My Surgery Happens
The day before Surgery March 26th I weighed 309 lbs. I had planned on having some beautiful sit down meal the day before surgery, but like much of my life I had to work all day and then work for my Franchise business I own SportClips at night for a marketing event I couldn’t miss.
So I ended up ordering my favorite Salad- Palm Canyon Salad from a restaurant, Salad, Shrimp, walnuts, strawberries, shaved coconut in a awesome sweet honey vinaigrette dressing. I should have enjoyed it sitting in a restaurant with my wife. Instead because I had a full day and had to work all night at a Sport Clips Marketing event I ended up ordering it via the phone, picked it up and inhaled it in my car in 15 minutes before I had to get back to Sport Clips work at night. Another one of many meals eaten too fast, not enjoyed and going- I’m sure right to my waistline. Not exactly how I wanted to end my old life before my new one began.
Thursday the 27th. Wasn’t nervous for the surgery, It went without a hitch. They were extremely helpful at the hospital. The prepped me, sent me up to the area where they put an IV in me. Anesthesiologist was awesome and explaining what would happen and was very calming. Next thing I know I’m in recovery.
That’s where things got interesting. Having never had a surgery I didn’t know I would react SO bad to Morphine. I was in recovery for 4 hours! In and out of it and the nurse said I snored a lot, not making many other patients comfortable with me being so loud I guess. They wheeled me up to my room and from Thursday night through Friday at noon I progressively felt worse and worse. I felt like my skin was inside out and all I wanted to do was puke, I felt like I was going to puke all the time but couldn’t. I got almost no sleep but by 11:30 Thursday night I was up and walking. I guess I didn’t read enough about the surgery. I didn’t realize I would have a Catheter in my penis and the IV would still be in. I have never felt so much Gas pain in my life. I couldn’t FART!
Friday Morning I walked the halls 5 times before 6 am hoping to get rid of the gas and the feeling that my skin was crawling and my body was inside out. I didn’t realize it wasn’t the surgery making me feel like that, it was the morphine. So every hour I would ask for more morphine and that made it even worse. My nurse didn’t know what to do with me during Friday morning. I couldn’t talk much and I was in so much pain, they sent me for an Upper GI to drink that liquid. The first time they came for me I told the transport I didn’t think I could make it down before throwing up. The transport went and got my nurse and then left. The Nurse called in people, including a doctor, I don’t remember most of it. All I know is my nurse said it was probably the Morphine making me feel so lousy not the surgery. She said I HAD to get down for the Upper GI before I could make progress. They came and got me, the whole wheelchair ride down I felt like I was going to puke all my guts, but I couldn’t, I was sweating so badly and couldn’t’ see well. It must be what an addict feels like when going in to withdrawal. I was left in the hallway shaking like a vagrant bum, while they went and got the Xray tech. They wheeled me in and I had no clue what they were telling me. All I know is a doctor came in, told me to stand in front of a machine and warned me the Barium I would have to drink would be horrible. It wasn’t that bad. But I just wanted to tear my skin off. They sent me to a waiting room in my wheelchair for a transport and I shook, sweated and dry puked for 45 minutes waiting for my transport to take me back to my room.
From 10 A.M Friday through 10 A.M Saturday I took No more pain killers to get the morphine out of my system. I didn’t feel pukey by 2 Saturday, but Then I realized how BAD the gas pains were. I walked every hour from Saturday at noon until the time I left the hospital. I could NOT get the gas out! I tried it all, walking, coughing, sleeping, meditating, I spent lot o time on the toilet trying to rock it out.. All with no success. Jesus why wouldn’t the GAS come out!!!!
By the time I was released Sunday I still hadn’t gotten the Gas out! UGHHHH when would it end? I was released Sunday at 1:30. My wife came and got me, we walked down together and since I had driven myself there on Sunday we had 2 cars. Don’t tell my doctor, I drove myself home, but I had no painkillers in me and we had no way of getting me home.
***I made a conscious decision to not tell most people of my surgery. My day job keeps me very busy as a consultant and if I don’t perform I don’t have a job at the bank. I didn’t think they needed to know my personal business. Owning 2 Sport Clips Franchises, having over 40 employees, mostly stylist working for me I didn’t feel the need to share with them of my surgery either. They rely on me for a paycheck and I didn’t want them thinking I did this surgery for Vanity…which it was NOT. We decided NOT to tell my 3 children age 5,6 and 9 as they wouldn’t understand a decision like this. My 9 year old has some of his own body issues at 9, although we make sure he is much more active then I was at a young age. I thought it would be best to show through my success of managing what I eat and my exercise that I can lose weight for my family. My Parent, sister and family we decided as they have their own weight issues and 2 of my relatives have had a similar surgery with NO success (because of their decisions to not follow the plan) to not tell them either. I have covered my few days off by stating I had a hernia surgery. I plan on returning to work Monday after surgery. Fortunately being a bank consultant I can work from home the next week or 2 for most of the day between appointments. It’s hard to balance, work, a business franchise, a marriage and raising 3 little kids with all their events and find more then a few days to take off work.
It will be very important to log all that I do and not make mistakes in time managing, eating properly, resting, drinking enough and making the most of my surgery. It’s a new me! A New Birthday.
How do I ad picutures to the post? I have them on my blog and on an album..but learning how to use this still.
__________________
 It's A Good Life
|