Let's start with the days leading up to the ER Visit.
10-01-2003 - I was driving around with my mom when I started to feel a sharp pain. I wanted to just explode from the pain, but I didn't want to lead on that I was in that bad of pain. Just when I thought the pain was going to subside, I felt this huge burst of pain. I will say this. It was a level 10 of 10 in pain.
10-03-2003 - I started to tolerate eating some food and it's going down too smooth for me. The pain is non-stop tho.
I have called to see if a date was available for my removal. I got the same old same old. "We're still trying to work you into the schedule."
Ok.. I will wait. Meanwhile, my mom came up with a good point. Dr Williams may not be the one who does the removal if I go to the ER. (A prime concern for her.)
10-05-2003 - I want this out of me NOW. I don't care if Dr Williams takes it out of me... or not. I just want the relief now.
10-06-2003 - I made a call down to Katie, who is the program coordinator for the HUP bariatric surgery area. I hated to bug her, but I am frustrated. I got my questions answered, and so I told her, instead of scheduling me that day in the office, I will be headed down to the ER that night, so with any hope they will admit me. For fear of that would happen, I didn't eat or drink, because the pain I noticed that I didn't have it if I didn't eat or drink.
I made it down there at about 10 of 9 that night. I saw the waiting room and I knew my wait would be long. I went and registered in... and it took me until quarter to midnight to be taken back to the ER Exam room. My mom and my one aunt left me there at 11:30, after I told them that I didn't want them to miss the train.
I was told to undress to nothing form the waist down. Rather then just do that, I took off everything and put the gown on, and asked for another gown while I was waiting, in case I had to go to the bathroom, in which I did. I had problems going to a degree, as I didn't have the need hit me until after I needed to give a urine sample and I was hooked up to IV Fluids.
The ER doc came in and I explained everything to her. She called the resident on call with GI Surgery, and they decided to do an ultrasound of my gallbladder and the liver. My liver enzymes were coming back high. I was given Dilaudid. (Wonder drug... causes Mania in me, tho.)
The Ultrasound didn't show any infection, but it did show that the liver was enlarged and that it was acting funny. They were admitting me on this fact. I was also to start taking this drinkable contrast for a CT Scan, and they gave me Prednisone to conteract the dye.
It was 4 am when I got this. I called Amy and told her to post for me, after I called my mom to tell her that I was going to be admitted.
10-07-2003 - By 5:30, I was in my room. I called my mom around 6 am to let her know my room number, and around quarter after 6, I knew JR was up, so I called him to let him know what was up.
At 7 am, I see the height of my surgeon walk in, as I just get comfy to fall asleep to the Today Show. (No Such luck, since all I was doing was letting people know where I was at with this, moving from the ER to the 12th floor of the hospital, and then now Dr Williams walks in.) So I put aside my thoughts of sleeping to talk to him. I'm bright eyed and bushytailed. (Hmm.. because I've been up all night and I'm hopped up on Dilaudid. LOL) I am also silly, because of my slippers that I had on.
I was looking at scans on my liver, because the liver was too enlarged and my liver enzymes were high. (Which to him explained why I was not keeping food down.)
I was only allowed to drink the contrast for the CT Scan. I was given more Prednisone. Both were making me sick. I almost threw up twice while I was in that day because of the Prednisone.
I went to have my ultrasound around 5. I sat down there for an hour for a 15 minute test.
I kept praying to god to let me throw up. I ran to the bathroom more then once while I was waiting for transport to come and get me because I was so sick.
I got upstairs long enough to go get myself together and go down to my support meeting. I go down for the meeting because I want to.
When I get back upstairs, I call a few people while I can. I am upset to a degree that I'm in, and I'm actually bored as hell.
I managed to fall asleep by 1 am.
10-08-2003- I was told this morning that my surgery was DEFINITELY going to be tomorrow. I still had to have the CT Scan.
