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Nervous fat man, LB to MGB
- Thread starter CANKSTER
- Start date
weegie
Active Member
Wendy said there us a Carrefour nearby,. Get a good rest though. No taxing yourself. X
Sat in the garden of the hotel drinking a mint tea, can't sleep but can't wait to go home. I will post detailed update if my adventures when I return to UK to tomorrow. I didn't want to post too much frank info before Wendy went in as it would have been unfair to frighten her. 12 hrs to go until I'm in my own bed 
.
.
weegie
Active Member
Sat in the garden of the hotel drinking a mint tea, can't sleep but can't wait to go home. I will post detailed update if my adventures when I return to UK to tomorrow. I didn't want to post too much frank info before Wendy went in as it would have been unfair to frighten her. 12 hrs to go until I'm in my own bed
You cannot beat your own bed
. Hope you are feeling better each day. Keep on sipping. X
excitedbutnervous
New Member
Take it easy, and remember you on the other side now ?
Loving the Loop
Well-Known Member
There's no place like home. Good to hear you're doing better.
Update
Good morning all, I have been back home a week so I thought now would be a good time to post an update on how things went before and after the op.
Day 1 - I arrived at Bruxelles Midi where I was met by a lovely driver who whisked me off to the very strange hotel (converted from a prison). The room was adequate and had air con so all was good. Fred arrived at my room around 8pm and talked me through op, he then told me to go and get myself a nice steak and a glass of wine as it would be a long time before I had the chance again. Fred then emptied my band and departed. I wandered down to the Canal restaurant and had a lovely filet Mignon and a glass of wine.
Day 2 - At 0715 I met up with a lovely couple of Irish guys and two ladies from London and we formed a fat arsed conga down to the hospital. Arrived at the hospital did the paperwork and eventually I was allocated a room sharing with Kevin from Donegal. Dr Chris came over and had his ruthlessly efficient chat and then we both donned the hated gowns and submitted to the ministrations of the hairy arm pitted nurses. Eventually stockinged, shaved (I'd done this at home) and weighed we waited for the call.
At 10am a nurse arrived to wheel me down, I arrived in a kind of holding bay where I waited half an hr before Dr Chis arrived for a last minute pep talk and then I was wheeled in to theatre where Fred cracked jokes while the nurses strapped me to the table in a crucifixion pose, I asked Fred if the BDSM was obligatory but he just laughed. The anaesthetist then arrived and said that as I went under I might feel him pushing down on my throat as this was required to stop regurgitation. As I was wearing suspenders and a dress whilst strapped down in a supine crucifixion pose I did wonder if I would wake up with an orange in my mouth.
The next thing I remember was waking up in recovery and feeling very cold and a little sore but a lot better than I thought. I did notice the clock said 1230 in my fugue, after a while I was wheeled back to the ward where Dr Chris came over and said all had gone well and I just dozed off to sleep.
The rest of the day was spent between sleep and morphine while various nurses treated me as a blood piñata. At around 8pm a nurse arrived called Sabrina, she looked at my drain and began to get agitated. It transpired I had drained 3 pints of blood post surgery and my blood pressure was beginning to drop. She then started to take blood but could not find a vein, she lowered the bed and adjusted it so my stomach stretched out and it was agony I told her she was racking me and I was in pain but she just said shut up baby. I carried on complaining while she continued the bizarre Flemish torture enlivened by her making 9 attempts to draw blood leaving me feeling like a fat dartboard. Eventually as she just wouldn't listen I put the bed straight myself and told her to stop. I was happy to be further prodded but only by anyone but her, her response was, she was a midwife and shouldn't be doing this as she was overqualified. I said I didn't really care and asked her to go and stand in the car park facing a wall where she would probably be more useful (I'm never normally this rude, and all the nurses were brilliant, except her) she then wondered off in a huff to get another nurse.
A normal nurse who was not a skilled water boarder then arrived and tried to get blood and succeeded first time, she was also worried about the blood and started making phone calls. It becomes a bit of a blur from here on in but as she was on the phone I was suddenly whisked down the corridor by 3 nurses jabbering excitedly in Flemish and wheeled into intensive care. Immediately I was what I can only describe as gang medicated, repeatedly. Simultaneously nurses did my ECG, blood pressure, inserted a catheter down my snakes eye, a catheter in my neck (the only way they could get blood) and another catheter in my wrist. As all this was going on they called my next of kin (by this stage I started to worry). The blood pressure machine then went wild and they began to look worried and I slowly started to slip off to sleep, moments late Dr Chris arrived like a white night and took control. He put stiches in my drain port and asked me what medicines I had taken in the last 2 weeks, I said I had only taken Asprin but that was 9 days ago, his eyes lit up he ordered some anti Asprin meds to be given and everyone calmed down.
