Carrie's Story - ThinnerTimes

chilmoe · 09-17-2006, 09:04 AM

Warning this is very long and full of spelling errors.......Okay, Day of surgery Monday, Sept. 11/06 (9/11) - maybe that date was a sign to stay home?...anyway...I drove myself to the hospital, upon arrival to admission as everyone else, I had my temp taken, it was 37.8, she was puzzled, saying that wasn't normal but wasn't a fever either, asked me if i was feeling okay, other than nervous i admitted, i said i have been and am fine, so she shrugged and said okay, then respiratory came in, he did the breathing tests, started asking me are you asthmatic, i said no, asked do you smoke, i said, no, never, he said really, never? I was not doing so well i guess, so the nurse pipes up, she said shes very nervous, so the three of us chalked it up to nerves and they proceeded with everything else for pre-op..and did not pass any of this info onto the Doc. So I have my surgery, leaving my mother's name as emergency contact and someone to contact to after surgery to let my family now how it went (as I was more than 4 hours away from home).....anyway my surgery was less than an hour(and i had open) as my time was 745am and at 859am Doc called my mom, who thought i had died as was not expecting a call so soon, after the panic settled, the Doc told her everything went great, as i had no prior inscions or scar tissue or current gall bladder problems, that checked out well too and the surgery was done and i was in recovery....that's where my story begins. In recovery, I remember waking up and okay the pain was bad, I asked for something for pain, seemed to get something, but it did nothing, not even took the edge off, i asked three more times, each time i felt like someone was there and giving me something. On the fifth time asking (probably over a half an hour) I heard her say to someone, I have given her 4 shots of morphine, i can't give her anything else. Still no edge off the pain, then I felt really funny and went to sleep. I remember being wheeled to my room, I remember fighting really hard to open my eyes to find a clock, as i looked up i saw it was 1130am, my mother-in-law was standing there, she asked me if it was bad, i thought i said yes, i thought i reached my hand to her, off and on i remember nurses coming in, i could hear everything, thought i was responding to their chatter and questions, turns out i wasnt, thought i was moving around, trying to sit up as i was on my back and that hurt to be too flat, turns out i wasnt moving. Next thing i remember someone shaking me, somehow i got my eyes open, someone in blue clothes standing there, says we called pharmacy, they think you had a reaction to the morphine, have you had a reaction before, i said yes, its on file, but it only came out slurred, and i drifted off again, next i remember looking up at the clock at 300pm and feeling someone kiss my hand, i said, mommy? she said yes i am here - I said, and she understood me, You are not suppose to be here (she had major lung surgery in july and should be taking it easy..anyway she said, Doc called me early and I panicked had to see how you were, and your brother needed a ride to red deer for work tomorrow so i came now and will leave tomorrow. I will go now and be back in a bit with your brother, you rest. So i did, and around 530pm they came back, i was able to open my eyes off and on when they were there, i thought i was talking fine, but they kept having to say what was that? and they could make out a bit of what i was saying, so the morphine must have been starting to wear off, and i was able to move my arms a bit, but they still felt so heavy, and my legs, still not much movement, and i was now aware that they were not moving much, i drifted off again until 8pm when the nurses came in and said, okay you have to get up and go to the bathroom -as now i had been lying on my back for 12 hours (this is relevant, you will learn why). So i tried to get up, oh my god, no one prepared me for that one, trying to stand for the first time (maybe cuz i had been lying down so long) but i had no strenght to pull myself up at all and when i got my legs over the bed (yes they moved, but so heavy) i felt stuck, so the nurses pulled me - ouch that hurt, they got me to the bathroom, i felt so shakey - then i went back to bed, and slept , i remember someon taking vitals and asking if i needed something for pain, i panicked and said not morphine, she said no demerol and since i was sick to my stomach with gravol, so i had that throughout the night, at 730am a nurse came in and said time for a shower, that was lovely, very difficut to get up still, but the shower was great, i went back to bed and was feeling better, but had numbness in my thighs (which i still have a bit and am hoping it is temporary, part of the reaction to morphine). I went off pain meds that afternoon, found i was groggy but not sleepy and the pain wasnt any better, so i kept on gravol as needed a couple of times but that was it. I got up for my walk late afternoon, and was heading out the door when the nurse walking in said hold up, doing vitals, so i stood there while she did blood pressure - quite high - pulse - racing, but i didnt feel that it was - and temp - sky rocketing, she gasped and said no walk get to bed, she called the doctor, and within a half an hour the