The CT Scan was a PITA. All that liquid I drank and not once did they want to take me in for it. I also said that, because I wasn't taking in anything because they wanted to give my GI tract a rest, I shouldn't need the Prednisone. (Unless they were going to shoot me up with the dye, which they said they weren't.)
I got into the machine, and it not only was hard as hell, it was tough on my stomach. I am still in some pain from the gallbladder.
I kept bugging them for my time, so I could let my mother know what time to be down there. I finally got a time of 8:30 am for my removal.
I couldn't sleep again, so I was calling everyone under the sun that I had numbers for.
I think I finally went to sleep around 1:30 that morning.
10-09-2003- Removal Day.. The day I had been waiting for for about three months that I knew I had gallstones, and the 7 months plus that I was sick.
I was up at 6:30 to wash up, prepare for my mom's arrival, and make sure that I had room in my area for things. I was also afraid that I would miss my surgery, because I had a bad dream that I slept thru my surgery time and they cancelled me.
At 7:30, my mom walked into the room. She helped me set up things in my room for when I came back. She brought me Tigger, which I wanted to bring down with me when I came in, but knew I didn't have room to. (I missed Tigger!)
At 8 am, they were coming up for me. I asked if my mom could go with me down on the trip, which they told me she could.
I said my goodbyes when I made it to the doors, and was wheeled away yet again to leave my mom alone. This time, I think I wanted to cry.
I get back into the OR halls, and I'm freezing my ass off. I am so cold, I can't take it. It took 5 heated blankets to warm me up. (Which didn't surprise anyone.)
I kept asking about the music choice of the day, because I wanted my surgeon to be comfy while he was working on me. (Which probably cracked him up if the nurses told him about it. LOL)
They had me sign a consent to a central line. I had no problem with this, as I made my concern on this last night, because I kept blowing IVs.
They put an IV into me after they got the Epidural in me. I asked for the Epidural, because I knew it was going to be an open surgery, and I didn't want to have to not deal with pain.
After they got the IV into me, I was put out.
I remember waking up in what looked like an old conference room. I looked up to see the clock, and it was Noontime. I also at that point started crying, because I wanted my mother. I got two clicks on the pain pump, and I was out again.
About an hour and a half later, they were talking without knowing I was awake. I had heard that I was being moved from my room. I was on the same floor, but being put into a private room due to the fact I just had major open surgery.
It was when I got to my room that I realized that they made the hugest mistake of their lives. I was going to be ignored.
I get up to my room, and I hear my mom telling me that Dave was on his way up. I didn't know who she meant, so I kept asking Dave who? So when she finally got to me as to who she was talking about, she told me to get myself together. I was in some pain, but didn't want to click my button. I didn't want to sleep anymore. I was tired of sleeping.
Dave Levy came up. He sat with me for about an hour or so.. I wish I was better company.
It was after Dave left that I wanted to get up and move around. I didn't want to be stationary. So my mother helped get me up and I walked down the hall. I met up with a few people who were in again, and just wanted to say my howdys.
After I moved around a little, I went back to my room, sat down on the edge of my bed again, and I felt strange. I felt like I was going to pass out. So I got up in bed as per my mom's request, and just as I laid down, I started. Huge chest pains. I freaked out, started crying, and kept thinking, I'm too young for a heart attack... and I don't want to be my dad!
They came in, did an EKG on me, checked my BP, and it was high. I was near stroke levels.
I was put on Lopressor, and a chest Xray was ordered. it took them an hour to get up there, and I knew the cause of my chest pain. It was my NG tube.
I fell asleep while waiting for them. Because I was in pain, I turned my head to the right and put my hands up near my head. Out came my NG Tube. It came out the most when I sneezed. It hung in the nose by about 2 or 3 inches when I was done sneezing. So I finished the job by pulling out the tube. I refused it back into me when they came in for a chest XRay.
Marybeth came up to visit and she hung around for about a couple of hours.
After Maybeth left, I went on to call people and text message people.
