Recovery Room
The next thing I knew, I opened my eyes in the recovery room, and a nurse asked me how much pain I was in, on a scale from 1 to 10. I said, “Maybe a solid 5 or 6,” because, yep, something had definitely gone down in my belly area, but honestly, I was mostly freezing. I mean, teeth-chattering, body-shaking cold. Thankfully, they piled another blanket on me, and off I drifted again.
I napped for another hour and woke up again. The first thing I asked the nurses was what time it was. I have no idea why, but clearly, my brain thought it was essential info. The nurse laughed and asked if I had a train to catch. Jokes aside, they told me it was just after midday and then suggested I try standing up. Challenge accepted!
They also kindly swapped my surgery gown for a longer nightshirt, thank goodness, because the previous one was pretty skimpy. A couple of sips of water and a quick trip to the bathroom later, the nurse helped me shuffle back to my room.
Back in My Ward
Just to be sure, I double-checked my phone and saw that at 12:45 pm, I texted my partner that all was good. He already knew because I’d arranged for a nurse to update him post-surgery. I was tired, a bit woozy, and my belly hurt a bit, but honestly, I’d expected worse. I’d read about people throwing up post-surgery; thankfully, I dodged that bullet. I wouldn’t say that I didn’t feel even the slightest nausea, but it was way better than expected.
I took another nap and woke up around 3:30 pm when a nurse came in to check my blood pressure and do the little finger-clip thing. She asked how I felt, and I promptly requested some painkillers, which arrived quickly. The meds kicked in, making everything much better, and off to dreamland I went again.
Two hours later, I woke up feeling surprisingly great. I’d probably caught up on the sleep I’d lost the night before (thanks, pre-surgery jitters) and had shaken off the anaesthesia haze. I felt so good, I asked the nurse if I could stroll around in the corridor, having read somewhere that it helps recovery. But I had to wait for the surgeon first. He popped by shortly, reassured me that everything had gone smoothly, and stressed the importance of drinking water.
Afterwards, I paced around the hospital halls, hoping to speed up the exit of carbon dioxide used during surgery because it was causing some belly discomfort. It wasn’t terrible, just annoyingly noticeable. Thankfully, a few little burps escaped, providing minor but welcome relief. Earlier, one nurse mentioned burps were a highly anticipated event around there, I totally got it now.
Soon enough, evening arrived. The nurse stopped by for the last check-up (temperature, blood pressure, the usual drill), gave me meds (painkillers and optional sleeping pills), and wished me goodnight. Sleep was decent, though clearly not as comfy as my own bed, I woke up around 4 am and couldn’t drift back off.
Next Morning
At 6 am sharp, another nurse checked in, taking my temperature and blood pressure again. I got my meds, plus a shot in the butt (vitamin B12, I think?) and instructions for self-injecting blood thinners at home for the next ten days.
Soon after, the surgeon visited, asking how I felt and whether I wanted something to drink. Not being a hot beverage person, I passed on coffee or tea, though they did serve those to other patients, which was quite nice. Not sure how common it is, but it’s not very common over here that your surgeon will serve you coffee in the morning.
Then it was time for a shower. I was advised to change the bandages, and that’s exactly what I did. I think the warm shower was nice because it helped to “melt off” the glue, so it wasn’t too painful to remove them.
I changed my clothes and patiently waited for another staff member to explain medications: when to take them, how, and why. Shortly after, the nutritionist visited, going over the dietary guidelines for the upcoming weeks.
Heading Home
Finally, it was time to go home! They handed me my medical records, thorough home-care instructions, and advice for post-surgery life. After quickly packing my little bag, saying my goodbyes, and a quick stop at the pharmacy to grab my prescriptions, I was on my way.
Obviously, I was the passenger princess because the surgeon suggested not to drive. The ride home wasn’t too bad. Thankfully, I live quite close to the hospital, so the trip took just under an hour. Every speed bump and pothole made itself known, but nothing terrible. All in all, I felt pretty good, and once again, I realised how easily my fears had blown things way out of proportion.
How did you feel after the anaesthesia? Were you able to go home the day after your bariatric surgery, or did your hospital ask you to stay longer?
