Me and my Snickers
Showing posts with label cholecystectomy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cholecystectomy. Show all posts

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Three Days Postoperative

Well here I am three days after my gallbladder surgery. The pain is getting better every day. It is mostly when moving and coughing and it's hard to get comfortable and sleep. I have not been eating much as I feel pretty nauseous. I had a malt the last two days and a pudding cup also yesterday. I'm mostly making sure I drink fluids for now! I took a shower yesterday which felt great but zapped all of my energy!

My son arrived yesterday so I am glad for that. We watched our favorite show together...Pretty Little Liars. We had two weeks of it and it was good but now waiting until October is the killer.

Today I'll be taking it easy while doing my normal walking around and may try to do a little of my contract work to prepare for working tomorrow night. Tonight we shall rent movies and I'm anxious to try some mashed potatoes in my diet. The furry boys are glad their Dylan is here but I have lost my nurse maids...they traded me in!

I will also say having this iPad mini at times like this has been much needed. I haven't felt like doing much but I have played the occasional game or two!

 

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Surgery Done and Gallbladder Gone

Well my surgery went well yesterday. The time had gotten changed to 9:30 so it ran a little later than we thought. I was very impressed with the care I received there at the old Wilson and Jones now owned by Presbyterian. I was taken in a nice little day surgery room to hang out in before. We had a TV and a nice recliner for my mom.

I called my son on FaceTime (video chat) and talked to him as he got dressed for school and brushed his teeth. I wanted to see his handsome face before my surgery. Just as I was hanging up the nurse came in for my lively IV and thought it was so cute that we were video chatting. She was very nice and another lady came in to draw blood and she was great too. An anesthesiologist came in to discuss things with us and he was very friendly.

 

We were moved to the surgical area some time before and mom got to come with me. Everyone in there was great as well. My anesthesiologist got changed but equally as nice. One of the nurses walked me to pee as I covered up my bare hiney. Gotta love the hospital gowns lol! They started my antibiotics and then he gave me my first shot of "margarita". I said I prefers daiquiris so he said it could be whatever I wanted...haha! They wheeled me to OR so I said bye to mom. Now my son had been concerned about the location of my incisions and the fact that there might be men in there who would see my boobs. Boy I have to tell him next time we talk that they were all men even the OR nurse I met before I went night night!

I woke up in recovery to two nurses talking to me and I could only half see them. She asked about my pain which at that point was throat from anesthesia, abdomen of course and back and shoulder about a 15 out of 10. She gave me a shot of pain medication and then another. I was in a lot of pain!

I was wheeled back to my day patient room when I got more stable. Mom met me in there. They asked about a drink and of course I was thirsty and my throat so dry and hurting so Sprite was a life saver. After a while I was asked to pee which as always I had no problem with that! They took my IV out and we went over my discharge instructions, medications and all of that. I was wheeled out to mom's car and getting in sucked a big one but laying don had been worse so I had already decided I would set up camp in the recliner for comfort and it would also help keep the furry boys away from my abdomen. We went through and got us a drink at McDonalds and I don't remember the drive home or even McDonald's just that I got a Sprite and I think I updated Facebook and my texts on the way.

I settled in at home after we dropped my prescriptions off. I settled in with some ice on my abdomen and messes around on the iPad while waiting for mom to get back with my Sonic happy hour Sprite, pudding and pain meds. I was half asleep when she arrived so I took my pain pills as she left and settled in for sleep. I was knocked out for about six hours. I woke up told mom I was okay, iced my abdomen, played on Facebook while watching TV, peed, let the dogs out, ate one banana pudding cup and took my pills and I was out again. This has been my routine. I am staying up a but longer this time trying to wait until mom gets back to town as I thought I had drinks but only one 7up is what my son and friends left me. I don't normally have that here but his fiends bought some for a cookout we had here. I thought I was set until I pulled this out and realized that was the only one...what turds!

 

My dogs have been good boys and have not gotten on my "boo boos". I showed them to them and keep doing it to help. They have been laying on my legs, feet and pelvic area and especially Bandit. They know something's is wrong and I'm sick so they are being protective.

 

My pain is still pretty bad and getting up and down, turning or moving when resting is still very painful. I'm using a pillow to help protect when I get up and down. It really hurts to cough but they said to try to cough a lot so you don't get pneumonia. My throat still really hurts and is dry which they said is from anesthesia. I know each day it will get better. It is not a lot better today but a little bit and I tried to walk a but more today like it said. I'm just glad to have it done and hopefully be able to eat better now! That will make it all worth it and my son comes tomorrow to Monday. I cannot wait! We have to watch the last two weeks of Pretty Little Liars. He is so sweet last night he said he wished he was here to help take care of me. I sure love him!

 

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

They Are Cutting Me Open


Ok so I have not had surgery in probably at least 10 years or so.  I have had two colonoscopies but no cutting involved there.  I have also had one cystoscopy no cutting there either.  I was under anesthesia.  I have had two exploratory laparoscopies for my endometriosis and that is the surgery I refer to being around 10 years ago.
Now I had been having terrible bouts of chest, abdominal, radiating to back pain that left me doubled over and rolling in pain.  I had and am having continued nausea with small bouts of heartburn type pain here and there.  I was diagnosed with gallstones after having an ultrasound.  I visited with the surgeon last week who went over the surgical procedure of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder).  I know laparoscopic is a way better choice than open and I know it is no big deal but still I am having some serious anxiety about this.  I type these kinds of reports and I have no idea if that is part of the issue or not but I keep picturing them cutting into me (even though the incisions will be small unless they convert to open).  I also fear the anesthesia.  I have anxiety so it is not a huge surprise but I do not know if it is my typing these reports about the incisions and all on a regular basis or if it is the fact that I am older now and have multiple medical problems and medications.  It is probably a combination of both.  I keep trying not to think about it but it is really freaking me out.  I mean one of my medications the doctor said to be sure to tell them I am on and I have read it can cause complications so I plan to stop taking it a few days before but still tell them I take it.  I don’t want anything to happen to me.  My son needs me and my furry boys do too.  They said they will play music for me in the operating room so I think some Kenny Chesney and “Old Blue Chair” is in order and some anxiety medication per IV.  I am a hot anxiety ridden mess and other things going on in my life are not helping me. 
I know I am a worry wart but it is part of the whole anxiety thing.  You image everything that can go wrong and picture everything happening and it is just not good.  I may need extra anxiety meds in my IV for reals!!!!