5 Days Post-Op

Well I did it. Yes, gastric bypass surgery is over and now the real work begins.

It was a little surreal being on the table in the OR when the surgical nurses announced my name and procedure. "She's having Roux-En-Y gastric bypass." Really? Did I actually finally make it? Yes, yes I did.

I woke up in recovery - well, sort of - I dozed in and out. I don't remember being transferred to the med-surg floor. I don't remember anything except that they said my breathing was very shallow. Well der - my abdomen was all torn up! It hurt!

My stay in the hospital couldn't have been better. I had excellent nurses in Heather, Windi, and Phyllis. They made my stay far more bearable and they were so good to me. I had some problems right away because I couldn't pee. What a strange problem. But looking back, every time I've had surgery I've had the same issues. I got over it though. I ended up staying 2 additional days because my pain and nausea weren't controlled well enough. I'm sure that is partially my fault for waiting too long to ask for the meds I needed. I think I'm paranoid because sometimes we get patients in who are total drug seekers and I did not want to be perceived that way. How strange of me!

So I went into the hospital on Monday and was finally discharged tonight. It has been an emotional few days simply because of not believing I'd actually made it to the end of the pre-op phase. But I did it. I did.

I haven't lost much weight so far, just 2lbs, but one of the nurses explained that my body is in "survival mode" and is holding on to any and all fluids I put into it. I won't weight myself for another week and then we'll talk. :)