Taking a break from work This is one of my favorite funnies. It says... "Don't step on it, it makes you cry!" How true, until now!!! I can finaly look in the mirror and not cringe.     My new life began on Friday November 19,2004. I had to check in at the hospital at 6:00a.m. When I arrived they took me back to the pre-op room and started the IV's or at least they tried to start them. It took 3 nurses and several stabs each to get one IV in. The other one I was told they put in when I was out before surgery. They said my veins moved around. They gave me a shot in my IV before I was moved to OR and it made me very dizzy. Which I was told was very normal. I remember being wheeled into the OR and the nurses putting on the pressure boots(I quess that's what they are called?). I think I remember Dr. Berger coming over and talking to me for a second but I'm kind of fuzzy on that. But that's all I remember until I heard someone call my name. At first I was very mad thinking "I wish they would just get this over with!!" Then the nurse said "Terri, it's all over" WOW!! I was in NO pain! I felt great just tired. I was in surgery under 2 hours and in recovery about the same. I was taken to my room and still have little to no pain. It really only hurt when I moved wrong. The nurses kept asking me if I wanted something for the pain but I didn't need it. I think they had some in my IV but again Not sure. I went in for a upper GI a little while after surgery to make sure things were working fine. That is when I had the pain. Laying flat on that table was terrible! It hurt like heck! But everything was fine as I knew it would be because I have the worlds best surgeon!!! Ok, back to my room and sitting on the side of my bed I got to have my first meal as a bandster!! Chicken broth, lemon jello and juice. I am not a fan of broth or jello but it tasted pretty good to me then. Dr. Berger wanted me to try and walk and the nurses were so busy that they kept telling me "soon". Dr. Berger found out and was not very happy. They did have me sitting up on the side of the bed. Since it is hard for me to walk on a normal day. My walk came very much later. I couldn't sleep that night. I mean not even a little. There was an ice maching right outside of my room. We all know how popular they are in a hospital. That and my room mate was up walking around most of the night. At around 4a.m. I called the nurse to help me to the bathroom. I hadn't gone pee since before my surgery at 7a.m. 21 hours ago!! YIKES! I didn't think anything about it because I hadn't drank much at all. Not thinking about all the IV fluids that they have been putting in me. I couldn't go no matter how hard I tried. The night nurse called Dr. Berger and told him and he told her to put in a catheter. 5 hours later I had it removed and Dr. Berger told me I couldn't go home until I could go on my own. My check out time was now put on hold. About 4 hours later the nurse finaly came to take me on a little walk down the hall. We thought that with a little movement everything might start moving? I did finally go a little so Dr. Berger said that If I was happy then he was happy!