Post-surgery update (or, "Where's My Morphine?")

[BlueDaisy]

Hello everyone, guess who made it through surgery and is home safe and somewhat sound? lol

Just got home yesterday afternoon. Now...what was I saying about being home by Thursday? I was just being transferred from ICU to a regular room on Thursday evening! Am I the queen of underestimating or what!

I'll post a quick update now, and come back later and do some more. Right now I'm just killing a bit of time until I can take more drugs. I sure do miss that morphine pump! lol Tylenol w/ codeine just isn't the same. Lesson learned: morphine is better for pain control and sleep. Also induces some wicked dreams.

The surgery was not uneventful, unfortunately. Even just being in the "starting gate", so to speak, was not much fun. I have a very small oral opening (also known as "mouth") so they had a difficult time, as they expected, intubating me. My throat STILL hurts from that NG tube and the insertion of same. I think I'd like to see the tool they used to move my tongue out of the way! Might like to use it on one of them in return! lol

Well, hubby is on his way down to help administer my antinausea meds; can't quite do this one on my own yet *grimace*. I'll continue the update later when I'm feeling better.

Thanks for all the prayers, etc. I've received

Blue

 

[Woodmiester]

Hi Blue, been awhile since we exchanged posts, but it's good to hear your doing well and I wish you a speedy recovery

 

[Native Alien]

Good to see you back my friend, do get better quickly, you have alot to catch up on here at Lit.

 

[STUDDOG]

Big kiss and hug Blue.....Hope you have a great day girl, feel wonderful and get some rest....

STUDDOG

 

[prettygrneyes]

hey blue,hope you are feeling better today...and have a speedy recovery....hugz and kisses hun.....take care and hurry back.... x12

 

[cookiejar]

Welcome home Blue, rest and have a quick recovery.


http://gerdesdesign.com/images/tubeimages/violets-roses.jpg

 

[tonitits]

Hope you are feeling ok today. Wishing you a very speedy recovery. Come back soon. Sending healing vibes your way.

 

[mayi]

for you blue , please take care and don't push it. enjoy the time of reflection and rest.

*i can't stand being in bed more then a day no matter how sick i am *

 

[Dumpling]

The BEST to you from Canada

 

[biggbear8]

Hello everyone, guess who made it through surgery and is home safe and somewhat sound? lol

Just got home yesterday afternoon. Now...what was I saying about being home by Thursday? I was just being transferred from ICU to a regular room on Thursday evening! Am I the queen of underestimating or what!

I'll post a quick update now, and come back later and do some more. Right now I'm just killing a bit of time until I can take more drugs. I sure do miss that morphine pump! lol Tylenol w/ codeine just isn't the same. Lesson learned: morphine is better for pain control and sleep. Also induces some wicked dreams.

The surgery was not uneventful, unfortunately. Even just being in the "starting gate", so to speak, was not much fun. I have a very small oral opening (also known as "mouth") so they had a difficult time, as they expected, intubating me. My throat STILL hurts from that NG tube and the insertion of same. I think I'd like to see the tool they used to move my tongue out of the way! Might like to use it on one of them in return! lol

Well, hubby is on his way down to help administer my antinausea meds; can't quite do this one on my own yet *grimace*. I'll continue the update later when I'm feeling better.

Thanks for all the prayers, etc. I've received

Blue

hugs kisses im so happy to hear that ur home and safe and sound for the most part thought of u often and kept u in my prayers now good luck with the rest of the program

hugs kisses
bear

 

[TxBelle]

Hey woman you take it easy now. Those meds might make you feel good , but you may end up paying for that "good" feeling later. Us gals have a way of over doing things . Take it easy.

 

[BlueDaisy]

Hello again everyone

Thanks so much to all of you. Your messages really help me feel better. I wasn't feeling very well today, so they helped perk me up.

Bear, I've been thinking about you all this past week, when I wasn't floating along on my morphine-induced haze lol We need to have a chat again pretty soon about the surgery. If I get sidetracked and forget, remind me, ok? :hugs:

Like I said, that morphine is some pretty good stuff! lol I'm sure they were giving me quite minimal doses; I don't think I'd want to be on a high dose...I don't remember most of the wild dreams I had, but in one I had sex with one of the Lit guys....and I don't even remember who it was! lol And then there were the fire ants when I'd close my eyes.....*shudder* lol they weren't after me, they were just "there". Really weird.

