Surgery was two weeks ago tomorrow. The so-called post-operative "anesthesia-brain," for me, has been a very real thing. In some ways, it's been the hardest adjustment to make. Holding two congruent thoughts simultaneously has been impossible; at times, formulating a coherent sentence has been like dancing through a minefield. It's also been a real challenge to gain strength given the incredibly limited calorie intake that characterizes the liquid diet -- especially given that I was restricted from milk-based protein the week after surgery and subsisted on sugar-free jello, chicken broth, and Gatorade.
Molly insisted, while totally understandable that I hadn't felt up to writing until now, that I at least needed to jot down some notes in the moment. I'm grateful she had that foresight (and for her excellent blog contributions while I was unable to write), as one of my goals for the blog is to archive the journey in hopes it will help someone else.
- Monday, January 31 was the mandatory education day at Missouri Bariatric Services. Class lasted five hours and included a primer on post-operative nutrition, immediate post-surgical after-care, exercise necessities, risks, etc. The day ended with a face-to-face with the surgeon to sign consent forms and ensure that he and I were on the same page with regard to surgery the next morning.
- Tuesday, February 1 was surgery day. If this day sounds familiar to you, it's the day the Midwest Blizzard of the Millennium swept across the country leaving two feet of snow in places that often don't receive that much snow in an entire winter. Our early morning began after a mad-dash trip to a nearby hotel the night before. I was never so glad to see my surgeon walk into the holding room and tell me we were a go. He also told me that I was the only elective surgery who hadn't cancelled that day -- my steadfastness impressed him, although his wife was "pissed off" the hospital hadn't cancelled it as a matter of course, even going so far as to call the Operating Room to verify herself! My first memory in the recovery room post-surgery was intense hiccups, long before I experienced pain or even knew my name. I later learned that my diaphragm had been irritated during surgery and I hiccuped throughout. I hiccuped off and on throughout the day and night.
- Wednesday, February 2 was a little like the old.bad movie "Groundhog Day" -- I kept reliving hiccups over and over again. Blessedly I was sprung from a truly awful roommate situation, which improved my disposition greatly, but did nothing for the hiccups. A round of hiccups Wednesday night lasted well over and hour and I became afraid I would pass out from the accompanying belly pain, and I was given a tablet of Thorazine and an instruction to "just get it down somehow". Somehow I did, and quite literally within seconds the hiccups ended. Knock on wood, but I haven't had them since.
- Thursday, February 3 was moving day. One of the trauma team docs (my surgeon barely made it home after my operation and was snowed in the remainder of my stay) came in early that morning and threatened to keep me if I didn't walk, drink, and pee more. Typically, give me a goal and a roadmap and I'll perform. Molly charted my water intake and I walked the length of University Hospital from one of of 5-West to 5-East and back each hour, and by noon I had the doc paged. We were home by 2:00pm, where fourteen inches of snow had been shoveled off our driveway by still-unknown angels and a path hollowed out to the back door. I never received a sweeter gift in my life and no better medicine than our girls' hugs once inside.
And finally, I'll update where things stand at the moment. While I'm down 30 pounds in these past four weeks (and 40 pounds overall since the initial surgery consultation last fall), that's not what delights me most: I haven't had a dose of diabetes medication since the day before surgery, and my glucose scores have remained normal. My prayer is with each passing week and as new, healthy foods are reintroduced, diabetes becomes less an impact on my life. I'm told I already look different. I see the difference in weird ways. I have ankles again. When she hugs me, Molly says my shoulders are smaller and I've had to adjust ballcap sizes down. And my fingers don't look like my own. I found my wedding ring in the big bucket of almonds we keep in the pantry -- I can't eat them yet, but I had gotten a handful out for Josie's snack the other day, and discovered that the ring had slipped off. Nothing fits, and that feels great.
Gotta run. I'm hoping to take my Valentine out for a baked potato.
Eric- All sounds like it going well- God is in control! I pray that you and your family continue to feel the Love and Grace of God! Sarah
ReplyDeleteDear Eric,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful thing. Thank you for sharing.
Sharon H. (from New Horizons)
So proud of you - this can't have been easy, but like Paul - you've kept your eyes on the goal at the end. Perserverence pays off! Blessings, Jo Blackburn
ReplyDelete