Life After Bile Reflux: Surgery...Round 2!

I meet with Dr. Rasmussen one more time before the scheduled surgery. We go over any final questions and what the final game plan will be. I trust him to do what’s best for me, and that’s the plan we are sticking with. He also wants me to see a Cardiologist before the surgery to make sure that the palpitations I am having are just nerves. I also meet with Dr. Frech the week before surgery and he signs off on me having the surgery again. I also have another pre-screen appointment at the hospital the day before surgery and get all my lab work done. So now I am signed off for surgery by Dr. Frech, Dr. Rasmussen, the Cardiologist, and the hospital.

I am to check into the hospital at 5:30 in the morning again. It’s a super snowy morning and its quiet that time of day. Everything seems so surreal and I really can’t believe that this is happening again. I arrive at the hospital and the usual things begin to happen. More labs done, vitals taken, and I get changed into a gown. I wait for the nurse to come in and begin the charade of finding a vein and doing the final prep before the OR staff comes in. Luckily for me, the nurse gets a vein on the first try. We go over all history information and then all that’s left to do is wait for Dr. Rasmussen and the Anesthesiologist to come in. A short while later, the OR staff begins to trickle into my room. The OR nurse comes in and introduces himself and hangs out until all the other Doctors come in. Next is the Anesthesiologist, then Dr. Rasmussen. All final questions are answered and the plan is gone over again. Dr. Rasmussen will take out the feeding tube and then is anticipating the surgery to take 4-5 hours. Dr. Rasmussen leaves and so does the Anesthesiologist. Now it’s time for the versed and to be wheeled into the OR. I am only slightly freaking out at this point. I mention to the nurse that I would only like a little versed because the last time I had surgery I felt like I was given too much. He laughs and agrees to only give me a little. This time I actually remember saying goodbye to my parents and being wheeled down the hall. I get my blue hat and into the OR we go. I am wheeled into the OR room and am moved onto the operating table and then given the rest of the versed. I remember looking all around the room and then the oxygen mask goes on my face and the world goes black.

I remember this time waking up in the recovery section of the OR known as PACU. I was in so much pain this time, something I don’t remember from last time. Once my pain is semi under control I am wheeled to my room upstairs. I am in a big room this time and my parents are there. The surgery only took 2 hours which to me seems like a good sign. I am informed that the surgery went well and they were able to do a lateral (side by side) connection from the stomach pouch to the intestine. They were able to do this without taking any more stomach. The feeding tube is gone. I have another stomach drain as well.

I spend the next few days in constant pain. I had a lot more issues with pain this time around. I do pass my leak test and am progressed to a liquid diet. All of my post-op labs are done and a lot of the numbers come back bad. My calcium, vitamin D, and iron counts are all low, just to name a few. We spend the next few days trying to stabilize some of these values. I am given iron infusions for 2 days. A few other highlights of this hospital stay included an allergic reaction to pain medicine which caused some pretty entertaining hallucinations and an allergic reaction to the glue and steri-strips which caused a massive rash which blistered over. I was in the hospital for 6 days this time around. Over the weekend, I saw the on-call surgeon who wouldn’t let me leave until Dr. Rasmussen came back on Monday morning.

Dr. Rasmussen comes in Monday morning and looks at my belly and tears off all the steri-strips due to the allergic reaction. This rash/hives/blisters bit looks nasty. He also decides to take out the drain. I am discharged later that afternoon and am to see him in a week for a follow up. Happy Day!

I really have the best family and friends. They kept me going this time around. I had several melt-downs in the hospital and being on so much pain medication probably didn't help the situation. I always heard the statement that in your time of need you find out who your true friends are but learned what that statement truly meant. All of the hospital visits and phone calls/texts can mean the world to you when you are sick! It sucked to go through this once but to go through it twice was awful.