Well, it has certainly been a productive 7 days. My surgery was July 28 and went very well. Of course, I did have issues upon waking up, typical me and anesthesia; we just don’t mix. The day of my surgery is a blur. I mean, as far as I know, the day never happened. Except, I have these incisions on my belly and I felt sicker than a dog, but I remember very little about that day. Coming out of the haze I realized the support system that I have. My husband and my best friend never left my side; they were there for every moment. I cannot thank them enough.

I was discharged from the hospital on July 30. I was very sore and the nausea was overwhelming. I made it through Sunday and when I woke up Monday morning, I thought I was dying. The pain in my stomach was horrendous and the nausea was more than I could handle. I also had a stuffy nose and a severe sore throat. I thought that this was the normal and that I would feel this way for the rest of my life. I called my physician’s office and they wanted to see me immediately. I wondered if I had made the right decision in having the surgery. As the nausea and pain worsened, I began to have more doubts and questioned my decision. This was a very emotional day for me.

I arrived at the doctor’s office and they immediately diagnosed me with dehydration and a possible upper respiratory infection. The doctor’s order? “We are admitting you now. You need fluids desperately.” So, there I was; 1 day out of the hospital and I was on my way back in. This sucked! I was admitted and was immediately given IV fluids at a very fast rate. In less than an hour they pumped 1 liter of fluids into my body. Within 2 hours, I had received a little more than 2 liters through the IV and I was actually feeling better. I had no idea that by not drinking enough fluids, I would end up in the hospital. So, I spent an additional 2 days in the hospital being pumped with fluids and pushed to increase my liquid intake.

I did not drink prior to being in the hospital because I was in so much pain and had so much nausea and anytime I did drink, it made the nausea worse. The doctor explained that the nausea was normal and that I basically had to push through it.

So here I sit, 7 days post-op; 7 of which have been spent in the hospital and I am feeling so much better. I still have the nausea, but I continue to drink despite it. I still question my decision about having the surgery; especially when watching my husband eat a sub or my family eating macaroni and cheese or BBQ chicken, ANYTHING. I crave food, I crave the chewing, and I crave everything associated with food. However, on Monday, when I was admitted into the hospital again, I weighed in at 227 pounds. That is a 13 pound weight loss!

So, did I make the right decision? I think so, but food is still huge part of my life and I need to learn how to grow mentally strong when dealing with food.