Day 3 - Woke up in ICU around 7am feeling a little better but very tired as I had been woken every 30 minutes for various tests and samples. I was checked and watched till 1300 when Dr Chris arrived and pronounced me fit to go back to the ward. The nurse then pulled what appeared to be a party balloon out of the end of my winkle and I was wheeled back to my room. I was met by a very worried Irishman (Kevin) who's concern was palpable, we chatted for a while and I tried to sleep, this was difficult as I still had the tubes hanging out of my neck and arms so comfort was difficult, it was also hard to sleep as Kevin liked to play Donegal FM on his phone whilst watching back to back programs about Alaskan gold miners. At about about 7pm Sabrina the teenage ***** arrived with Fred and they asked how I was, Fred apologised for her behaviour and I said no problem we all have bad days, I then tried to engage with Sabrina by chatting about gold mining and the price of carpets in Donegal (subjects I am now expert In) this didn't really work so I tried to sleep. I couldn't get off so asked Sabrina for a sleeping tablet and she said no she didn't like people to have sleeping tablets. Eventually around 2300 she flew back to her lair and the nice nurse with the upholstered armpits arrived and gave me and Kevin sleeping tablets and off to sleep we went.
Day 4 - Woke up at around 6am to the sounds of paddy FM and the clank of mining machinery, felt better but sore, the bleeding had calmed and then a bit later water, and food arrived and I tucked in, the rest is pretty standard checks from Chris and the nurses and declared good. I was told as a "bleeder" I would not need the stockings or injections when I left. The drain was pulled out (not as painful as expected more of a pulling sensation) the tethers were removed from my neck, Dr Chris gave us a final warning and pep talk and then back to the hotel for around 1300. I filched and armful of a timely at the hotel and then went to sleep, at around 8pm Fred turned up and changed my dressing as I was oozing (not bleeding) and gave me a load of dressing if needed, Fred also said if oozing got worse I was to either walk hospital, phone him or phone taxi to hospital depending on ooze.
Day 5 - woke feeling a lot better and ooze had calmed right down, day was spent relaxing and I chanced a little walk into vilvoorde and had a cup of tea in a cafe. I the. Went back to hotel to meet Fred at 4pm who changed dressing again and then off to sleep.
Day 6 - Met the car at 11 and whisked off to Eurostar, nice journey back changed at London and back home to Bristol for 6pm where I have relaxed ever since.
On reflection an eventful week but I have no regrets, there were issues but I think it highlights the benefits of using Dr Chris. Had I encountered issues of intensive care proportions at a private clinic I would have been whisked via taxi or ambulance to a NHS hospital. As it was I was just wheeled down the corridor as all facilities were on hand, a benefit to my mind.
After the first week I am 17lbs down and feeling pretty good, sorry it's so long winded but I find the act of documenting my experiences very cathartic and it's good to get it down for future reading before my memories blur.
Thanks to everyone on here for your support before and after, the information and emotion crutch it provided was invaluable.
Good morning all, I have been back home a week so I thought now would be a good time to post an update on how things went before and after the op.
Day 1 - I arrived at Bruxelles Midi where I was met by a lovely driver who whisked me off to the very strange hotel (converted from a prison). The room was adequate and had air con so all was good. Fred arrived at my room around 8pm and talked me through op, he then told me to go and get myself a nice steak and a glass of wine as it would be a long time before I had the chance again. Fred then emptied my band and departed. I wandered down to the Canal restaurant and had a lovely filet Mignon and a glass of wine.
Day 2 - At 0715 I met up with a lovely couple of Irish guys and two ladies from London and we formed a fat arsed conga down to the hospital. Arrived at the hospital did the paperwork and eventually I was allocated a room sharing with Kevin from Donegal. Dr Chris came over and had his ruthlessly efficient chat and then we both donned the hated gowns and submitted to the ministrations of the hairy arm pitted nurses. Eventually stockinged, shaved (I'd done this at home) and weighed we waited for the call.
At 10am a nurse arrived to wheel me down, I arrived in a kind of holding bay where I waited half an hr before Dr Chis arrived for a last minute pep talk and then I was wheeled in to theatre where Fred cracked jokes while the nurses strapped me to the table in a crucifixion pose, I asked Fred if the BDSM was obligatory but he just laughed. The anaesthetist then arrived and said that as I went under I might feel him pushing down on my throat as this was required to stop regurgitation. As I was wearing suspenders and a dress whilst strapped down in a supine crucifixion pose I did wonder if I would wake up with an orange in my mouth.
