Now immediately following surgery I was allowed 1 ounce of sugar free clear fluid ever
y hour and it increased every day to 3 ounces at the time of my departure from the hospital. I must say the first day I really thought I was going to die...I was SO SO thirsty yet my stomach was full so easily. Even as I was leaving the hospital it was a challenge to deal with. I find it very funny that my mind is hungry but my tummy isn't...weird. I have had to pace myself because I couldn't drink as many ounces as frequently as they wanted so I'm just going at my own pace so I don't get sick. I didn't throw up at all during my hospital stay but let me tell you when I sipped to much to quick I hurt. Its defiantly trial and error learning what works for you. I kept fighting and sipping and walking through the pain. I started walking up the hallway a few hundred feet and by the time I was getting ready to leave I was walking Lapps around the surgical recovery floor....Crazy. As each day went by I emerged into my normal witty determined self. Walking is a major component in recovering not only does it give you more energy it loosens the gas trapped in your abdominal cavity from surgery and helps the b
owls move. Two important effects you want to experience there at the hospital..lol One of the older nurses would say "Michael lets get up and get those gas bubbles a poppin...lets fart,burp, and walk together...lol she was crazy but it did ease the embarrassment.
y hour and it increased every day to 3 ounces at the time of my departure from the hospital. I must say the first day I really thought I was going to die...I was SO SO thirsty yet my stomach was full so easily. Even as I was leaving the hospital it was a challenge to deal with. I find it very funny that my mind is hungry but my tummy isn't...weird. I have had to pace myself because I couldn't drink as many ounces as frequently as they wanted so I'm just going at my own pace so I don't get sick. I didn't throw up at all during my hospital stay but let me tell you when I sipped to much to quick I hurt. Its defiantly trial and error learning what works for you. I kept fighting and sipping and walking through the pain. I started walking up the hallway a few hundred feet and by the time I was getting ready to leave I was walking Lapps around the surgical recovery floor....Crazy. As each day went by I emerged into my normal witty determined self. Walking is a major component in recovering not only does it give you more energy it loosens the gas trapped in your abdominal cavity from surgery and helps the b
owls move. Two important effects you want to experience there at the hospital..lol One of the older nurses would say "Michael lets get up and get those gas bubbles a poppin...lets fart,burp, and walk together...lol she was crazy but it did ease the embarrassment.As soon as they were able to get my blood levels,oxygenation levels, and lung functions under control the doctors agreed to send me home....I was like what? Home? Whats that? I came home Saturday October 30,2010....who hoo! I got up really early that day and my Dad helped me wash up really good as showering still wasn't possible. The Doc came and saw me ,took my big drain out and went over my post op instructions. I helped my Dad get all my belongings together and we headed out. Out to Pottstown to visit my son and wifey but then on to MD to recover at my parents where little hands wont be able to pounce on me and where Mom and Dad could help me out as Jess my wife has just had back surgery we didn't want to risk her taking care of me and hurting herself. Off we went....boy was that car ride home painfully freeing...lol
No comments:
Post a Comment