i joined the band

Its done. I am one of the few, proud owners of a laproscopically implanted gastric adjustable band. I asked one of my surgeons as I was coming out of the anaesthesia, and he said I got the smaller band, the 4 cc band.

I am still at the hospital. It is only 3:30 a.m. here but you know my body is still on Eastern time. I'm all wide-eyed and bushy-tailed.

The surgery center is really nice-- as nice as any American clinic or hospital I have ever seen. I have a huge private room-- a bed, a cushy armchair, a loveseat, a bedside dresser, a flat-screen TV with American cable on satellite, an in-room phone free calls to the US, and free WiFi!

The whole surgery experience was much, much more pleasant than my recent tonsillectomy (2 years ago) home in the states. I never got to see my surgeon but once a few weeks before my surgery, and then briefly right after when I was suffering from the anaesthesia. The anaesthia was a terrible experience, and they plunked me into a wheelchair and got me the hell outta that hospital as fast as they could after I awoke- there was no overnight or even short-term observation. I could barely walk because I was so screwed up from the surgery drugs.

Here, the experience was so different in so many good ways.

The anaesthesia experience wasn't nearly so bad as it was when I had my tonsils out. They use the latest type here, they claim it is so light that patients go under 2 minutes before surgery and come out 2 minutes later (just after they turn off the drip). I did a little barely-remember wild, drug-addled chatting as they wheeled me into the room (M said I reached out for him and for called him "M, M!") but then slept another hour or hour and a half, before waking up as if from a peaceful sleep. No erratic, frightening racing heart, no sweating and chills like the last time. Just a nap.

Everyone here is so wonderful, from Mrs. Ortiz (Dr. Ortiz' mother-- tiny, adorable, classy little lady-- and it isn't her job, they have other hired drivers, but she "volunteers" to "socialize" all day and loves it!) to the surgical staff, to the wonderful, wonderful nurses. The surgeons all came by before my surgery and explained every step to me, down to the kinds of medications they used and why they are the best available for this type of surgery. They are very friendly and accessible and insisted that in the future, if I ever had any questions or worries, to call them immediately on their cell phones! And I can't tell you how great it is that the doctors just drop your room to chitc-chat: "Still comfortable? Any questions?" and how, when I was heaving audibly on the way back from a short walk to the restroom, every nurse on the hall came running to help me back into bed and get me another shot. When the shift changed from day to night, the night doc and night nurses each came in to say hello and reassure me that I was being taken care of and that they knew I needed regular anti-nausea shots.

I have also gotten a chance to chat with the other patients and their companions and that has been interesting, too. There are two young girls from Alaska here that I've met, a grandmother (and her husband) from Las Vegas who has totally made it her business to check up on me and make sure I'm doing okay, another lady from another part of Utah.

I'm really feeling pretty good, all things considered. My abdomen is almost comically swollen (there go the falling-off pants) and my belly hurts, but its kind of a pressure hurt (feels like you really, really need to burp, fart, or both), not a sharp pain. I have pain at the incisision sites, but they don't hurt really any worse than any other kind of cut. The port hurts, because the port is just under the skin, and the tube from the port goes through the abdominal muscle to get to the band around stomach. My back muscles are a little sore from sleeping unnaturally on my back instead of my tummy, as I am used to.

My worst symptom is nausea because I am sensitive to pain medication in that way, but they have been really good and responsive with the anti-nausea drugs and for that, I am grateful to have spent the night here.

It was nice that M got to stay with me up until visiting hours ended (5:30 p.m.) and nicer still that they sent him back to the hotel after that to get something to eat (he refused to go to lunch and leave me at any point during the day) and get some rest. I get discharged this morning after the doctors examine me, to join him at the hotel, and then later for some doctor-prescribed "shopping therarpy," which really means the more I walk the better.