Urine Luck! My Surgery Post
Posted by Sherry , Tuesday, March 23, 2010 Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to Sherry, your newest bandster! Please hold your applause for the end.
The anesthesia fog and gas pain haze have lifted and just when I thought I was entering the dark hole of starvation, I was cleared for non-clear liquids and purees. More on that later.
I'll try to paint you a picture of surgery day but to be honest, a lot of it is kind of foggy so bear with me.
Surgery was scheduled for 8:50 am on Friday the 19th and to my surprise, everything was ON TIME! Every other surgery I've ever had has been beyond late – I'm usually berobed in a hospital gown that is two sizes too small, sitting on a gurney in the hallway trying to make small talk with the orderlies that are on their way to turn over a coma patient, for hours and hours, just waiting patiently for my surgeon to finally get done with some other procedure. Or his 18th hole. Anyway, you get the picture. The sheer fact that my surgery was on time was a step in the right direction for me.
In any case, at about 8:40 I was given a quick-working sedative (think babbling idiot in less than 3 minutes) and wheeled into the operating room. I remember my surgeon saying 'hello' and asking me how I was doing and mumbling something about being “welp, bery excipted”and after that I remember nothing. Just how it is supposed to be!
I woke up in Recovery room I. I was still very sedated and kind of in and out of consciousness for awhile. After it was deemed that I was breathing normally and my vitals were stable, I was moved to Recovery II where my husband was waiting for me.
I was incredibly 'out of it' and recall asking a few stupid questions about the weather but otherwise hours went by before I was in the land of the living and able to stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time.
I was incredibly 'out of it' and recall asking a few stupid questions about the weather but otherwise hours went by before I was in the land of the living and able to stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time.
I was told the surgery went very routinely (I had the single incision surgery and the incision is in my belly button) and that if I could get up and walk, pee and take a few sips of liquids without regurgitating that I could go home. Sounds easy, right?
Well, apparently I was severely dehydrated and after multiple tries, I just COULD NOT PEE.
According to the head nurse my lack of urination was definitely not because the other nurse walked me into the bathroom, gruffly hoisted up my hospital gown, pushed me down onto the toilet and then stood there staring at me.
Each time I felt a tiny urge to urinate I was escorted into the bathroom where small talk would commence. It was like the hospital water cooler in there. “You watchin' American Idol”? “How about them Blue Devils?”
Alas, my urine is even more modest than I and chose not to appear for hours and hours. I was given, altogether, 7 bags of fluid and threatened, multiple times, with a catheter but my friend urine still eluded me like a wild unicorn in the forest.
In the last few months, when I would think over my lap-band surgery, I would imagine moments of emotion and mourning and fear. I just had no idea that it would be my elimination control that would kick off the trauma.
In the last few months, when I would think over my lap-band surgery, I would imagine moments of emotion and mourning and fear. I just had no idea that it would be my elimination control that would kick off the trauma.
HOURS went by. I cried, I begged. I pleaded. Finally, I was able to enter the bathroom on my own and lo and behold....liquid gold my friends!
Right after, we left (around 6pm) and went home.
Friday and Saturday I was terribly uncomfortable. Gas had settled in my upper back and, of course, on my back is the only position you can really be in at first, so I didn't sleep well at all. I walked and walked and asked your advice and walked some more and by Sunday morning I felt a ton better.
I can honestly say I'm having no other 'pain' other than slight tenderness at the incision site.
However, I'm tight. I can't seem to get down the 1-2 oz of liquid every 30 minutes without a feeling really full. That worried me so I went to see my surgeon today and they took out the 'priming' from my band. Did you know that most doctors put in some liquid, just for priming it (straightening it, making sure it works, no leaks, etc.)? This was news to me!
Right after, we left (around 6pm) and went home.
Friday and Saturday I was terribly uncomfortable. Gas had settled in my upper back and, of course, on my back is the only position you can really be in at first, so I didn't sleep well at all. I walked and walked and asked your advice and walked some more and by Sunday morning I felt a ton better.
