Prep - I was called back into my prep room first. I had to take a pregnancy test (negative) and then got into a gown that has air pockets inside it - then they hooked me up to the wall and warm air blew into the gown. It was very nice and cozy. They took some blood and then started my IV. The surgeon came in and initialed my belly - seriously, it's still there - RD. Phil and my mom came back for a little bit and then the anesthesia nurse came in and talked with us. As a friend of my mom's, I was at ease. I could not get my wedding rings off so she made an exception and allowed me to keep them on rather than cutting them off (THANK YOU!!!). Pretty soon she was loading some sedative into my IV and I was kissing my hubs goodbye. Now, I didn't want to remember any part of the OR but I do. I got myself off the rolling bed and onto the operating table. I scooted down so my feet were on this big black pad. I then sat up a bit so they could pad my neck to slip the breathing tube in. Then they gave me the oxygen mask and I took three deep breaths. The next memories are foggy but I do remember Linda saying "That's it, Amy...you're all done!!! You did great!!!" and rolling towards the recovery room. Now I guess I was in recovery for a couple hours but it didn't feel like that long at all. I was pretty out of it. Even once I got to my room, I was in and out of sleep for most of the day. I'd close my eyes and it'd feel like 5 minutes and an hour or two would pass. I did get up and walk around the nurses station several times - first with Phil and then with another nurse later when he had to leave. The hospital was not restful - every hour or so someone was coming in to check vitals, give injections (Heprin mostly and a B12), give pain meds, change out IV bags, give antibiotics, check if I peed. Tuesday morning, Dr. Drew came to visit and check things out. I was right on track to leave after lunch and that's exactly what we did.
My pain meds are now pills. Pills are difficult to swallow now. A HALF of a pain pill takes me close to a half hour to get down. I don't need more than a half because I really am not in much pain. I'm sore for sure...and there's new sensations in my belly but they're not painful. They're more pressure. Plus the pain meds give me the most bizzare dreams. Sleeping at night is strange - I can sleep sound for a couple hours at a time but seem to have a new schedule of waking up at 3am and needing to pee and then not falling back to deep sleep. My little boys do not understand the idea of 'be gentle with Momma'. My belly is bruised up but the incisions from the ports are tiny.
I have adhesive from who-knows-what stuck everywhere. On my shoulders, under my boobs, in my armpits. I'm sure thay had hoses and tubes they had to tape down but the adhesive doesn't want to come off.
I've been to Target, Costco and Aldi with my mom - who's acting as my nurse/chauffeur for the next couple weeks. It is amazing how exhausting it is to heal. A morning trip to Costco and I slept on the couch for 2 hours.
Water intake is slow and steady. I start the morning with a full 32 ounce bottle knowing I need to consume at least 60 ounces by the end of the day. And then I say to myself "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time" and take a teeny tiny sip. My sips are tiny...no doubt about that one. And I know immediately if I've taken too big of a sip. It burns and hurts for several minutes. A container of yogurt (4 oz) lasts all day.
So that's it. I'm on the other side. The recovery side. The skinny side. I'm down 16 pounds from the pre-op diet and down 4 pounds since my weigh-in weight the day of surgery. I'm going moment to moment. I dream about food when I sleep and it's not pleasant dreams.
More to come...
-XO - Amy
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