Last night was an interesting one. With deep vein thrombosis a potential risk for bariatric patients, part of the normal process is to put patients on heparin (blood thinner). In my case, the blood may have gotten a little too thin combined with the fact that I probably had a small bleeding vein in between the staples. This caused bloody BMs and also resulted in my hemoglobin dropping to 7.7. That number was low enough to warrant a transfusion of two units of blood. These were risks I was aware of up front. Just not ones that I thought I'd have to deal with. Nonetheless I did and everything is good this morning.
I was able to shower on my own and put on my own clothes! Praise God for these little victories! A nice shower can make a big difference in how one feels.
I've been walking the halls and am about to climb the walls. I'm ready to go home. Now I'm waiting to be discharged. My BP is up a little (144/94), but I'm not thinking that's going to keep me here.
Thanks for the prayers and thoughts. Through my wonderful Creator, he is equipping me with what it takes to get through this...including awesome prayer warriors.
I just found your blog and I wanted you to know that I was praying for you and a quick recovery. My surgery is June 4th and I would love to know any before hand info that you think would help that they might not tell you.
ReplyDeleteHi Monica.
DeleteFirst, keep in mind that everyone is different, so my experiences may be totally different from yours. I think the thing that has "shocked" me the most about the procedure is that my digestive tract has sounded and felt like a semi was idling through it! It's been very gurgley. The other thing I didn't expect was to pass out...twice. They're still not sure why my body responded that way - it's not common from what I'm told. The bleeding I experienced was another "not common" thing. I'm told maybe 5% of patients experience this.
Other things they might not tell you...the incisions (for me) are the most painful part. I've believe I have a pretty high pain tolerance and have not had to have any pain medication since the day of surgery. That being said, every once in a while I'll move just right (wrong??) and one of the incisions pulls and hurts a lot!
As I experience new things, I'll definitely post them. If you'd like to email me your contact info I'd be glad to answer any questions you may have. My email is IamDeedra@gmail.com.
May God grant you peace as you enter the final stages before the surgery. Trust in Him with all your heart and all your mind and all your understanding. He will get you through even the darkest hours.