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My journey begins - 6 months today post RnY

Perissa

New Member
In July I approached my GP about WLS, at the same time I wrote to my consultant orthophedic surgeon asking him to support my application. He wrote to my GP saying that he would support my application.
In August my GP and I completed the PCT funding form and applied.
In September my application was approved and I met my surgeon on the 2nd October. We agreed that the bypass would be my best option. Surgery was booked for the 30th October.......

I weighed in at 127.2Kg with a BMI of 46.7.

I lost 5Kg on my pre op diet.

I had to be at the hospital at 6.30am. It was a LONG wait for me though as I was last to be done that day. Finally I walked to theatre just after 3pm.
Next thing I know is that it is 6pm and I am being told to open my eyes. Try as I might they would not open, no matter how hard I tried. No recovery time or ICU for me as they immediately trollied me to my room despite my request to wait. I found this all a bit distressing as I couldn't open my eyes although I could speak. I really wasn't ready to be moved. I can't go on any kind of fair ground ride. I can't even watch certain things on the TV because it give me vertigo. I was almost in tears as I got very disorianted and was retching a lot which as you can imagine was painful.

Back in my room I had two foreign nurses 'assist' me getting off the trolley and onto my bed. IT WAS HORRIBLE. They were in such a hurry. My eyes still weren't open and the nurse took hold of my hand and really hurt the cannula (sp?).
I WILL NEVER ALLOW MYSELF TO BE TREATED THIS WAY EVER AGAIN.

Anyway I mananged to scooch my way across on to the bed and at last I could gather my whits about me. They put the inflatable boots on. I didn't find these a problem at all.

My nurse Sandy was brilliant. Close obs soon discovered that my blood sugar levels had gone haywire although I am not a diabetic I was given insulin. Within a couple of hours I began to feel extremely unwell. I was also beginning to swell up rather alarmingly too. In the early hours of Friday I thought I was off to meet my maker. At one point I had two lines in each arm pumping me full of drugs. Turns out that the pain meds did not agree with me (intravenous pump).

I vaguely remember Mr Byrne my surgeon coming to see me in the early hours but mostly I was in a state of semi conscious. By the time he came to see me again I was much more with it.

I coped well with the nose tube despite blue dye coming out of it. Later that day Mr Byrne removed it, not a pleasant experience but not unbearable. The catheter was OK too and in all honesty the pain wasn't too bad either. I was still very swollen.

If anything the worst bit was my back. I really can't sleep let alone lay on my back and my discomfort was all the worse because of my back not the surgery!

The physio came to see me and took me for a short walk. Being up and about was just great. Someone here said about the walking helps and its true - it does help but take it SLOW. She told me to breath deeply 5 times and hold each time for 30 seconds and also how to hold my tummy while I cough. This is very important to remove the congestion.

The wind is a killer and much worse than the surgery pain. It travelled to my right shoulder and sat there like a red hot poker. Later in settled right behind my left shoulder blade and the nurse Vanessa rubbed my back - It was BLISS I can tell you.

I was soon allowed to drink 30mls of water an hour - it was them the hiccups started.

Sorry to be so graphic but it was to be said, I started to fart Friday night and just kept going - it was HEAVEN. Don't hold it in!!
Again sorry to be graphic but I then had my first poo Saturday morning, again it was HEAVEN.

I was now allowed to drink 100mls of water an hour. I also had chicken consume for lunch (and dinner). The physio visited again and took me for another walk and we walked the stairs.

Later I had my catheter out - again BLISS.

I didn't have to wear the moon boots Saturday night and I think I even managed a few hours sleep. Sunday morning I had my drain out - HOW WIERD DOES THAT FEEL!!!!

I had porridge for breakfast and managed to eat most of it, then yogurt for mid morning snack and beef in gravy for lunch (don't recommend that one!!!) and then allowed home.

Hubby drove me via the yard so I could look in on the horses as I have never been this long away from them.

How nice is it to be in your own bed!!!

So my journey begins - I hope you don't mind my sharing it with you.
 
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alliecat

frustrated bander!
Welcome to the losing side perissa, the worst is over by the sounds of things and now your journey can really begin. Lots of luck and keep us all posted xx
 

charliegirl

New Member
Poor you it must of been awful getting from the surgery to your bed. Thanks for sharing your story I look forward to following your progress....xx
 

Perissa

New Member
I've been at home 2 days and the pain really isn't too bad. Its not really pain more uncomfortable.

