Our Monday Video Update- Dan's 5 week and my 4 week RNY updates

Video update....

Dan is finally home from the hospital

He was released yesterday around 6pm...thank goodness.  He is doing much better.  He is not taking any pain meds and he seems to be getting back to himself.  He has been placed on a full liquid diet again for a week...until we see the surgeon next week.  This was a very scary event and I am so glad it is over.  Now I need to get back to the reality that I have not purchased any gifts for Christmas yet and it is in a week!!!

Video Update

Dan had exploratory surgery today

Ok, when I woke up this morning to get ready to go and spend the day at the hospital with Dan I was really thinking we would just be sitting around all day.  But our surgeon had a change of heart overnight ( I wonder if I had anything to do with that?) and decided to go ahead and operate on Dan today.  I did not have much notice and I was not rushing up there but then Dan called and said he stopped by and the Dr. is going to do it in a couple hours.  So I raced up there( we are an hour south of hospital) and got there 15 mins before they took him to the pre-op area.  I was able to go down with him while he waited.

The surgeon came by and saw us beforehand and told us what he was going to try and do.  I told him how happy I was that he changed his mind.  I really was pretty unsure that this could just fix itself....there was just way to much pain involved. 

Once it was over, our surgeon came and told me that he had an unusually large amount of scar tissue around one of the connections that was actually bending the bowel in half in a kink.   He has never seen anything like this (this much scar tissue this early on) and he thinks that Dan may have had a reaction to the suture that was used.  So he replaced the suture material, removed as much scar tissue as possible and straighten out the kinked area.  He looked at me and said "This would not have fixed itself on it's own quickly, maybe over a 2 to 3 week time frame".....I told him I was so glad it was over and now we can get back to recovering and getting back to normal.  

Dan returned to his room about an hour later and he is sore, but stood up and went to the bathroom on his own, eating ice chips and trying to stay comfortable.  The plan is to come home on Monday. 

Bad News....Dan has been admitted to the hospital

Yesterday we were going to a fancy Christmas Party.  They had sent a driver to pick me up and take me up to Dan's place of work to meet him and then we could arrive at the party together.  I was really thinking I would have to skip it this year since I am only a week and 1/2 post op but I have been feeling do GOOD I decided I wanted to go.  So around 5:00 Dan called and said he was in alot of pain.  He was having cramps in his stomach and he had just eaten a scrambled egg (egg beaters).  He said he need to go to the ER.  So, as soon as I arrived we headed over to the hospital.  He had already spoke to our surgeon.  Dan was in so much pain by the time were made it half way there.  There was alot of friday night traffic and it took us an hour to get there. At one point I contemplated pulling over on the shoulder of the highway and calling an ambulance to get us there faster.   He was not doing well at all...squirming around, tears, makes loud moaning sounds.....ect.  We finally get to the ER and check in. And sit down....and sit some more...and sit some more....until I can't handle it anymore and I went back up to the window and asked how long it would be...expressed how severe this was and how this was a true emergency.  She asked me to sit down and she would call the charge nurse.  So I could not just sit so I call the surgeon again and told him we had been there 30 mins and we were just sitting here and how much pain Dan was in.  He said he would call the hospital.  Within 5 mins we were placed in a room.  They did a quick evaluation of him and started the IV.  He was finally given pain meds about 15 mins later and was finally able to open his eyes and unclench his fists and speak.
An hour goes by and they decide to do a CT scan.  Our surgeon arrived to see him and thats when I felt alittle more at ease....not much but alittle.  He was sure it was not a stricture or something like that.  I asked if it could be a twisted bowel or a blockage and he did not think so because Dan is only 3 weeks post op and he said that would be rare to have that happen so early....especially since he had been feeling great for a good week now.  But the results came back as a partial bowel obstruction.  He was admitted.

I stayed till sometime after midnight and headed home...an hour away :(   When I arrived this morning he had been taken down for an XRAY Bowel Series.  He was gone 5 hours!!  When he finally did get back he had been in so much pain.  The pain meds work for about 2 hours and then it all comes rushing back again.  The surgeon came down and saw him around 4 and said that the Bowel Series did show some barium coming trough the narrowed area so it is not a complete blockage and they are not going to rush to do surgery to repair it.  WHAT!!!???   So this is the plan.......Dan is to wait through the weekend till Monday in the hospital, getting Delotid every 2 hours, no drinking, no eating, only ice chips in hopes that it will correct itself.  The narrowed area is at the bottom of the "Y" in the RNY procedure were the intestine is sectioned onto the bottom of the small intestine.  I disagreed with the waiting two times with the surgeon.  It just seems like ALOT of pain and discomfort to go though for 3 and 1/2 days all to end up going in to figure out exactly what is wrong and fix it.  Right now they can only rely on the CT  and Xray pictures.   I think they should just go in and see exactly what is wrong and fix it.  Forget the waiting part......but for now we are waiting.......