chest xray machine was in my room, doc came in that night (this is day after surgery) and said, there is fluid in my lung. And i would go for a CT scan firt thing tomorrow. Wednesday, Day 3: Wheeled down for CT scan, i get in the room and the lady says, okay on the table, i look, the table cant be more than 6 inches off the floor, i was puzzled, how the h.e double hockey sticks am i going to get on that, i tried really hard and got on - no help, there was two techs and not very friendly - and as i was lying back - ouch - i saw a pillow not to far from head, so i was aiming for that and when i knew i was just about there, i released and went to gently fall into the pillow, one of the techs pulled the pillow, and i crashed down, my back hit the table a bit and i screeched as the pain in my chest and tummy increased for a moment, she said, oh, you have to be flat, i didnt say a word i could hardly breathe at the moment it hurt so much, anyway, they injected a dye into my arm which makes you feel like you have peed your pants, good thing i wasnt wearing any.......when finished, they said okay back in the wheelchair, i said how? ....From lying flat on my back, what seemed to be like being on the floor to getting myself into a wheelchair, but they were not offering assistance, so i wiggled and tried using my leg muscles to squat and pull myslef to a siting, got it, but when i tried to raise up, i started to lose my balance and reached for one of the techs, she grabbed my gown near my chest - where my nose tube was pinned to and yes, yanked a bit and it was pulled a bit, not out but it was no longer positioned where it should be and i was immediately gagging and then puking, i got upstairs and proceed to vomit nearly 6 hours, i explained to a few nurses that it accidently got pulled and its choking me, one tried to shine a flash light up my nose to see where it is, couldnt see, tried a stick on my toungue to see down my throat, i puked again, said they were not allowed to touch it. My doc came in just before 6pm, and says oh you dont look well, i said i had been vomitting all day and not because im sick but becasue i am gagging on the tube in my throat, explained it got pulled, he looked and said, yeah its not even in there right, it can come out now and we will deal with it tomorrow if needed after the leak test, he also told me the CT scan showed phemonia in my left lung and he has no explanation for that. I wanted to offer one, but talking made me gag and puke, so i didnt explain about the morning of surgery with the temp and failing respiratory - i must have had a chest infection then, then with the morphine reaction of being on my back for 12 hours - it must have turned into phenmonia - that was my explanation, but i couldnt get it out. So the nurses came in and removed that tube, that was gross, but i still cant believe how much better i felt instantly and my temp finally started to drop. Thursday, passed the leak test, got my IV out, but then had to start taking the antibiotics by mouth - horse pills, that was hard, without alot of water. I was feeling fine, still off pain meds, handling the pain on my own, thursday night my fever spiked a bit so he wouldnt let me go home as had the fever not gone up i was going home day 5, so saturday since the fever hadnt gone up and my temp was 37.5 he said i could go. I asked about driving, he said law states that you cannot be on pain meds, and that since i have been off since day 2, that was not an issue, but it states you have to be recovered, whatever that means, he said to take it around the block, see how i feel and if its okay then whatever..........he did know i was going back to red deer right? So i had my inlaws who live only 30 mins from the hospital come get me and take me to their place where my van stayed, called my hubby and said i was on my way, he said he would come get me once the kids are done their sport stuff, i said NO, i would be home by then, and if i got tired i would rest, I am surprised at the energy I had yesterday, what the heck was i running on? No food, barley any liquids compared to what im used and i drove straight home, got in and felt tired, sat down for a few minutes and that was it, oh and forgot to mention i had been up since 430am saturday morning, got home at 2pm and finally fell asleep at 1am this morning, only to wake again at 3pm and then slept off and on til 8am - on my couch, in the reclining end chair as i didnt think that i couldnt move around so well on bed, and when i did lay down on it, i got stuck and my hubby had to almost pick me up to get me off, so i think my wall-hugger will be my bed for while. And i still need to be elevated so my chest clears.

okay so that is my story, sorry it is so long, now i have a silly question, did my surgery work? was it done right?
my stomach is constantly growling, and i thought and was looking so forward to not feeling hungry - i am hungry and thirsty all the time
and i take sips, but how often can i take sips, get a heavy feeling when i sip so i stop but that feeling can last for hours and im scared to take more but still thirsty and so hungry - cant eat taking broth, sips too but how often does my stomach pouch empty, i take two sips and feel heavy for hours so i am only getting in 24 sips in a day - that cant be enough or is it for the first week?