The next thing I remember was waking up in recovery and feeling very cold and a little sore but a lot better than I thought. I did notice the clock said 1230 in my fugue, after a while I was wheeled back to the ward where Dr Chris came over and said all had gone well and I just dozed off to sleep.
The rest of the day was spent between sleep and morphine while various nurses treated me as a blood piñata. At around 8pm a nurse arrived called Sabrina, she looked at my drain and began to get agitated. It transpired I had drained 3 pints of blood post surgery and my blood pressure was beginning to drop. She then started to take blood but could not find a vein, she lowered the bed and adjusted it so my stomach stretched out and it was agony I told her she was racking me and I was in pain but she just said shut up baby. I carried on complaining while she continued the bizarre Flemish torture enlivened by her making 9 attempts to draw blood leaving me feeling like a fat dartboard. Eventually as she just wouldn't listen I put the bed straight myself and told her to stop. I was happy to be further prodded but only by anyone but her, her response was, she was a midwife and shouldn't be doing this as she was overqualified. I said I didn't really care and asked her to go and stand in the car park facing a wall where she would probably be more useful (I'm never normally this rude, and all the nurses were brilliant, except her) she then wondered off in a huff to get another nurse.
A normal nurse who was not a skilled water boarder then arrived and tried to get blood and succeeded first time, she was also worried about the blood and started making phone calls. It becomes a bit of a blur from here on in but as she was on the phone I was suddenly whisked down the corridor by 3 nurses jabbering excitedly in Flemish and wheeled into intensive care. Immediately I was what I can only describe as gang medicated, repeatedly. Simultaneously nurses did my ECG, blood pressure, inserted a catheter down my snakes eye, a catheter in my neck (the only way they could get blood) and another catheter in my wrist. As all this was going on they called my next of kin (by this stage I started to worry). The blood pressure machine then went wild and they began to look worried and I slowly started to slip off to sleep, moments late Dr Chris arrived like a white night and took control. He put stiches in my drain port and asked me what medicines I had taken in the last 2 weeks, I said I had only taken Asprin but that was 9 days ago, his eyes lit up he ordered some anti Asprin meds to be given and everyone calmed down.
Day 3 - Woke up in ICU around 7am feeling a little better but very tired as I had been woken every 30 minutes for various tests and samples. I was checked and watched till 1300 when Dr Chris arrived and pronounced me fit to go back to the ward. The nurse then pulled what appeared to be a party balloon out of the end of my winkle and I was wheeled back to my room. I was met by a very worried Irishman (Kevin) who's concern was palpable, we chatted for a while and I tried to sleep, this was difficult as I still had the tubes hanging out of my neck and arms so comfort was difficult, it was also hard to sleep as Kevin liked to play Donegal FM on his phone whilst watching back to back programs about Alaskan gold miners. At about about 7pm Sabrina the teenage ***** arrived with Fred and they asked how I was, Fred apologised for her behaviour and I said no problem we all have bad days, I then tried to engage with Sabrina by chatting about gold mining and the price of carpets in Donegal (subjects I am now expert In) this didn't really work so I tried to sleep. I couldn't get off so asked Sabrina for a sleeping tablet and she said no she didn't like people to have sleeping tablets. Eventually around 2300 she flew back to her lair and the nice nurse with the upholstered armpits arrived and gave me and Kevin sleeping tablets and off to sleep we went.
Day 4 - Woke up at around 6am to the sounds of paddy FM and the clank of mining machinery, felt better but sore, the bleeding had calmed and then a bit later water, and food arrived and I tucked in, the rest is pretty standard checks from Chris and the nurses and declared good. I was told as a "bleeder" I would not need the stockings or injections when I left. The drain was pulled out (not as painful as expected more of a pulling sensation) the tethers were removed from my neck, Dr Chris gave us a final warning and pep talk and then back to the hotel for around 1300. I filched and armful of a timely at the hotel and then went to sleep, at around 8pm Fred turned up and changed my dressing as I was oozing (not bleeding) and gave me a load of dressing if needed, Fred also said if oozing got worse I was to either walk hospital, phone him or phone taxi to hospital depending on ooze.
Day 5 - woke feeling a lot better and ooze had calmed right down, day was spent relaxing and I chanced a little walk into vilvoorde and had a cup of tea in a cafe. I the. Went back to hotel to meet Fred at 4pm who changed dressing again and then off to sleep.
Day 6 - Met the car at 11 and whisked off to Eurostar, nice journey back changed at London and back home to Bristol for 6pm where I have relaxed ever since.
