Wow, it's been a long time since I've been on here. I know some of you have been asking for updates...sorry I've been such a blog slacker. Well, here it goes...on November 17, 2010 at 1:00 pm, I was given the "I don't care" medicine (aka Versed) by the Anesthesiologist, and rolled back into the O.R. My memory of everything from that point is very patchy...don't remember the trip down the hallway, but I remember helping the nurses move me to the operating table. Then I remember an oxygen mask being placed over my nose, and that's it. I woke up in a completely different room...a sort of holding tank for surgery patients who are waiting for a room. A nurse was beside me practically the entire time I was in the recovery holding room..which I'm told was around 3 1/2 hours-watching my vitals, etc. I was later told that I slept most of that time. Travis was allowed to come back and see me...I remember being so relieved to see his face..to see the relief on his face. My mom came back to see me-they were only allowed to stay for a few minutes each. Somewhere around 6:30 pm I was moved to my room that would be home for the next few days.
The first night was the worst. A good bit of pain...also, during surgery, they inflate your abdomen with air which becomes trapped, and slowly has to work its way around and out of your body. The worst part is when the gas gets trapped in your shoulders...sounds weird, I know. I wasn't allowed to have anything by mouth yet, so they kept giving me Dilaudid (pain medicine) through my IV...but it would only last maybe 30 minutes at best. It was a rough night. The next day I was taken for my swallow test (x-ray) to make sure that I didn't have any leaks in the new pouch or the sutures. All post-op testing went well. Once I passed the swallow test, I was allowed to begin drinking clear liquids...and ounce at a time...broth, water, diluted juice, etc. The next night was better. Since I was allowed to drink, I was given liquid Loritab (liquid Hydrocodone), which lasted a good 4 hours at least, and I was given more if I needed it. Next day I was progressed to full liquids...still only an ounce at a time, but this time I could have protein shakes, yogurt, things like that. I was released from the hospital on Friday, November 19th at around 1:30 pm.
Fast forward about a month and half....I am eating normally now-everything is "let's try it and see". The dietician told me if something doesn't agree with me, give it a few weeks, then try that food again. So far, there's not much that my pouch absolutely cannot tolerate. I'm still doing protein shakes to make sure I get plenty of protein in, but I'm eating 3 meals a day. I can eat about 4 ounces at each meal. It's been a radical adjustment...I don't get hungry any more. Of course, when it's meal time, then I want to eat food, but physical hunger-it's gone. I eat because I know I need to eat. I've only gotten sick once..Christmas Day, in fact. :-) I took a few too big bites of ham, and didn't chew them well enough...and woo, did my pouch let me know it. Lesson learned. At this point, that's what it's all about-learning what I can and cannot do. But I'm very happy to say that Travis and I went to Carrabas on New Years Eve...I ate Chicken Bryan (straight from heaven, I'm telling you), italian green beans, a little bit of garlic mashed potatoes, and one very small piece of bread. I even had a glass of sangria! And it was great!!
I'm back at the gym, working out like crazy, and feeling SO GOOD! My energy is coming back, better than ever. I'm loving the way I feel!! Since surgery I've lost about 20 pounds...I stalled for about a week-which I'm told is to be expected-your body goes into self-protect mode when you're losing weight...especially this fast, so stalls are normal. The recovery had its rough points, but nowhere near the ordeal that I expected...I had built up much worse in my mind, I guess. I can honestly say at this point...NO REGRETS. NONE WHATSOEVER. During the holidays, I did miss "big food"...I missed being able to gorge and gorge on everything in sight...but I'm discovering that there is a lot of freedom in not feeling like I have to eat everything in sight. I eat to live....I no longer live to eat. Wow...that is freedom to me.