Mavisavis · 09-17-2006, 09:21 AM

Wow Carrie.....what a time you had!

I'm glad you are home and all is ok. It sounds to me like they were negligent about your morphine reaction. Several people did not do their jobs. I am always asked several times by several people about allergies or reactions to drugs. It should have been known, well documented, and on a band right on your wrist! I also think personally, that it was negligent to let you drive.

I think the weird hunger feeling is normal. It's probably more your head and the pouch being confused and "new". The fact that you feel full and heavy after a few sips indicates that it is indeed working. You DO absolutely need more liquids than that. At this stage you need to put a drink in front of you and sip all day long. The rules about waiting and such do not apply right now. Also, try and make sure some have protein. Hang in there.....it will keep getting better. Please try and take care of yourself. I hope you feel much better quickly.

goingslimfast · 09-17-2006, 09:50 AM

Sorry to hear about your struggles. It wasn't fair to you!!!!

But do hang in there - those at home struggles will lessen, and do keep TT in mind for any concerns, questions etc... We're here for you!!!

Good luck,

chilmoe · 09-17-2006, 10:06 AM

you are so kind, and to say you would have driven me home, so nice

everyone was amazed at how well i am doing, i look good, and have so much energy - it seems wrong that i felt so good, the nurses and the doc said its unheard of to be off pain meds at 2 days and to feel this good, today i am shaking though and so thirsty, but that heavy feeling last so long and so i tried to drink anyway and i puked foam, what the heck is that, i did that in the hospital but i thought it was from the pills, i had to swallow so many and they were so big and heavy

i dont get it, i am glad i am not in so much pain i wanna die, i am glad to feel good, but i didnt expect to, i prepared myself for the worst and then it didnt happen

as to the morphine - they didnt call what i had before an allergic reaction, just a reaction, and so it was only cautioned in my file, my other allergies were on my wrist band - but you know how they ask you, so what reaction do you have to those - why should that matter - dont give them no matter what - even my doc asked what reaction to penicillin i have when he discovered the phenominia, obviously if i list it as an allergy i cant take it, when i said to the pre-admission/anesthetic person that the morphine causes me to get a heavy feeling and doesnt touch my pain, he said said maybe it wasnt administered properly, i still said i didnt want morphine but they do what they want anyway
oh well, i just want this to have worked thanks so much for being here, it is so great not to be alone

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mavisavis

Wow Carrie.....what a time you had!

I'm glad you are home and all is ok. It sounds to me like they were negligent about your morphine reaction. Several people did not do their jobs. I am always asked several times by several people about allergies or reactions to drugs. It should have been known, well documented, and on a band right on your wrist! I also think personally, that it was negligent to let you drive.

I think the weird hunger feeling is normal. It's probably more your head and the pouch being confused and "new". The fact that you feel full and heavy after a few sips indicates that it is indeed working. You DO absolutely need more liquids than that. At this stage you need to put a drink in front of you and sip all day long. The rules about waiting and such do not apply right now. Also, try and make sure some have protein. Hang in there.....it will keep getting better. Please try and take care of yourself. I hope you feel much better quickly.

LisaBoston · 09-17-2006, 11:08 AM

Carrie...wow what an experience. From having my surgery with the same doctor and same hospital, my expereince was no where near yours. I am glad you are doing ok. So amazing that you drove yourself...you must be feeling better.

Regarding the fluids...drink very, very slow. You have to remember that your pouch is the size of your baby finger right now. Sip throughout the day and very small amounts. Try water, herbal tea..I couldn't do crystal light this early out.

The pills, I chewed them for weeks and weeks before I would actually swallow one.