Post-Op Video #13 Part 2

Post-Op Video #13- Dan's 2 1/2 week and my 1 week update

Dan is 2 1/2 weeks and I am 1 week post op

Dan and I are adjusting to our new lives, and trust me this is taking some adjustment.  Dan is doing very well right now.  He is down 36+ lbs and is finally feeling better.  He is still on the antibiotic but his stomach is feeling better and no more pains.  He has already had to move down to a smaller size jeans and his 3x shirts are starting to look way too loose.  He began eating mushy/soft foods this past Thursday and he is enjoying everything he has tried so far.

Things Dan is eating:     Boca burger with ketchup and light mayo-pureed

                                          Albacore Tuna with light mayo and SF pickle relish

                                          Low sugar Instant Oatmeal

                                          Canned baby shrimp, light mayo and Old Bay

I am 1 week today and I feel pretty good this morning.  I am down 14lbs and I am happy with that.  I gained 6 lbs of fluid in hospital. Sleeping is still hard because I must remain on my back or I feel alot of tugging and pain.  I am not getting all my fluid or protein but I am trying very hard and I have a drink in my hand all day!  I have tried a new protein this morning at a suggestion from a friend on Facebook.  EAS Myoplex Carb Control in Rich chocolate  It is premixed drink and it tasted very light and no smell....may be a keeper.  Gonna go get some more tonight.  I wanted to mention something that I had not read or heard from anyone, maybe because it is private and embarrassing but it happened to both Dan and I and I may not have worried about it so much if I had heard people talking about it prior to surgery...Diarrhea.  Yes, honestly a constant thing that once I finally did have my first BM on day 4 post op it continued every 3 hours (including at night) until yesterday around 6pm.  It was not painful but it was something that did occur with both of us.  When all you have to "eat" are liquids for a full week prior to your surgery and then nothing but water and protein drinks after, it makes sense but it was bothersome and annoying.  Just wanted to put it out there....so maybe someone pre-op will be aware.   ok, lets move on :)  I am moving around much better.  Standing more upright and doing more things around the house and feeling more like myself.  They say you will feel better each day and it is true.  Each day gets easier.

Things I am eating:        Protein shakes 

                                       Lipton Noodle Soup (in the Red Box)- ok, if I did not have this I                                          would be dead now from malnutrition- now even eating some noodles                                          Cream of Potato Soup

                                         SF fudgesicles

                                       Carnation Instant Breakfast(1/2 packet), 1 scoop unflavored protein &
                                               instant coffee

                                       decaf hot tea, 1 tsp sugar, 1 ounce fat free milk or 1/2 and 1/2

                                      

    

I am home from the hospital and Dan is 2 weeks post op

Pre-op Area waiting for my turn- November 29, 2010

I came home last night.  Yesterday was a very long night and long day.  My night was just horrible and I just don't think you should stay in hospitals alone at night.  Too much pain...call buttons not anywhere near me and just scary to be in the dark and cannot even turn on a light.  The day did not go much better.  I walked the halls around 6am.  Came back to bed, drank just water, my parents were coming to spend the day with me and we were all hopeful I would get to leave later in the afternoon.  As the day went by there were discussions about if my drain would come out or if I would have to keep it in till Friday.  Most of the uncomfortable pain I felt was near the drain area.  Lots of residents with lots of different opinions coming in and out all day but finally one of the main practice's surgeons came in and said yes I could go home tonight and the drain can come out.  Should have just waited till we saw him and not listened to all the other opinions.  Like I said, it was a long day.  I was home by 8pm.  

My first full day at home was today.  I had some Ensure, Carnation Instant Breakfast and a little Lipton Noodle soup(minus the noodles).  I have been drinking ice water and Crystal light.  I did not have any protein today.....not sure how that would go.  I gain 6 lbs of water weight in hospital.  I took my first shower early this morning and that went well.  I have about 5 incisions and one through bellybutton.  I will try to take a pic of it for you.  Also have the drain area hole.  I am taking Lortab elixar.  I can take up to 15ml...so far I feel like 5ml works really well.  So far I am ok.  I did sleep alot today and was so happy to be back in my own bed.  I can lay flat and nothing hurts although I cannot turn on my sides yet. 

Dan is 2 weeks post op!!!!  He is doing really well.  He has lost 33.8lbs.  He did have a bout with an upset stomach for a few days.  They had him come in for a CT Scan (which showed nothing) and they feel it may be a bacteria issue. Apparently they give you an antibiotic on the day of surgery that can mess up the balance of natural colon bacteria.  And if that is aggravated then it can cause diarrhea and stomach cramps.  He is now on Flageal and had a much better day today.  He ate oatmeal for the first time yesterday 2 times and today he had oatmeal and for dinner he made a little concoction of a Boca burger with ketchup and mayo, heated it up and then pulsed it in the Magic Bullet.  It smelled pretty good as he was making it and he said he liked it.  And its been hours since he ate it and he says he feels fine.  I am sure he is very thankful to eat some "real" food now.  He came in from work today and his jeans are huge on him...just huge.  Before we head to bed I think he needs to look though some older pairs and find one at least one size smaller :)