n2prayer2000

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Congrats, but I do want to give you a heads up.  It is a painful surgery, the worst part for me was the gas trapped in my belly.  I did not get relief from that until 4 days after surgery. I was so caught up in being able to have the surgery that I did not think about the actual pain I was about to endure.  The pain only lasts a few days (thank God) but in the midst of it all your brain will be screaming, did I do the right thing, what did I just do, why did I do this?? From what others have comforted me with it is all normal..so don't freak out. The 2 week pre-op liquid diet does stink, but it really does help you to start getting in the mode of your new life so do your best to stick to it.  Some doctors have you do the 2 week pre-op and some don't and there are some that will give you special guidelines to do..be sure you do it.  There was a man that the doctor sent back home because he did not follow the diet and did not loose as much weight as he should have.  My doctor had us do it to shrink the liver and stomach for the laproscopic proceedure.   The next day I was sent down to x-ray to have a mini upper GI to make sure there are no leaks and let me tell you the barium is GOD AWFUL but it is only like 3 swallows...yuck..very bitter.  Then a little bit later they gave me this yucky blue dye mixed with crushed ice..they did that to be sure that none of it leaked into the drain from the surgery..that was bad too, not as bad as the barium.  I will say some of this could all be magnified for me because I did not sleep very well and the morphine was starting to give me headaches, but I do want you to be prepared.  I know some may say oh it is not that bad..it will all be worth it, but I am just 5 days post op as I write this and it is all still fresh in my brain and I wish I would have been better prepared.  I will say the hunger that you feel during the 2 week pre-op will go away once your surgery is over!!!  I was so happy that I did not wake up starving!  One more rough thing to have to deal with is if you are on alot of meds, you have to crush you pills for awhile..I don't care what you swallow it with, it is just nasty!!!  I can say today I am doing better, alot of the gas has finally left my body, oh and your first and second BM may be all black..do not panic, it is jut old blood and medicine that is leaving your body, it is normal. I hope I have covered all the bases and if you have any questions I will be happy to share my experiance.  Be Blessed and fasten your seatbelt...your on your way for a wild ride!!! 

Hi everyone, I just wanted to be open and honest about my experiance after my surgery. Well I went into the hospital and everyone was very kind and things went smoothly, no complaints at all. I went thru the New Start program at St. Alexius Hospital here in St. Louis, MO.  I rember being put in my room after surgery and my hubby was there.  For the most part I was in and out of sleeping. By evening I was feeling alot of pain on my left side, as well as the trapped gas in my belly.  The morphine helped, but eventually I got a horrible headache which is common the nurse told me.  I did not sleep all night, I was up and I did walk around 2 times and sat in the chair for a bit. Since I stopped taking the pai medicine I did lay in agony!!  Oh my gosh, the pain was so bad and I could not get comfortable.  I was left to question myself did I do the right thing...I have wanted this for years but I had no idea the reality of the surgery and the after effects. The next day I was taken to radiology and had to swallow this horrible disgusting barium to make sure there was no leaks in my pouch...it was disgusting.  I was brought back to my room and I have to say I was not hungry but still thirsty.  The nurse brought in some dyed blue ice that I had to eat so they could check my drain to make sure the blue stuff was not leaking.  I still had a lot of pain and still kept thinking omg did I do the right thing?? I really did not think it would be this painful.  I did end up coming home the day after surgery.  Since they took out the drain and the pain pump some of the pain stopped.  So I am at home now, I still have some pain but I know it will get better,but I am overwhelmed with the meds and vitamins and I have  to do the lovenox injections for 10 days, my insulin is now on a scale so I am doing more insulin as I was on lantus but now I am on humalog.  I just wanted to share my experiance so everyone  realizes it truly is not a walk in the park.  I dealt with alot of up and down emotions.  I am not sure if anyone else experianced any of this with their surgery.