Was your surgery done right....I would have to say 99.9% yes. He is great surgeon and had done thousands of these.

The heaviness in your chest is normal. Sip slowly and try and burp..sounds silly, but its almost like an air bubble in there and you have to work at getting it out. I had it for a long time, not anymore.

I am here for you girl....if you need anything, let me know.

chilmoe · 09-17-2006, 11:23 AM

i burp every time i sip, it goes down and few seconds later, i burp , i am sipping slowly, but wait for that heavy feeling to pass but it can last hours and so i dont sip until it passes, but get so thirsty by then

Quote:

Originally Posted by LisaBoston

Carrie...wow what an experience. From having my surgery with the same doctor and same hospital, my expereince was no where near yours. I am glad you are doing ok. So amazing that you drove yourself...you must be feeling better.

Regarding the fluids...drink very, very slow. You have to remember that your pouch is the size of your baby finger right now. Sip throughout the day and very small amounts. Try water, herbal tea..I couldn't do crystal light this early out.

The pills, I chewed them for weeks and weeks before I would actually swallow one.

Was your surgery done right....I would have to say 99.9% yes. He is great surgeon and had done thousands of these.

The heaviness in your chest is normal. Sip slowly and try and burp..sounds silly, but its almost like an air bubble in there and you have to work at getting it out. I had it for a long time, not anymore.

I am here for you girl....if you need anything, let me know.

LisaBoston · 09-17-2006, 11:26 AM

Carrie, have you tried herbal tea. sometimes warm liquids can make it better. Its really a trial and error thing. Just take in what you can, small, small sips.

Take it real easy girl...go slow.

chilmoe · 09-17-2006, 11:31 AM

lisa,
i do have to say the nursing staff was absolutely amazing and wonderful and yes Nohr is a great doctor i even told him that, it was the techs that seemed to have it in for me and getting phemonia due to no one including myself not cluing into the fact that i musta had a chest infection upon arriving but it being chalked upto nerves, that was where things went wrong, without that i think i would have been okay, and for the morphine it would have passed, it was only becuase of the morphine i was left to lay down for 12 hours that it turned to phenmonia, but again, if i had caught that i had a chest infection that would never had happened, but neither would my surgery that day, so really it turned out for the best, maybe that is why i am blessed with such a quick recovery, we will see how it goes over the next few days, i was considering going back to work tomorrow (office work) as i am feeling like i should be doing something, but my hubby advises against it, maybe i will actually listen to him for once....not sure yet

chilmoe · 09-17-2006, 11:35 AM

i tried herbal tea last night, yummy, only about an ounce in an hour, but got a really heavy feeling, but didnt puke

i tried cup of soup, broth, chicken, yummy, warm, again very little, and over chewed one small noodle that got in there, it was good, and its fine, that was my breakfast, i am going to sit down today and figure out the food/liquid thing to make sure i am getting what i need and will figure out the vitamins that he suggested and all, i am also going to my doctor this week just to talk to him and give him the letter from Nohr

thanks so much for being here for me, it truly is appreciated, and i love that everyone answers so genuinely

AlabamaChick · 09-17-2006, 11:59 AM

Carrie, you have been through alot! I'm happy you are home and safe now. I had that foamy feeling when I came home also he frist few weeks. I had to keep spitting it out actually. Felt like it stayed in my throat. I had problems sipping too. I lived off of sugarfree popsicles. That was how I got most of my liquids in for a while. Water made me sick, sick, sick. I also had hunger pains starting about a week and a half out, so it's normal. I was afraid that my surgery did not work too because of hunger pains, but I am CERTAIN now that it did. The funny thing about hunger pains is IF you could eat something solid, ONE bite right now would fill you up! LOL I think what we believe are hunger pains may be the pouch adjusting and healing from what it has been through and may not necessarily mean hunger. It has been cut apart, so give it some time to heal. All of my sensations were jumbled up for a while and were really strange. Everything felt different. I could not decipher hunger from fullness for a few weeks. It's sort of like having a new baby and it crying and you go through the list of things to see what is wrong and will make it stop crying. It was trial and error to figure out what made the pouch happy. WELCOME TO THE LOSING SIDE!!!!!!

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