Re cap of Post op Day 3

Day 3: So I am discharged.

This day made me feel quite unsupported medically as well.  I felt with the nurse I had, it was better to get out of there, as I feel my nurse may actually harm me.  She did not use her critical thinking skills at all.
First thing in the morning, as mentioned the doctor tells me I can go home.  I personally feel this was a little premature as they never did anything to confirm nor disprove their theory of me having a leak, as they were considering the day before.
In addition to this, my drain as been draining quite a bit, and had no signs of slowing down.  This concerned me the most, because if it is not leaving the body it is going into my abdomen.  If I do have a leak, then I am emptying into my abdomen, which could have some serious complications.

So I was discharged around 8:00, and left around 11:00.  As I was about to leave, I am told that I cannot leave as they got my am blood-work and my potassium was low.  The doctor said I cannot have the pill, I must have the liquid.  Apparently the pills are so big they would actually injure my stomach.  It was nice today for someone to actually acknowledge my stomach.  It feels like they were treating my surgery like any other surgery.  I was constantly being given things that I cannot have.

So for the first 2 weeks I am essentially on fluids.  On these fluids, you must have low sugar, decaf tea or coffee, and low fat.   So when they brought me my dinner trays, there was sugar jello, a broth (thank goodness), tea or coffee with no signs of being decaf, and high sugar juice. I was so ill after trying the juice! So needless to say I was glad to go home so I could control my diet.

So after a few hours, my nurse comes in and asks me why I am still here.  I replied that I was waiting for my potassium, and she looked puzzled.  "Oh, you need potassium....uhhhhhh ok, I will check".  Really?!?!?! I have been waiting 2 hours for what??  So she comes in later with 2 fricken huge horse pills.  I took one look at those, and said Uhm I cannot have that! There is no way I can swallow or fit those through my new stomach anastamoses.. SERIOUSLY!!! did you not think about these??? they are a friggin suppository! she immediately leaves, and come back in about a half hour with the liquid form.

For this surgery they only recommend chewable/crushed meds, and liquids, so to have them constantly giving me pills was a little unnerving.  I just felt so vulnerable.

Going home was difficult, it was a 2 hour drive, and my stomach was displaced on every bump and divot on the road.  Thank goodness I fell asleep, because it was a looooong drive!