Copyright © 2019
by Ralph F. Couey
Well, its done. The surgery went well, especially the induction of anesthesia. But what was supposed to take 3-4 hours actually took over seven. The first thing I remember on waking up were the words, "It's 2 o'clock, and we took about 25 pounds off of you!"
Afterwards, he showed us two medical buckets filled with the most disgusting parts of myself. I can truthfully say I won't miss them in the least. My chest has been altered, and I have a new belly button. But that excess skin and residual weight which was so hard to get rid of is now gone. When I look down, I not only see toes, but my ankles as well.
We left soon after, delaying only long enough to ensure my plumbing was functional. He told me that the first three days would be difficult, and he wasn't kidding. Thursday night, despite the hydrocodone, was a night of real pain. Once I made it into bed, I had to use the receptacle for urinating, mainly with Cheryl's game assistance. I didn't sleep well, and was tired the next day. But I made it to the post-op follow-up without too much difficulty, although I did request a wheelchair ride back down. During the case, he put about 5 liters of fluid inside me which left my gut uncomfortably distended, but with the compression garments, it has been steadily leaking back out for which I am wearing two drains.
Friday night, my pain level was much lower, but I began to have breathing issues. Cheryl, as fine a nurse as exists anywhere, knew immediately that I had developed a mucous plug in one of my lungs. The only cure for that is long, slow, deep breaths accompanied by generating the kind of deep cough that develop way down in the abs, which are also very tender. After a long night, as the sun rose, I finally hocked up a lugie, as the say, and my breathing instantly became normal. Saturday was a day spent mostly in the lost sleep from the previous night so Saturday night was a long and sleepless one.
Today, I am so much better. There's still some pain and I definitely won't be doing any 5 mile walks this week. But my gut is shrinking steadily, making me way more comfortable.
At this point, I can't tolerate solid food, so I've been consuming a drink from Costco which includes 30 grams of protein. I'm doing fine on this so far, and it has been very helpful in taking the hard-core antibiotics prescribed for me. And drinking lots of Propel water, which is rich in anti-oxidants.
Overall, I feel better than I would have imagined just two days ago. I can begin to see the end of this road and the choice of April 1st to start my new job appears to be a pretty sagacious one.
I can't praise Cheryl enough. She has taken excellent care of me, calming my fears and keeping me on track. Caring for a post-surgical patient is never a walk in the park, but she had taken it on with a will. Marriage is a tough thing sometimes. But with us, it has been these times of personal trouble where we have found the best in each other. If ever there was a time where I was convinced that I married way above my pay grade, this has been it. Tomorrow she goes back to work, and while I don't anticipate any medical problems whatsoever, I'll still miss her loving and caring presence.
Major surgery is never an easy choice, nor an easy process. Seven hours under anesthesia means that it will take several more days before its influence is completely flushed from my system. While I'll be ready to work next month, it will be some time before I feel completely normal. Nevertheless, I am glad I got this done. The way forward will be enjoyable and I can at last take some pride in my appearance. I've played this one close to the vest, not sharing with anyone what was going on. Some of that was bound up in that fear that anything could go wrong. But mostly, I suspect I was looking forward to presenting the new me as a surprise to family and friends. Yeah, that's ego, but I think I thoroughly earned this on.
I'll continue to proved updates as the situation warrants, especially to those who may be considering this for themselves. It is a testament to the evolution of the surgical art that I could have this kind of procedure and go home the same day. And while the recovery hasn't been necessarily easy, it's still been better than it could have been even 5 years ago.
Dr. John Ferguson was my surgeon, and he is every bit as excited as I am by the results. The long path I began in 2011 with a lap band has completed with a successful result.
I couldn't be more grateful.
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