10-10-2003- This morning, I saw Dr Williams. Dr Dumon was in as well. I do hope that he does do WLS, as he is a good Dr with good Bedside manner. I wouldn't mind also seeing him at Penn.
Things were going to be pulled today. Cathedar, Pain pump, Heart Monitor... the JP Drain was going to be pulled tommorow.
I was allowed to start liquids today as well. I was glad to see liquids. I couldn't WAIT for that cup of tea.
I then extended my hand out to Dr Williams when he asked if I had any questions. (I was trying to be professional here, as I know it wouldn't look right for me to be hugging my surgeon. LOL) I then sopoke thw words that I never thought I'd hear myself say. "I know you weren't expecting this coming from me, but thank you for making me feel awesome for the first time in almost 14 1/2 months."
I ran into problems with the nurse that I had. I received an unwelcomed visitor this morning as well. I felt the pain cramping up in the apron section. (Don't let the Epidural fool you, it didn't block this pain.)
I wanted the cathedar out of me because of this reason. I also couldn't wear pads as well. (Sorry to the guys reading this story.)
I ended up having my next door neighbor when she went down to smoke get me a box of Tampons from the gift shop.
After they pulled my pain pump, the nurse practitioner decided to pull my JP drain. I went thru the roof on this. I swore they were going to be peeling me off of the roof, as I feel that I skipped the ceiling.
Alter on that night, after the Dilaudid wasn't touching the pain, I was given some tylenol for a slight fever. I had the fever because I wasn't using my spirometer. The Tylenol boosted my Dilaudid.
I had everything removed but my IV by the time I went to sleep that night.
Also, I had my first tray delivered to me that morning, and it had on it Potato and Corn Chowder instead of broth, which is what I was looking forward to. What a mess. I ended up giving a verbal order of a Post VBG Tray.
10-11-2003- I was being discharged a day early. I was glad because I couldn't take another day of my day nurse at all. I wouldn't recommend the 12th floor at all just because of this nurse and the nursing supervisor as well. I called Katie up the day before and told her that I wanted to just leave that minute... without any help. I would just walk out with everything in or on me.
I had my central line pulled out of me. This was my second one that I had. I had one for my WLS. I tend to blow IVs very easily and I don't understand it.
So at 8:30, I was asked to have it removed. That wasn't too bad.
9 am, I had my breakfast tray. Yummy. Broth, tea, and Sugar Free Jello.
9:30, I was walking down to my Support meeting. I took the first seat that hit me.
Dr Williams walked into the meeting for a few seconds, and the room bursted out in applause. Many of us respect and are very appreciative of him. We all also busted out in "Thank you's".
After this meeting, I went up to my room. I was already just about packed. My mom came up an hour later, and we left at around 2 pm. I decided not to wait for Transport again, and walked out.
I had two scripts to get filled. Pain medicine and something called Protonix. This was to reduce the acid in my stomach so my body would start to learn it's new function yet again. (Second change to it in about 18 months.)
After-thoughts:
I had a lot of pain following my gallbladder removal. I suffered for 7 months on this problem. I just about killed my weight loss. I lost the rest of my window of opportunity with this. (Prime window of opportunity is between 6 and 9 months, and I should have been around 9 months of fast losing.)
I left my WL Surgeon take care of this problem for me. Perhaps I shouldn't have is what some of you say. Unfortunately for me, I had to go back to him, with it being a complication. I had to go back to him for liability reasons as well. (Malpractice insurance problems prevented any other surgeon from opening me up and doing the removal.)
I also realize that I ran into liver problems due some to my own behavior. When you are told that you have an enlarged liver, do not drink any alcohol with this. This only aggravates the problem.
Also, if my surgeon would have noticed in the report that there was an enlargement in the liver, I would have been in sooner with this. But because the report said that it was just a slight enlargement, this wasn't the case.
Lastly, I made the right choice in hanging it out to wait for my surgeon. I know it meant months of agony. But because of it, I have some new found respect for him dealing with people who have complications, like myself.