On reflection an eventful week but I have no regrets, there were issues but I think it highlights the benefits of using Dr Chris. Had I encountered issues of intensive care proportions at a private clinic I would have been whisked via taxi or ambulance to a NHS hospital. As it was I was just wheeled down the corridor as all facilities were on hand, a benefit to my mind.
After the first week I am 17lbs down and feeling pretty good, sorry it's so long winded but I find the act of documenting my experiences very cathartic and it's good to get it down for future reading before my memories blur.
Thanks to everyone on here for your support before and after, the information and emotion crutch it provided was invaluable.
Last edited:
florabell
Member
Great write up, it was like reading a thriller! I had to chuckle at some parts, I remember the Dr's "ruthlessly efficient" chat only too well. When he did ours he asked questions then immediately answered them himself, I think he covered everything. I laughed at your crucifixion comments, I likened that to an execution table lol. And so funny about the price of carpets in Donegl and Sabrina and her lair!
Seriously though, I'm glad you have came through the drama and been able to tell the tale. It's important for pre oppers to read stuff like this to get a well balanced view. My experience was totally average with no complications and whilst that's good for me, it probably doesn't offer much to pre oppers.
And great stuff with the -17lbs, off to a flying start!
Seriously though, I'm glad you have came through the drama and been able to tell the tale. It's important for pre oppers to read stuff like this to get a well balanced view. My experience was totally average with no complications and whilst that's good for me, it probably doesn't offer much to pre oppers.
And great stuff with the -17lbs, off to a flying start!
ladilindy
Active Member
Excellent report...like Florabell my journey was boringly normal, but people do need to be aware that problems can and do occur.
When I had my barium swallow on day 2 I was wide awake and full of beans, the lady admitted at the same time as me was completely zonked...she had a band I had an RNY. We are all different.
Congrats on the first week loss, that's an amazing kickstart to your journey.
Lynn x
When I had my barium swallow on day 2 I was wide awake and full of beans, the lady admitted at the same time as me was completely zonked...she had a band I had an RNY. We are all different.
Congrats on the first week loss, that's an amazing kickstart to your journey.
Lynn x
excitedbutnervous
New Member
Fab update. Glad you are ok and on the losers bench with a nice 17lb loss.
trendywendy
Member
Hi Cankster
absolutely brilliant account, and thanks so much for thinking of me before writing about your time in ICU, very very considerate
What a shocker but they are the epitomy of efficiency aren't they when you have 2 or 3 nurses doing things at a time.
I alos resemble a pinata with bruises all up my arms and hands, everytime I have to give blood it#s same, "where are your veins?" they're delicate and deep set, so it becomes a case of "I'm not being beaten by these suckers" from the nurse and on it goes, prick, prick, prick
I'm so glad you are OK though, bet that was scary.
I laughed at the donegal carpets comment, a few years ago, I stayed in Ireland in Mato/sligo on border and had local radio, they have the weirdest adverts on, then on sunday mornings, do the deaths, then after a solemn announcement of all the deaths, you get an upbeat advert for a fridge sale - bizarre, but quaint, I loved it.
Take care xx
absolutely brilliant account, and thanks so much for thinking of me before writing about your time in ICU, very very considerate
What a shocker but they are the epitomy of efficiency aren't they when you have 2 or 3 nurses doing things at a time.
I alos resemble a pinata with bruises all up my arms and hands, everytime I have to give blood it#s same, "where are your veins?" they're delicate and deep set, so it becomes a case of "I'm not being beaten by these suckers" from the nurse and on it goes, prick, prick, prick
I'm so glad you are OK though, bet that was scary.
I laughed at the donegal carpets comment, a few years ago, I stayed in Ireland in Mato/sligo on border and had local radio, they have the weirdest adverts on, then on sunday mornings, do the deaths, then after a solemn announcement of all the deaths, you get an upbeat advert for a fridge sale - bizarre, but quaint, I loved it.
Take care xx
weegie
Active Member
Fantastic update Cankster. I am glad it wasn't only me who thought it all a bit "bondage" like. . I woke with my knickers missing, and heaven knows what dreams I had but I don't think the anaesthesia turns me into Miss Jean Brodie .. Iyswim.
I am so pleased your problems were short lived, and at least got you out of doing those blummin injections.
Take care...
Anyhoo off to the pool now its below 37c.
. I woke with my knickers missing, and heaven knows what dreams I had but I don't think the anaesthesia turns me into Miss Jean Brodie .. Iyswim.I am so pleased your problems were short lived, and at least got you out of doing those blummin injections.
Take care...
Anyhoo off to the pool now its below 37c.
