Hospital Stay

 Welcome back, this post is about my hospital stay after bariatric surgery. 

I had my bariatric surgery on August 15th at 9 a.m. and had to arrive at the hospital at 6 a.m.

After a very successful surgery, I was in recovery for about 3 hours.  It took me a little while to come to after surgery.  Once I woke up they shortly after moved me to a private recovery room while I waited for a room on the floor.  They let me mom, dad and my step mom come back and see me and ask how I was doing.  I had to get up and walk before I finally had a room on the floor.  Getting up and walking around was difficult at first but it wasn't too bad.  I really had to go to the bathroom though so I definitely had to stop at the bathroom.

About maybe 10 minutes after that they moved me up to the floor where I would be staying over night.  Once up there a few nurses talked to me about using an Airlife inhalation machine to measure my inhalation intake. Also, talked to me about ordering from the kitchen soon and what I could order. I could order anything that was a clear liquid, so dilated 50/50 apple or grape juice, sugar free popsicles, water and black coffee. 

I settled into my room pretty quickly, it was nice that it was a private room as well.  I had a couch, chair, television and a private bathroom.  They also needed to measure my urine to make sure I am hydrating myself and that everything was going well.  After a couple hours of laying down my surgeon Dr. Heydari came in to tell me that the surgery went really well and that I am gonna do great.  As far as a surgeons go, Dr. Heydari he is an incredible doctor who has his patients best interest and best results at heart.  Shortly after he left the nurses came back in to check on me before shift change and had declared me as an independent patient and I was able to get up to use the bathroom and get up and walk on my own. 

The first time I got up to walk I did a couple of laps up and down the one main hallway and then would go back to my room.  I only had pain from the gas bubble after surgery, because they pump oxygen into your body when you have surgery like this.  So only had some pain in my left shoulder.  They gave me some liquid Tylenol through my I.V. and soon felt better and sat in the chair in my room and watched some Food Network!  Yes, that is right!  I just had weight loss surgery and I was watching Food Network but it actually didn't affect me at all.  I enjoy cooking so I was glad to watch it. I ordered some diluted juice and a popsicle for my night meal and then shortly fell asleep. 

Photo is of me watching Food Network in my chair!

I was woken up around 3 to walk again, which was fine.  I got up no problem and grabbed my I.V. and this time I did about 2 laps completely around the floor.  It was really nice to walk around, the last time I had been in a hospital was 7 or 8 years ago and I wasn't allowed to leave my room so it was a better experience all around.  After walking around and going to the bathroom once again I went back to sleep.  I was woke up around 7 a.m. to once again walk and that time I got 4 laps!  

I needed to have an upper G.I. done that morning so that wasn't too fun, obviously that liquid is nasty but they got the results and things looked great so I was being released that day!!  I ordered juice and a popsicle again and rested a bit before getting up and walking some more.  I was finally released around 1p.m. that day and went home with my mom.  I stayed with her for about a week.  

That will be the next post, so stay tuned!!

Fun fact: The floor I was on at 1 other person who had bariatric surgery same day as me that I had walked passed his room a few times when he was awake and I would wave to him.  I later found out he was the mayor of a near by town!  Such a nice guy and I commented on one of his posts on social media and he said he remembered me from the floor and wished me well!  Super cool right?