Today is the BIG day…

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Today I came home from the hospital after my Gastric Sleeve surgery. But let me back up and start from the night before my surgery…

September 4, 2018

About 7:30pm Michelle, my friend from the facility, came over to help me with my special shower for surgery tomorrow. She shaved under my arm (armpits) and then she measured me, so I know where I started from. Then I took my special shower and got dressed for bed. She also took some “before” pictures of me so everyone could really see how large I really am. Afterward, I got everything put away and went to bed trying to keep my cat away from me as much as possible. Excited about tomorrow!!!

September 5, 2018

About 8:15am Michelle was back for special shower #2 and all I wanted to do was sleep some more. After the long shower, the phone kept ringing and ringing while I was getting dressed. When I finished dressing I called Richard back, that is who was calling, and he said he was down the hall coming to get me already. I guess the hospital was trying to get a hold of me to come early, they were running ahead of schedule. Well, I wasn’t even ready to go so I just shoved my CPAP in a bag and got my papers I needed and ran out the door forgetting my Med List, and phone charger. Richard headed back for them and we were off.

We didn’t get there early at all, but oh well. Richard came in the hospital with me to made sure I got to where I was supposed to be, then they left me there by myself to go back home. Good thing I wasn’t nervous because I was all alone till I came home on Saturday. My surgery was in Boise and so nobody could come to visit or anything.

Anyway, I waited for about 15 minutes and they called me back to the prepping area to get ready. I got to wear one of those cute little gowns that don’t close in the back. They put me on the bed backside down and there I was for the next 2 hours getting prepped for surgery. The minutes passed and questions were asked and I was hooked up to all the I.V.s and machines making all these beeping noises. Finally, it was my turn and they gave me a shot and the next thing I remember is being in the recovery room about 3 hours later. They asked how I felt and I felt fine, a little sore on my right side where they removed my stomach or at least most of it anyway.

gastric sleeve This is what they did to my stomach. They removed the larger part of my stomach and just left about a 2-4 ounce stomach.

I don’t remember much about that day except that they kept running tests and trying to get me to drink, drink, and drink more water. I couldn’t drink a lot at a time but in little sips a little at a time. But the problem was every time I took a sip I’d get a bubble in my throat that hurt a lot and made me burp. It was very sore and made me not want to drink. I just kept drinking until it was time for bed. At first, they weren’t going to give me my ‘Ambien’ to help me go and stay asleep, but I finally got it. I spent the rest of the night watching TV until I fell asleep.

September 6, 2918

Today is my oldest child’s birthday, Andrew, he is 37 today.

Well, yesterday went pretty well. I almost didn’t get my ‘Ambien’ last night, but they called Dr. Valentine and got it scheduled. I was almost asleep by the time they finally got it to me, but I wouldn’t have stayed asleep all night without it. Today was another good day, but I’m not getting all my meds, foot lotion, or eye drops. My eyes are running all the time. I didn’t realize how the eye drops helped until I didn’t have them. My feet will be really dry by the time I get home. My stomach doesn’t hurt that much except when I first get up and the first few steps I take, then it isn’t bad after that. I can’t lay on my right side yet so I have to have pillows under my left side to help be on my right side a little. I don’t know how long that will last. I have 4 small incisions in my upper stomach and one that is about an inch and a half long closer to my right side. When I had my Colin Cancer surgery I had the same small incisions but then about a 3-4 inch incision from my belly button down and it hurt for a long time and I couldn’t wear pants for a long time either. I’m in a hospital gown now and will be wearing my black yoga pants until I can get back into my jeans, capris. They are what I use for my PJs so I will just wear a regular shirt with them.

It hurts when I drink, I get bubbles in my chest and I have to burp a lot. They told me to stop using the straw and just take sips from the cup. That makes it a little better. I only walked 2 times yesterday and only 4 times today. I’m supposed to be walking more than that and I’m supposed to be passing gas by now. I only passed gas once and that was while I was on the toilet tonight. I have not had a BM yet, but I don’t think I’ll have one till after I go home on Friday. I’m feeling pretty good.

September 7, 2018

The doctor came in this morning and said I wouldn’t be going home today. I’m OK with that, another day to rest in the hospital and I’ll go home tomorrow. They set a goal of 6 times to walk today and to drink at least 40 or more ounces of liquid. I’m supposed to be drinking broth too, but it is yucky tasting. I eat the ice pop, the juice and eat the jello and the rest is water. It doesn’t hurt as much as yesterday to drink. It also doesn’t hurt as much when I get up to go potty and walk. I did well with my walking at first, but then I kept forgetting and wasn’t going to the bathroom much. I did walk 4 times and drank a lot more fluids.

About 4pm they came in my room and said that they didn’t think that Streamside would let me come home on a Saturday because there was no nurse there on the weekends. I called Streamside right away and they confirmed that I couldn’t come back until Monday when a nurse was there. I was really worried because I don’t think Medicare would pay the extra 2 days???

