A Whole New World!

Well, I am 5 days post-surgery, and life is good :)  I've had a lot of people asking about the surgery and what it was like and how things are feeling and the like, so I am going to do that here.  I have a couple of pictures, but I won't post any of the incisions or anything like that :) 

The Lead Up:
So as I have posted before, I was on a liquid fast for the 3 weeks leading up to the surgery.  It was hard, but I ended up losing 30 pounds on it so I really can't complain!!

The Day-Of:

  Getting ready to go in!

We got to the hospital at 8am, and by 9 we were all checked in. They started my IV around 10, and started me on saline and an antibiotic to make sure I didn't get an infection after surgery.  I am a really hard start with IV's, and they got it on only 3 tries!!!  (This is compared to the 27 tries when I was in hospital after Gracie was born!)  After that, we got to play the waiting game.  I was due to go in at noon, and got delayed until about 2pm. 

When I got wheeled down to the OR waiting area, my doctor, Dr Church (AMAZING SURGEON!!), came to discuss the surgery and make sure I was ready to go.  I made a point to make sure to ask if he was feeling steady and if he'd had a good sleep :)  Then, the anaesthesiologist came over to chat and tell me about the anaesthetic part of the surgery.  Then, I waited about 20 minutes and the nurse came to get me and she wheeled me down to the Operating Room.  When we got down there, I was introduced to the other doctors and nurses in the room, and I was transferred onto the operating table and my legs were strapped down.  The sweet nurse came and held my hand, and the last thing I remember was her promising me that they would take good care of me :)

When I woke up, I had a blood pressure cuff on my arm and compression stockings on my legs that help prevent blood clots.  I was super groggy when I woke up, and kept asking why I had 3 blood pressure cuffs on :)  And I must have asked at least a half-dozen times if the lap-band was in; I was assured several times that it was :)  I was really nauseous and it quite a lot of pain, so I ended up staying in the Recovery Room for 4 hours; poor Keith!  He was such a trooper, and he stayed the entire time I was there, so he was on his own for about 8 hours all together. 

After the Recovery Room, I was taken back to the Day Surgery area which would be my home for the next 18 hours, and I was FINALLY able to see Keith.  It was a tearful reunion!  Or at least, it was tearful for me!  I got to have my first sips of water, which was HEAVENLY, and then I was taken off all liquids until the next day as I had to do a Swallow Test, where you swallow some fluid and they take an X-Ray to make sure that the band is in place and that it all looks good before they send you home.  A couple of hours later, the surgeon came in again to chat with me and I was told that everything looked good and I was cleared to go home!  YAY!!!  We waited for a wheel chair for about 90 minutes, and then we were on our way! 

I have 5 incisions on my belly; one in the middle under my bustline, one about 3 inches below that, one to the right and between the two, and then two on the left side.  The one at the bottom in the middle is the largest incision and is about 2-3 inches long, and the ones under my bustline and on the top left are currently the most painful.  I also had my tummy pumped full of gas during the surgery, so there has been a lot of pain from that as it tries to escape as well.  At one point I was worried that I would need a string tied to my wrist so I wouldn't float away!  The worst was that the pain gets deferred from the diaphragm to the shoulder, so it felt like every muscle in my left shoulder and across my chest was cramping at the same time.  It was brutal!  Luckily that only lasted for a couple of days, and the pain I'm feeling now is mostly from the incisions.  The gas pain is slowly ebbing, thank God, and I'm very slowly beginning to feel a bit better.  I was given liquid codeine to help with the pain, and I definitely can't take that again.  I get horrible dizzy spells and bouts of nausea, so I have only taken that twice since I've been home.  Liquid Tylenol has been my best friend, although I REALLY don't understand why it is so ridiculously sweet!!  No wonder Gracie always wants to take her "medicine"!!

This is the surprise I came home to!  It smells heavenly in our room right now!!

I have been resting a lot, and have had lots of cuddles from the best little nurse in training :)  My sweet mum has been cooking and cleaning and taking care of my little girl, and my wonderful hubby had just been amazing.  He's been camping out on the floor of our room in a sleeping bag, just in case I need help in the night :)  He has been so supportive and amazing, and I don't think I could have done this without him!! 

And that's basically it! I am down 55 pounds since I started the Weight Management Program last year, and I feel like a new woman!  Here is a very blurry "After" shot :)  Please keep in mind that I have a very painful incision in my bustline, so the "Girls" aren't up where they should be! 

 

You can see how bloaty my poor tummy still is.  But look!  I have collarbones!!  HOORAY!!

Love J