For seven days prior to WLS I was only allowed to consume protein shakes, water, sugar-free jello, crystal light, and sugar-free Popsicles. When you weigh as much as I did your liver tends to be big and fatty. Being on a diet such as the one that I had to be for the week before surgery can shrink your liver up op 20%. The reason why they ask you to do this is because your liver is so close to your stomach and intestines and if it is in the way when the doctor goes in laproscopically then there is a greater chance of them having to cut you open for the surgery. I was going to everything I could to ensure that there were no complications!
In the few weeks leading up to surgery I was a bit worried because it seamed like very time I secured someone to help me something would come up and they would have to cancel. Up until the Sunday before surgery, which was on Wednesday, I still didn't know who was gonna be with me.
They say, that lady bugs bring you good luck. Well, the Lord has seen fit to bless me with my very own lady bug in the form of a dear friend I call my sister. By some miracle my lady bug had found a way to be able to fly across the country and be with me while I was in the hospital. Tuesday night I drove to the airport and picked up my lady bug.
Wednesday morning April 11th 2012. This was the day that I had been waiting for! I was SO excited. Lady bug and I got up super early since I had to be at the hospital at 6:30. Surgery was scheduled for 8:30 am. We arrived at the hospital and got all signed in and then sat in the waiting room for them to call me back. The nurse came out and called my name and took us back. First they weighed me and then we got settled in the pre- op room. They made me pee in a cup so they could make sure I wasn't preggers and then I had to put on my hospital gown. Nurse then starts asking me all the standard health questions that they ask you. I can't remember all the questions, however there is one that stands out in my in my mind. She asked me if I was allergic to anything. Now to most my answer wouldn't cause any second thought. To lady bug and myself it caused some giggles. Some of you will understand and some won't and that is OK. This is not the place to explain. So, am I allergic to anything? Yes, walnuts. I am allergic to walnuts. So they slap this red ALLERGY band to my wrist and every time another doctor or nurse comes in they ask what my allergy is and I answer walnuts followed by lady bug and I giggling.
Now it's time for the IV. The nurse starts bragging about how she is really good at getting veins and how I have nothing to worry about. That is until she pokes my hand and blows the vein. She was finally able to get a good stick in on my arm. Whew, that parts over. Now that my IV is in we get greeted by everyone who will be doing something or another to me during surgery. Dr. Salameh came in and talked to me a little about what was going to happen. Then the anaesthesiologist came in and talked to me about putting me under. THIS is when the nerves kicked in. I have never been put under before and all the stories you hear of people waking up feeling and seeing what's going on but not being able to move, start running through my mind. After he left we sat and waited. And waited and waited. A couple of nurses finally came and got me and I said good bye to lady bug and they wheeled me down the hall into the OR. Once in the OR they gave me something to knock me out and the last thing I remember is the nurse asking if I could help them get me over to the table. I'm not sure if I was much help or not because I don't remember. LOL.
The next thing I know I was REALLY groggy and barely waking up in recovery and feeling like I had been jumped in the back alley. After about two hours in recovery they wheeled me up to my room where I got to see my lady bug again. I was then told that everything had gone smooth and I did really well.
They say, lady bugs bring you good luck.
No comments:
Post a Comment