I can honestly say I'm having no other 'pain' other than slight tenderness at the incision site.
However, I'm tight. I can't seem to get down the 1-2 oz of liquid every 30 minutes without a feeling really full. That worried me so I went to see my surgeon today and they took out the 'priming' from my band. Did you know that most doctors put in some liquid, just for priming it (straightening it, making sure it works, no leaks, etc.)? This was news to me!
I asked the P.A. Who did the fluid removal how much they use to prime and he said it could be anywhere from ½ a cc to 3 ccs depending on the person. WOW. Some of you only have 3 ccs in your band altogether!
Anyway, it was removed and I'm feeling better. I can get down more liquids more frequently so as to avoid dehydration and any more pee-pee incidents.
So all in all the surgery and recovery have gone well. I just have a small incision in my belly button and that's it. Of course ½ inch incisions have nothing on the pregnancy stretch marks that decorate my belly anyway so I wouldn't have minded additional scarring anyway.
Here is something frustrating though. My physicians office really needs to get their shit together.
My original orders were to be on clear liquids for a week, then non-clear for a week and then purees for a week then mushies for a week then regular food.
All of the literature they gave me has this information written down VERY CLEARLY. Yet, today the P.A. Tells me that they are revising everything and that in fact I can move onto purees NOW. This is, of course, great news. But what if I had waited to go in until my original appointment on April 1st? I would have endured all that liquid suffering for nothing! I hate suffering!
Not surprisingly I told the P.A. As much and he admitted that yes, some people were caught in the 'crossfire' of their after-care information changes and it seems I am one of them.
In any case, Carnation Instant Breakfast tastes like a little slice of heaven after 5 days of clear liquids. I seriously didn't think I could handle another day of jello and broth and Ispoure drinks.
Still not sure how I'm going to get in 60 grams of protien a day though. Seems like an awful lot when I'm only able to really get down about ½ a bottle of Isopure a day and a few other things that have limited fiber grams. How do you do it?
I'm sure I've bored you all to tears. This is by far my most boring post, in my opinion. But I blame it on the pee trauma and promise something more interesting to report next time.
I love your support, comments and advice so keep it coming. I truly have learned so much from you, dear readers!
So all in all the surgery and recovery have gone well. I just have a small incision in my belly button and that's it. Of course ½ inch incisions have nothing on the pregnancy stretch marks that decorate my belly anyway so I wouldn't have minded additional scarring anyway.
Here is something frustrating though. My physicians office really needs to get their shit together.
My original orders were to be on clear liquids for a week, then non-clear for a week and then purees for a week then mushies for a week then regular food.
All of the literature they gave me has this information written down VERY CLEARLY. Yet, today the P.A. Tells me that they are revising everything and that in fact I can move onto purees NOW. This is, of course, great news. But what if I had waited to go in until my original appointment on April 1st? I would have endured all that liquid suffering for nothing! I hate suffering!
Not surprisingly I told the P.A. As much and he admitted that yes, some people were caught in the 'crossfire' of their after-care information changes and it seems I am one of them.
In any case, Carnation Instant Breakfast tastes like a little slice of heaven after 5 days of clear liquids. I seriously didn't think I could handle another day of jello and broth and Ispoure drinks.
Still not sure how I'm going to get in 60 grams of protien a day though. Seems like an awful lot when I'm only able to really get down about ½ a bottle of Isopure a day and a few other things that have limited fiber grams. How do you do it?
I'm sure I've bored you all to tears. This is by far my most boring post, in my opinion. But I blame it on the pee trauma and promise something more interesting to report next time.
I love your support, comments and advice so keep it coming. I truly have learned so much from you, dear readers!
Well, it sounds like you've done great. I'm having surgery on Thursday. I'll be having day surgery as well, so I'm glad to know things went okay for you, except the pee. Can't wait to here more about the progress.