Back to the reality of the situation now. Later that day (Tues., surgery day) they took me to radiology for a "swallow study" (also known as an "upper GI"). When they raised the table so I'd be in an almost upright position, my oxygen saturation dropped pretty drastically. The stopped the test and took me for a CT scan, thinking I had a blood clot. Fortunately I didn't. But you know, there was a point there where I don't think I would have minded. I was lying on the gurney on my back, mouth dry as a Texas creek, with the feeling of something blocking my airway. I kept trying to tell them that I couldn't breathe, that something was in my throat. They finally gave me gauze with a bit of water in it to suck on; it helped a bit, but not much. I had to beg them to give me a suction thingie. That helped a bit, also. I had felt like I was going to die, with that feeling. A few times I thought the next couple of breaths surely would be my last.

They took me back to my ICU room, then took me back later and were able to complete the swallow study without further incidence. The swallow study, by the way, is to check to make sure there were no leaks around the staples.

I don't recall much about the next couple of days. It was Thursday evening before they took me over to the general surgery ward. I was there until Sunday afternoon, when I was released. That couple of days there was rather uneventful, also. Just the usual post-op recovery stage for the most part.

I really miss that hospital bed; it is difficult to sleep here at home without it (getting in and out of bed, or off the couch, etc is painful).

Went to the ER tonight, because I was afraid there was an infection or something wrong with the G-tube they left in. Nope, it is fine. My doc just happened to be there at the hospital so I got to see him instead of "just anybody". Actually, the surgeons here who do this procedure are really picky about their patients. They expect to be called when one of us is in the ER so they can make sure that whoever we see knows what they want checked, etc.

And my throat STILL hurts, a week later. They tell me it is from the NG tube, and the intubation process. I'll be so glad when it isn't hurting anymore.

Some random thoughts.....

Every once in a while, it hits me and I think, "oh my God! What have I done?" But that usually goes away pretty quickly when I realize how much of an improved "life quality" as well as "health quality" I should have. For about a year at least, I've pretty much have been a slug. I've had no energy for life, period.

I'm on a liquid diet for another couple of weeks. Hubby made biscuits tonight to go with their homemade soup. He blended the heck out of my soup, and I didn't get any biscuits. It was very hard to pass them up. And on the way home from the ER tonight, I saw a Long John Silver sign advertising popcorn shrimp. *groan*. But I just have to remind myself that I will get to eat "real foods" again. And when I do, I'll actually enjoy what I eat, instead of just wolfing it down. At least, I think that is what will happen. Right now it is...I'm savoring every tiny bite of soup, pudding, sip of Instant Breakfast drink, etc that goes down my throat.

I discovered some things that I didn't know...there are no stores in my area that carry Sugar Free Vanilla flavored Carnation Instant Breakfast, nor any that carry Fat Free (or low fat) Sugar Free pudding cups. I have to have the Low fat or fat free, and sugar free varities of everything. Why could I just not eat that way and skip the surgery? Because I tried many years doing that and it didn't work. With the surgery, one of the several ways that it helps with weight loss is the "dumping syndrome", produced by foods that do not agree with your body post-operatively. For most people this includes fatty and sugary foods. "Dumping" is characterized by sweating, nausea, vomiting, etc. Has been described as sort of "flu-like" feelings. It is not pleasant (I've seen my best friend go through it quite a few times since her surgery) and I do not look forward to experiencing it.

Just a FYI, other ways that the surgery helps with weight loss are 1) the most obvious, the "stomach" is stapled out of the way and a small "pouch" is created to replace it. The pouch is approximately the size of an adult thumb.
2) the way the intestines are routed, many nutrients are not absorbed. Life-long vitamin/mineral supplements must be taken.

There will be a life-long difficulty in eating enough protein each day. You learn to eat your protein foods first, before moving on to your veggies, etc. I need to find a good-tasting protein supplement. Anybody know of one that doesn't taste awful?

I guess I'll stop here. Sorry for the long missive, but my pain meds are kicking in and I tend to get kind of loopy....talktalktalk. lol

I hope that this is helpful to any of you who are contemplating the procedure. I know that there are several of you out there who are at least "thinking" about it (I know because they've told me...lol). I'm no expert, but if anyone wants to chat about the topic, feel free to e-mail me or send a PM.

Hugs to you all, and thanks again for all the best wishes and prayers.

 

[Native Alien]

Hang in there Girlfriend, it will get better. I know someone else that had the surgery some time back and she is doing fine.

