The other side

So I survived!  In fact my surgeon said I was her star patient and I got an A+.  I like getting A+'s.

How it went down:

I reported to the Community North surgery center on Friday morning at ~6AM.  I got checked in and they wisked me away to pre-op. Everyone kept saying I was easy...no allergies, no real fear, followed all the pre-op directions to a T.  At first I thought they meant I had loose morals...

I got in an amazing looking hospital gown and brown hospital socks.  I had to ask if I needed to remove my underwear.  I did.  Funny enough I didn't have my ass hanging out.  My junk hasn't been seen by so many people since I was born though.  You get over that very easily though.  The drugs help with any shyness you may have.

Shortly after getting prepped my gorgeous wife and my mother got to come back with me.  I had to pee several times due to the amount of fluids they were pumping into me.  Then came in an OR nurse in her cap and gown and I knew the shit was going down.

They sent my wife and mother out into the waiting area and wheeled me into the OR.  The irony is that when I got into the OR for bariatric surgery they had to put arms on the table because of my size.  I thought this was funny after the fact.  The anesthesiologist gave me something prior to the anesthesia and that's all she wrote folks.  I don't remember much after that.

I remember waking up in recovery briefly hearing a little child screaming.  I know I was moaning but they must have pumped me full of drugs again because I don't remember anything after that until my wife started talking to me telling me I had to get up and moving.

At first I was disoriented and in a lot of pain just in my back.  I think it was from laying down so long.  I finally got the idiot nurse (the only person that really rubbed me the wrong way) to get me some pain meds.  After that I was relaxed.  I got up and went to the bathroom in a jug with the help of my wife.  I walked a lap around the nurses station and went back to bed.

My boss came by shortly after that.  That made my day.  It means a lot to me that he is supportive of me.  I got a lot of other well wishes from folks at work and from folks at my wife's work also.  It's overwhelming how much support I have in this adventure.

I did more walking and saw some of the other bariatric patients walking too.  We supported each other as much as we could.   

Friday night went slow.  I got some decent sleep due to the drugs but they still have to check you vitals every 4 hours.

Saturday morning I got up and walked again and on returning to my room we were delivered breakfast.  1oz of lemon jello and 1oz of chicken broth.  Looking at that I thought to myself you've got to be shitting me.  The irony is that I couldn't finish more than half an ounce each.

Things went by pretty quick after that.  My surgeon came in and gave me orders to go home that day.  I was very excited.  She was proud of me and so was everyone else.

Now I'm settling into a routine of no more than 2 oz of jello or broth per meal along with at least one vitamin or supplement but usually more.  I cannot drink with meals which sucks.  Getting enough liquids in is amazingly difficult.  My wife is the liquid nazi now and I appreciate it.