Before and After Surgery

Two Day Before Surgery

Two days before surgery I had to start a Clear Liquid Diet.  Broths, jello and lots of water.  I thought this part would be hard as well and it was...just slightly.  I also had to start my Potassium pills 2 a day for 2 days. My nerves still hadn't kicked in. I was going strong and prepared to face surgery with a smile  The day before surgery, Monday, I had to start the bowel preparation. I was expecting this to be horrific based on my ex husbands experience before a colonoscopy. Again, it was a piece of cake. Warning...the clear liquid diet also starts getting your bowels prepped.

Night Before Surgery

Still a trooper. Using the bathroom frequently to both go number 1 and 2.  No nerves yet.  Time for bed and now I'm not tired. However, I have to be up at 4:30 am to leave by 5:15 am to be at the hospital by 6am for 7:30 surgery. So, I read awhile.  Still not nervous.

Day Of Surgery

I wake up before my alarm goes off and I am wide awake and for what ever reason I am NOT nervous. I am excited. Today my life changes for the good. My dearest friend in the world and I get into her Van and off we go to the hospital. We check in and admitting sends us off to the wrong surgery area.  After being told where the correct area is we get to the waiting room and sit.  I'm not sure why but I never did get nervous.  Not even when they called me into the surgery prep area.  They took the necessary blood they needed and put in my IV and then Julie got to come and sit with me until they wheeled me away for surgery.  It's 7:30 and off I go.  It was really cold in the surgery room.  I mean cold like a meat locker.  They put warm blankets on me and said they run a blower of warm air to keep me warm.  This is all I remember until they wake me up at 9 in recovery room. I remember them shaking me awake but only one (1) eye wanted to open.  It took about 10-15 minutes for me to actually wake.  Then they came to take me to my room. It's almost 10:00 and I'm looking forward to seeing Julie. I wanted her to know I was okay and she didn't need to worry about me. I DID IT!

Recovery

By 12:00 pm they had me up and walking.  I was surprised that I felt as well as I did and figured it was pain killers.  I did one (1) lap with the nurse and told her I was fine to walk on my own. The Doctor requires you to walk at least 30 laps on the surgery floor.  They say it's the equivalent to 1 mile. Well I really wanted to go home so I walked 5 laps.  Rested an hour and then got up and walked 10 more. I was doing so well they started giving me water to make sure I could take it and hold it down.  I was not nauseous or anything. By 9:30 that evening I had walked all 30 and was happy with myself.

Until the next morning when I got up and my calves hurt so bad from walking.  I had overdone it. (By the way according to my IPhone, 30 laps is 3 miles not 1). I was up at 5:30 in the morning and ready to walk again.  I barely made 2 laps my calves were hurting so bad and I was supposed to do another 30 that day.  On the brighter side of things I had NO pain (except my calves lol).  I was eating broth and drinking my fluids with no problem and was told I would be going home.  Around 4:30 my iv's were removed and then came the removal of the drain.  That felt so weird.  Christine got to the hospital at 6 and I was on my way home.

Since being home, I have used NO pain medication because there just isn't any (except my calves were still sore).  Going up and down the stairs is fine. No pain No discomfort.  I guess the hardest part at this point is getting all the fluids in.  A small sip feels you up and you can only take 1 sip every couple of minutes.  Basically I spend my days sipping water.  Lunch is very filling (4 oz of cream of chicken soup) and it takes me about 30 minutes to finish it.

Today my calves are feeling better so I plan on taking a short walk later and will build on to it as I can.  I know the more I exercise the more weight I will lose.

I will post before pictures and pictures of my surgery area in the next day or two.