You ladies are all just too awesome for words!
I'm here, on the loser's side and finally able to communicate reasonably well. Please excuse the typos though....
We got up at 4am Tues, drove the 1 hour & 15 mins to the hospital, check in and then proceeded to sit and wait. My surgery was 3 hours late. So I started out quite nervous and scared, but towards the end of that 3 hour delay- I just want to go home....
But they came to get me, walked me into the OR, I met with my surgeon, anesthesia (he looked like that Arthur mouse characted, or a gay Eastern-European.) LOL. Anyways, they walked me in the OR, I sat up on the table, they started strapping me in and then the light went out.
Next I remember, I was in recovery and Horribly, Extremely, Uncontrollably nauseous. I was given so many drugs in PACU.... finally they wheeled me out to my room and I was so thankful that my bf was there. He put his hand on my head and my arm and that was a major reassurance for me. So for all of Tuesday and into early Wednesday morning- I was uncontrollably dry-heaving and sometimes would throw up big chunks of blood.... My surgeon came in to see me Tuesday night, and thankfully ordered round the clock anti-emetic drugs for me. I finally got some good rest in between bathroom breaks, meds, walking the halls and having fluids pushed at me. Whew.
I feel like my stomach has been kicked in a few times. I'm guessing the pain would be a bit less if it were not for all the vomiting. But, I never once needed my PCA for pain (did not really want to experience the Morphine, or any of it's side effects either). The nausea was my worst expereince.
Anyways, he sent me home last night around 8:30pm. We got home, I stripped and fell into bed. And then proceeded to be up about every hour to pee, and attempt to dry heave some more.
I think it was around 7am I finally kicked my honey out of bed to go get my prescriptions filled so I could end the nausea and dry heaves.
So. Drugs are good. Boyfriends are also good. I've already lost about 8 lbs since surgery. I'm sure it's all water weight since I haven't been able to drink much... but I can feel a difference in my Pannus. It is hanging lower, and this it is more painful to walk around. I find I have having to hold my belly up when I am walking.
Last note- I find it excruciatingly painful to drink super small sips. It seems like maybe there is gas in my new stomach that is competing for the space or something.... After some of the gas is burped up- I don't have as much pain with drinking- just discomfort. Any stories or advice in that arena would be so apprecaited!
Thanks so much to all of you- oh and i did get pics of my stomach, as well as before pics and some of my Lap sites. I'll try and post some of that tomorrow.