The day after the lap band was placed:

The morning after surgery an orderly by the name of Jerry arrived to take me to have my Barium Swallow. Now, before I go any further I have to tell you…I was dreading the barium swallow more than I was dreading the actual surgery. For some stupid reason I had convinced myself that this was going to hurt.

Then melodramatic as my life is, as I got up to walk with Jerry to the radiology department my legs buckled underneath me and I fainted. After about 45 minutes we decided to try again so poor Jerry had to find a wheelchair and wheel me to Radiology. I had never been in a wheel chair and I giggled all the way there. I asked Jerry to run and go faster. I think my child like behaviour amused him.

So I was whisked straight through and then the lovely radiographer explained exactly what I was going to have done and what she was going to do. So I burst out crying and told her that I was dreading this swallow more than the surgery itself. She was soooo nice to me and handed me tissues and gave me a hug. I know what you all must be thinking I’m an idiot right?

So she mixed the putrid barium, instructed me to keep it in my mouth and wait for her instructions. When she yelled swallow that’s exactly what I had to do – swallow. She took a few shots and then walked over to me to show me on the monitor how good my band was positioned. I apparently went white as white and she asked me if I was okay and I burst into tears and told her that I thought I was going to be sick. Before I knew it she had me sitting back in the wheelchair with a bucket in my lap.

I was taken back up to my room and my mum and dad came to visit. They kept asking me when I was coming home but I couldn’t answer them as I too was unsure and I wasn’t ready to tell them about this “Oxygen Saturation” issue and the fit on the operating table. (I still haven’t told them, I am waiting for the right moment, as I don’t want to stress them out unnecessarily)

At 5.30pm after a lot more sleep and rest my oxygen saturation went up to 78 and my surgeon came and visited me at 6.oopm (Friday 25th May) and gave me the all clear and I was released!!!

I was taken home and my mum had decided to stay over for a few days to look after me. Initially I was against this and kept telling my parents that I would be fine and if I needed anything I would give them a call and as they only lived a 3-minute drive away but mum was adamant that she was going to stay over.

I got home and hugged and kissed my baby dog, Elvis. Mum made me nice and comfortable on the sofa and I drifted in and out of sleep for a while and then mum helped me go to bed.

Elvis was acting very cautious around me and if you are an owner of a Jack Russell Terrier you would know how demanding, full on and energetic these breeds are, well Elvis went the other way he became very watchful and guarded around me. Could he have sensed that I had just had surgery?

I slept right through the night and mum apparently kept coming into my room to check up on me every few hours throughout the night and later told me that I was in a deep, deep sleep.

Reney