You and the family are in my prayers.

 

[babydoll_73]

Hi Blue. We have never talked before but I wandered into this thread. I am having this surgery in about 4-5 weeks. It has been delayed so many times, that I sometimes wonder if it is even going to happen. I wish you a speedy recovery lots of good weight loss

Babydoll

 

[tonitits]

Hey Blue. Hang in there. It will get better. Thanks for the info. I have not considered the operation, but my mom did when they first started doing that procedure and the family talked her out of it. I did not realize what all went into the procedure. I wish you well and know that soon you will be much better, healthier and happier. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. May God Bless you and keep you during this time.

 

[biggbear8]

Hello again everyone

Thanks so much to all of you. Your messages really help me feel better. I wasn't feeling very well today, so they helped perk me up.

Bear, I've been thinking about you all this past week, when I wasn't floating along on my morphine-induced haze lol We need to have a chat again pretty soon about the surgery. If I get sidetracked and forget, remind me, ok? :hugs:

Like I said, that morphine is some pretty good stuff! lol I'm sure they were giving me quite minimal doses; I don't think I'd want to be on a high dose...I don't remember most of the wild dreams I had, but in one I had sex with one of the Lit guys....and I don't even remember who it was! lol And then there were the fire ants when I'd close my eyes.....*shudder* lol they weren't after me, they were just "there". Really weird.

Back to the reality of the situation now. Later that day (Tues., surgery day) they took me to radiology for a "swallow study" (also known as an "upper GI"). When they raised the table so I'd be in an almost upright position, my oxygen saturation dropped pretty drastically. The stopped the test and took me for a CT scan, thinking I had a blood clot. Fortunately I didn't. But you know, there was a point there where I don't think I would have minded. I was lying on the gurney on my back, mouth dry as a Texas creek, with the feeling of something blocking my airway. I kept trying to tell them that I couldn't breathe, that something was in my throat. They finally gave me gauze with a bit of water in it to suck on; it helped a bit, but not much. I had to beg them to give me a suction thingie. That helped a bit, also. I had felt like I was going to die, with that feeling. A few times I thought the next couple of breaths surely would be my last.

They took me back to my ICU room, then took me back later and were able to complete the swallow study without further incidence. The swallow study, by the way, is to check to make sure there were no leaks around the staples.

I don't recall much about the next couple of days. It was Thursday evening before they took me over to the general surgery ward. I was there until Sunday afternoon, when I was released. That couple of days there was rather uneventful, also. Just the usual post-op recovery stage for the most part.

I really miss that hospital bed; it is difficult to sleep here at home without it (getting in and out of bed, or off the couch, etc is painful).

Went to the ER tonight, because I was afraid there was an infection or something wrong with the G-tube they left in. Nope, it is fine. My doc just happened to be there at the hospital so I got to see him instead of "just anybody". Actually, the surgeons here who do this procedure are really picky about their patients. They expect to be called when one of us is in the ER so they can make sure that whoever we see knows what they want checked, etc.

And my throat STILL hurts, a week later. They tell me it is from the NG tube, and the intubation process. I'll be so glad when it isn't hurting anymore.

Some random thoughts.....

Every once in a while, it hits me and I think, "oh my God! What have I done?" But that usually goes away pretty quickly when I realize how much of an improved "life quality" as well as "health quality" I should have. For about a year at least, I've pretty much have been a slug. I've had no energy for life, period.

I'm on a liquid diet for another couple of weeks. Hubby made biscuits tonight to go with their homemade soup. He blended the heck out of my soup, and I didn't get any biscuits. It was very hard to pass them up. And on the way home from the ER tonight, I saw a Long John Silver sign advertising popcorn shrimp. *groan*. But I just have to remind myself that I will get to eat "real foods" again. And when I do, I'll actually enjoy what I eat, instead of just wolfing it down. At least, I think that is what will happen. Right now it is...I'm savoring every tiny bite of soup, pudding, sip of Instant Breakfast drink, etc that goes down my throat.