I'm eating OK as well, but drinking enough is a bit of a problem. I am just managing a litre a day - how the hell you are supposed to drink 2 litres+ a day I don't know. I usually drink 2 to 3 litres a day but it just won't go in. I have to force myself to swollow it. This then sets off the painful hiccups.
 

wobbles

New Member
Perissa, sounds like you had a rought time during recovery, i'm sorry about that. I can imagine it would've been awful for you. I remember my own recovery, and whilst i was in a huge amount of pain, and felt very sick (because they gave me 10mls of morphine in one go cause of the pain) and also tachycardic, it was horrific, however, i did have two amazing nurses there holding my hand. It makes a huge difference.

It's also very interesting to see the difference between hospitals. I'm glad you're home and not suffering too much pain. Sounds like you're in the swing of things and it will only get better.

Welcome to the losing side. xx
 

Perissa

New Member
I had a bit of a fright last night. I had a shower and took my drainage dressing off to change it. The nurses has warned me that it might ooze but I wasn't prepared for bright red blood and lots of it. In my haste to put another dressing on I stuck it to my stitches. I peeled it off, wiped the blood again and put another on. Phew!

Went to bed and woke to find that it had kept on bleeding. I phoned the hospital this morning and they said that the heat form the water most likely made the blood vessels expand so when I removed the dressing it bled. Had I waited and changed it later it probably would not have happened.

So the moral of this story is .....

Don't change your dressing straight out of the shower!

Why the fright - I thought it was MRSA rearing its ugly head again!!!
 

Perissa

New Member
Eight days post bypass. In some ways I can't believe its 8 days and in other ways it seems like forever ago.

Although I've felt a little nauseous on occasion I haven't been sick at all. I've been trying to stick to the recommended amounts to eat and drink and its really hard.

I am not hungry, not in the slightest.

Average day is

1/2 Weetabix and 1/3rd pint milk for breakfast
Yogurt snack mid morning
1/4Ltr Soup with 1oz pureed chicken or pork loin mixed in
100 mls Fruit Juice mid afternoon snack
1 tablespoon mash with cheese or gravy, 1 tablespoon pureed veg and 1oz pureed chicken/pork for dinner.
Frozen pureed fruit for evening snack

Had cheesy mash and baked beans last night and it was DEEEEELISH!

These are all eaten VERY slowly with a teaspoon.

I am certainly not drinking enough. The trouble is that drinking sets off these godam hiccupy bouts which are painful. I try to sip sip sip but its so boring!!!!!! Have to say though that Jubblys are a GODSEND!!! Thank you Mandy for telling me about them :). For those that don't know they are low sugar ice pop type things and is a good way to take water. I am having at least 4 a day because for some reason these do not give me the hiccups.

If I had one wish I would ask that I learn how to make myself burp. Doing it the way I used to simply doesn't work any more and I haven't sussed out how to do it yet!

Had a shower this morning and changed the dressing, no horrible bleeding this time!

Stitches come out on Wednesday, I have 4 sets of bright blue ones as well as the drainage hole.

I didn't mention that when I had one of my canula's out at the hospital (the one the nurse really hurt) I sprang a very alarming leak. Actually soaked the gown, sheets, floor etc. Good job I'm not squeamish!! Anyway my hand is almost a normal colour again and all my bruising is slowly dispersing.

Sorry to ramble on if anyone is taking the trouble to read this but I want to remember it.

All in all, eight days post op and things are not as bad as you think they are going to be!
 
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Perissa

New Member
Hiya,

Of course I want to catch up. Left a message on my Mint Sauce thread saying we are going sofa shopping on Sunday at Hedge End - I could pop round if you like, John will be with me?

V xx
 

CCPM

Fighting on day by day
Keep up the reporting its good for you and excellent for those like me gathering information and other people's experiences - good and bad - before we make our own final decision re wls.

best wishes M
 

Perissa

New Member
Things are still going remarkable well. I keep waiting for something to go wrong!

My stitches under my right boob are looking a better and certainly less sore since I put a Mepore dressing over them to stop the rubbing. I took the dressing off over my drainage hole this morning and I think the hole has closed up. Its hard to see in the mirror. I don't want to pull it up so I can see just in case it isn't and I open it.

Still no sickness on eating. Sticking rigidly to the diet sheets from the dietition. I see from others that they are allowed sugar free jelly but this is a nono. I asked the dietition and she said that it has no nutritional value at all so should not be consumed. She says it is particularly important at the moment to eat only foods that provide good nutrition.

Nothing much more to say really!!
 

mandy-1975

Regular Member
Keep up the good work, hun.......... your doing great.....

Hey you passed your wind on to me I am real bad with trapped wind..... sat here in work, could sing a tune with all the burping
 

sassyp81

Six Month Post Op
Just wanted to say Hi and hope your doing ok really..have just joined and Im excited to read all the posts about peoples experiences, it makes me feel less alone!
 
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