September 8, 2018

I don’t know if I can handle another 2 days in the hospital. But the nurse came in this morning and said that I have orders to go home. I was confused because Streamside said I couldn’t come home. I guess that the hospital called Streamside and they said I could as long as they get doctor orders and a list of all medications I was supposed to be taking. I called Streamside and talked to Michelle (old Med-Tech and friend) and she called Jill (administrator) and they got it all worked out so I could come back today. I called Larie (she works in the kitchen and is a church friend) to come and get me. They arrived around noon and I was home by about 12:30pm!!

However, every 2 hours I had to have my Blood Pressure, Temperature, and Oxygen taken to make sure I was doing OK. What a hassle. They wanted to wake me every 2 hours at night too, but I said, no way. That is worse than the hospital, but it was good to be back in my own bed. I didn’t really walk at all today, I just rested. I started on my protein shakes right away and drinking fluids. I found out my little fridge was ready to be picked up already, but I wouldn’t get it until Monday or Tuesday when someone could go get it at Walmart for me. I’m excited to get it. My cat, Kitty, was really glad to have me back home again.

What a day!

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Boy what a day I had today!! I got up and had breakfast and then went back to bed until 10:30am when Maria came and helped me with my shower. Then it was time for lunch and like usual they take forever to get to my table and get my order.

I was in a hurry because I had two appointments today in Boise for my up coming surgery. I had to leave no later then 12:30pm and I wasn’t ready to go, (maybe I shouldn’t have gone back to bed this morning). I forgot that I needed to bring stuff to my appointment. I needed my phone, binder, and med. list. Then I also had to get my 2pm meds from the Med-Tech so I could take them while I was gone. I had to get a new med. list for the doctor and I had to sign-out of the facility (we have to sign in and out each time we leave the facility). I got everything I needed and signed out just as Annette walked in to get me.

Then it was off to my 1st appointment which was pre-admin. at the hospital. We had never been there before so it was kind of crazy finding our way in Boise. We finally found the building but couldn’t find any parking. Richard finally got us to an elevator and dropped us off to get to the appointment. We didn’t really know where we were going so we just walked to the front of the nearest building and it was the right one. We had to walk up this really steep walk way to get inside. It is hard for me to walk up steep inclines with my brace on my right leg and my walker.

Richard finally found a parking spot and found us just before they called my name. We went to another part of the building to get an EKG and some blood work done and went through my Med. list to make sure everything was right. Then she asked a bunch of questions and I was done. Just in enough time to get to my pre-op appointment with Dr. Valentine, my surgeon.

I got there just a little late, but it was o.k. They took my weight, 300 pounds and my blood pressure which was good and then Dr. Valentine came in and talked to me about the surgery and about my meds. Everything is good and I’m ready for my surgery. I have to stop taking a few meds. until after the surgery and then start taking them again afterwords. My legs decided to go restless while I was at pre-admin. but settled down at the pre-op appointment.

Wow, what a Day. I will be glad when this is all over with. Tomorrow I have Pain Management Group and Deo will find out I’m having surgery finally. 🙂

Restless Leg Syndrome

Thursday April 26, 2018

It has been a crazy week. Friday I talked to my doctor about this cream someone told me about for Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and she said she had never heard of it but, would order it if I wanted to try it. (I don’t remember the name of it). But she said there is a “patch” that works on RLS and wanted to know if I’d like to try that. I said yes and she sent in the order. It is called Neupro ( NEUPRO® (rotigotine transdermal system) is the first and only Parkinson’s “patch” you wear on your skin. The NEUPRO Patch delivers the dopamine agonist rotigotine through the skin, directly into the bloodstream. … NEUPRO is a small, thin, flesh-colored patch that comes in 4 doses. Even though I don’t have parkinson’s, the patch is found to help with RLS. I gave the order to the nurse here at the center. It said to stop the “Requip” that I was taking (that day at 5pm) and to apply the 6mg “Patch”. Well, I couldn’t take my 5pm “Requip” (This medication is used alone or with other medications to treat Parkinson’s disease. … Ropinirole (Requip) is also used to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS)) because they had already stopped it, and I couldn’t put on the “Patch” because I hadn’t gotten it yet. So, I had to go without anything for my RLS until the “Patch” came in and I had to go all weekend without any “Patch”.

The pharmacy said it would be here Monday night for sure. Well, Monday night came and went and no “Patch”. Tuesday came and went and still no “Patch”. By this point I was going crazy with my RLS and was living off Tylenol and my 10mg Oxycodone just to make it thru the day and night. And it didn’t help that much. I couldn’t lay down, or sit down. The only thing that relieved it was walking and I couldn’t walk all day or all night, so I just suffered.

Finally on Wednesday morning the “Patch” came in and they put it on when I got dressed at 11am. I have to wear it for 24 hours. I didn’t have any RLS all day. Then at night while I was watching “Heartland” it felt like my arm was trying to get restless but, nothing ever happened. Was the “Patch” working? I don’t know because my leg went restless for about 2 1/2 hours that night. I didn’t take anything for it, it wasn’t really bad so I just watched more “Heartland” until it stopped and I was finally able to fall asleep. Then this morning I laid back down after breakfast and my other leg went restless and didn’t stop until I took a shower 1 1/2 hours later. It wasn’t really strong, but still there none the less. So, is it working? I still can’t say yes for sure, but my RLS is less intense.