I discovered some things that I didn't know...there are no stores in my area that carry Sugar Free Vanilla flavored Carnation Instant Breakfast, nor any that carry Fat Free (or low fat) Sugar Free pudding cups. I have to have the Low fat or fat free, and sugar free varities of everything. Why could I just not eat that way and skip the surgery? Because I tried many years doing that and it didn't work. With the surgery, one of the several ways that it helps with weight loss is the "dumping syndrome", produced by foods that do not agree with your body post-operatively. For most people this includes fatty and sugary foods. "Dumping" is characterized by sweating, nausea, vomiting, etc. Has been described as sort of "flu-like" feelings. It is not pleasant (I've seen my best friend go through it quite a few times since her surgery) and I do not look forward to experiencing it.

Just a FYI, other ways that the surgery helps with weight loss are 1) the most obvious, the "stomach" is stapled out of the way and a small "pouch" is created to replace it. The pouch is approximately the size of an adult thumb.
2) the way the intestines are routed, many nutrients are not absorbed. Life-long vitamin/mineral supplements must be taken.

There will be a life-long difficulty in eating enough protein each day. You learn to eat your protein foods first, before moving on to your veggies, etc. I need to find a good-tasting protein supplement. Anybody know of one that doesn't taste awful?

I guess I'll stop here. Sorry for the long missive, but my pain meds are kicking in and I tend to get kind of loopy....talktalktalk. lol

I hope that this is helpful to any of you who are contemplating the procedure. I know that there are several of you out there who are at least "thinking" about it (I know because they've told me...lol). I'm no expert, but if anyone wants to chat about the topic, feel free to e-mail me or send a PM.

Hugs to you all, and thanks again for all the best wishes and prayers.

you bet hon ill remind you miss our chats and you hang in there everything will just fly by and just think of everything that u well be able to do again and how much better you well feel i know the pain is terrible and it seems like torture but in the long run you will be so much better . love you sweetheart and ill talk to you when u get ready ok
hugs and kisses and love still saying prayers for you and thinking about you love you hon kisssss we'll talk soon rest now and get better
bear
{{{{{{{{{{{ blue daisy }}}}}}}}}}}}

 

[TxBelle]

Blue you mentioned food tasting protien supplements....do you mean the shakes and pwders? If so I'm sure there are many different types out there but didn't know if weightlifting protien powders were what you had in mind. My hubby has used a few and a couple tasted very good. I'll ask him which ones they were. All I know is that they were expensive but Steve felt so much better when he had it handy.

Hugs
Belle

 

[BlueDaisy]

Good morning everyone....

Toni, Bear and NA....thanks. You're all so sweet. I do appreciate the prayers!

Belle...yeah, that is pretty much what I mean. My best friend who had this surgery tried quite a few before she found one that she liked; I need to ask her what it is called. They are expensive, but when something is absolutely necessary, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. If you want to send the names of some he really prefers, I'd appreciate it. I prefer vanilla! lol

Babydoll, PM me if you wish and we can chat about it if you want to. I understand about the delays. I should have had mine a year ago, but had to have some tests repeated, etc. Thanks for the good wishes, and all. *hugs*

 

[Secret Kate]

Hey Blue - glad to see you back.

My friend here at the office said her daughter had to walk a whole lot afterward - and is glad she did it helped to speed the recovery process. So start walking!!!

I'll check with her on the protein drinks and see what I can find out for you - as well as any other suggestions since she just had the surgery 3 months ago.

 

[TxBelle]

Belle...yeah, that is pretty much what I mean. My best friend who had this surgery tried quite a few before she found one that she liked; I need to ask her what it is called. They are expensive, but when something is absolutely necessary, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. If you want to send the names of some he really prefers, I'd appreciate it. I prefer vanilla! lol

Steve says the "Designer Whey" product is very good. He almost always gets everything in strawberry flavor but had tried the vanilla. It was yummy. He also mentioned he'd gotten a sample pack of Myoplex and thought it was pretty good as well. Just go wild in your local GNC and get some samples of various items if you can. Don't orget to splurge on something really nice that serves no other purpose in life but to make you feel better too!

 

[BlueDaisy]

Kate....yep, walking is highly encouraged. In fact, pretty much mandatory! lol The docs here will really rag on you if you don't. I'm slowly getting into it. I tire very easily at this point. We went to the mall this AM (during pre-opening "mall-walking" time..lol). Walked almost the length of one end then back to the entrance and I was done in. Went over to Wal-Mart after that and I used one of those electric scooters they have. Just that short walk in the mall about did me in.
I'd like to hear about her thoughts on the protein drinks, too. Thanks.

Belle....I'll check that one out. Guess hitting GNC for samples would be a good idea. lol

Thanks ladies... I really appreciate you. Hugs to you both!