You should begin walking the minute you wake up from surgery, that speeds up your recovery, starts your body into the fat burning mode, and also reduces your risk for blood clots. I cannot stress to you pre ops about the walking, and sipping. If you don't do enough of these two things fresh post op you can and will run into serious complications.
In the very beginning don't worry about the protein, you need to worry about fluid and walking. You don't have to worry about the protein for at least a week. I never worried about it in those first days, your fluids will be your meals. You won't want much more than that anyway. You must maintain your fluids anyway you can, hydration is more important than protein at first. If you can get the protein shakes down great, because protein is essential for health and wound healing. You will shortly want to strive for your 50 grams of protein a day. Used to be said 64 ounces of fluid a day, you won't come close to that, I couldn't and still can't. I couldn't before surgery, our bodies all have our own requirement. The actual amount that would be considered enough would be an amount enough so that your skin was not dry, your membranes would be pink and moist. You have plenty of time to worry about protein. Right now just worry about getting those fluids in, doing your TCDB, (turn cough and deep breathe) and walking. You will not want to cough because it will hurt, but do it anyway because it is healthy and moves the gas out of your lungs. Hold a pillow over your incision and cough. You will have a PCA pump in the immediate post op hours. I had mine for 18 hours, this is a magic pump to some because it delivers an accurate dose of narcotic at our own fingertips. We control the pump (Patient Controlled Analgesia Pump). The doses vary in dosing and the selected drug. I used morphine, others have used demerol, and some use dilaudid. Depending on the drug, the pump will have a lock out number, usually six minute lock out, that means that you can push the button every six minutes, and get the accurate dose delivered through your IV. So take advantage of that while you can, hit the button before you start to move. So that you are in maximum comfort for your walks, stand straight and tall, and deep breathe before you even take a step. Then it is off to the races. I walked 2 miles four days post op.
Good luck and God Bless you all having surgery in the next hours. Its down to about 36 hours for some.
Don't worry if you gain weight immediately after surgery. I did, it was water weight, and when it came off, I was already able to wear my rings and touch my toes, it was marvelous. I don't have my blue binder with me here, so I don't remember exactly what my numbers were, but by nine days post op I think I had lost 21 or 27 pounds, it was a chunk though. I never hit a stand still until I hit goal. Whatever goal is. LOL.
I like where I am today. I am not too thin, and I don't have to worry about starving to death anymore. I can lose more weight and still look good, or I can gain a "few" and still close my fingers around my wrist. I was measured last week at my one year post op appointment, OMG, like 35 inches! My God I have lost one inch less than 3 feet! Imagine that! I truly was a freaking 5 by 5, lmfao.
Prayers and hugs ladies, we will be waiting here, on the other side for you.
Traci
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