Category Archives: Lap-Band

It’s a good thing I’m not doing NaBloPoMo this year, considering I just remembered to change my banner today. What? Is it November already?

So I went to my follow up appointment last Tuesday – again without alerting Dad about any of this – and my favorite nurse practitioner grabbed me instead of the surgeon or his PA. In many ways, I preferred that but it meant I didn’t get my questions answered. I was concerned because I was having the same symptoms that brought me into the office to begin with – reflux and irritation of the band area. Surprise, the surgeon did not unfill the band as he told me he would during the stupid surgery – so I had an extra week of reflux and irritation from a too-tight band. At any rate, Wendy took some fluid out and I’m gradually improving.

The thing to do now is to get back on my lap-band eating plan and start losing weight again. And yet, I’m still not doing that. If the reflux doesn’t stop, the band may have to come out. It could be creating an ulcer or, worse case scenario, the band could infiltrate the wall of my stomach. I really don’t want either of those things. This week, I couldn’t help thinking about the victims of Sandy and friends who are going through some very hard times, and here I am worrying about having too much to eat. There’s something very sad about that. It’s not that I want bigger problems in my life – but this is something I surely should be able to solve.

Forgive me, in advance, for the random flow of this post. The first question is surely did I get there in time? Absolutely, Bob was early! He’s apparently like me and heads out with extra time in case of unforeseen factors. I’m usually early wherever I go. I was worried about not waking up in time so I set both alarms and needed neither. We got there in plenty of time.

And then we waited. I sent Bob off, expecting to see him again in a few hours. Had to be there at 9AM right? It was 10AM before anyone even talked to me. And that very nice nurse told me that there were two people ahead of me and I would have a long wait. What? I totally get that you never know what’s going to happen in surgery and they probably overbook a little in case someone doesn’t come – but I waited 6 hours before they even had me change out of my clothes. 6 Hours. It’s not the hospital, they told me, it’s the surgeon’s office. And I am now waiting anxiously for them to send me the questionnaire they always send me because I have a few words to say about a 6 hour wait.

And I waited another hour in pre-op. Let me recap (or bitch and moan) – had to be there at 9AM and finally went into surgery around 5PM. As much as I was annoyed for myself, I was feeling tremendously guilty over poor Bob waiting forever. He told me later that he expected it and was surprised when I called him around 1PM to tell him that nothing had happened yet. I mean, he was surprised that I was calling because he thought at first that meant I was ready to go already.

Anyway, the surgery itself was quick and easy. They put me to sleep but I guess it was still not general anesthesia. It was just deeper than I expected. No big shot ahead of time so I remember right up to the gas in the operating room. And apparently they gave me some bronchodilators during surgery so I came home with a spare Albuterol. (I hardly ever use it but it’s good to have around and now I have one to throw in my bag) Next thing, I was waking up in post-op. I don’t know, I was probably there a half hour or so, then went back to a room and got dressed and left shortly afterward.

I was a little sore last night. Getting out of Bob’s truck and into the house was an adventure – and feeding Zoe a little special num num was difficult because of that whole bending over part. Something felt like it was pulling. I talked briefly to a friend and emailed a few others and ate some soup and went to bed around 8:30. I’m supposed to ambulate to help myself recover – I got my ambulating in by getting up every hour or so to pee. On the plus side, I got more and more comfortable moving around overnight. The incision is a little bigger than he planned – I suppose I’ll find out why next week when I see him – but it hardly hurts at all this morning. Not that I’ll be going dancing and I’m not supposed to lift stuff.

So, the surgery itself was the non-event I expected. Just the long freaking wait and the stress leading up to it. Oh, I called Dad from Springfield. I had told him I’d be in Springfield but I knew if he realized I still wasn’t home at what? 6:30 ish? (Drugs, people, my times may be a little off.) Anyway, I knew he’d work himself up into a state if he realized I wasn’t home. So I called him and told him things had taken longer than expected. And my story is that the doctor was running way behind – which he was – and that they had to do a little adjustment. The word surgery never came up and never will. But my fibs are close to the truth which is how I prefer fibs. And probably today he won’t even remember any of it.

Oh, and an FYI – one of the nurses told me that they have had to remove a lot of lap-bands and are no longer doing them so often. Apparently a lot of people are having problems with them – not me. I’m having trouble following the rules and gaining weight back but I haven’t had any problems so far. Interesting, though.

Well, we’re on the home stretch. I should find out tomorrow just when the surgery will be on Monday. I really hate this last minute thing. But I wanted to tell you about the funny part. I’m just afraid that it’s going to come out on screen as whining – but really, except for a really brief moment of stressing out, I spent most of the time laughing.

I did my pre-admission screening over the phone last Tuesday (um, last week last Tuesday). I was really glad of that since I’ve already driven to Springfield twice for this non-event 5 minute surgery. I needed to get a blood draw and an ekg done but I could do them in Cassville, where I go anyway. I was sick last week so I didn’t get around to it until Monday and when I did, the lady I spoke with said she had the fax in hand. Someone would call me back, she said, to schedule the ekg, I could get the blood draw anytime.

So far, so easy. When the scheduler called, she said she didn’t have the orders. But then, she was at another facility. So she made an appointment for me for Wednesday afternoon.

Still pretty easy, nothing unusual.

Wednesday morning, someone from Cassville called and said they didn’t have any orders. No, wait – the surgeon’s office called first. They didn’t write any orders, they said. They didn’t need any tests, any orders must have come from the pre-admission screening nurse and basically, it wasn’t their problem. I should call the pre-admission office and get this straightened out. I did! They didn’t have any record of any orders for testing. Plus they couldn’t figure out who I’d spoken with but, they’d get back with me. THEN the lady from Cassville called. No orders. Specifically, nothing on the computer which knows all. She had talked to the pre-admission people and they didn’t know anything about any orders. The surgeon’s office and the anesthesiologist’s office hadn’t written any orders.

Now wait, I said. The woman I spoke to – who answered the phone – in Cassiville said she had the fax in her hand.

The pre-admission nurse, by the way, still hadn’t gotten back with me.

Shirley, who must be a very nice lady, was on the hunt for the fax. She did call back. She found the fax. The fax was sent on the same letterhead as faxes that go to medical records and medical records had it and didn’t know what to do with it. And – it was signed by the surgeon. You know, the one that didn’t order any tests.

And, by the way, who the hell uses faxes anymore anyway?

And it just doesn’t sound as funny when I write it down. But it was. Shirley and I laughed out loud. I stopped short of rolling on the floor, however. The smilies make it funnier, right?

Oh, and the pre-admission nurse got back with me a little after 7:00 pm.