Post op day #4 - ThinnerTimes

TxCellent2 · 06-07-2007, 11:39 PM

I just wanted to thank all of you who were thinking of me and saying those prayers on Monday. It sure did help. My surgery was done on Monday 06/04, about 12 noon, (after having to wait two hours in the holding area, because the anesthesiologist was tied up at another hospital), everything went perfect during surgery and I was in a room by 4pm. My hubby and grandson were there waiting for me with the prettiest vase of roses I have ever seen. I got up to use the restroom at 5pm and felt so good, I took a walk up and down the hall at that time. They brought in ice chips and they tasted great. Almost as good as the chapstick felt on my lips. I had a very good nite's sleep, and started clear liquids at breakfast on Tuesday. I took a few sips of the broth, and few sips of gatorade and felt fine. I was getting up to pee and walk every one to two hours, so I was kind of surprised when I started having lower abdominal gas pains, so I walked, walked and walked, took a nice long shower and sat up in the chair the rest of the morning, and they went away by lunch time. The rest of the afternoon was going well til about 4pm when I started to get a little nauseated. The nurse offered some phenergan, and I took it... wow! that was something else, put me right out for three hours, slept like a log, but I felt good when I woke up. Took a few bites of the full liquid diet they brought me, yogurt and oatmeal mixed with the protein powder, and it was great, no nausea. I had an uneventful night, except that a not very nice nurse let my IV go dry, blew the vein and infiltrated my arm, (it is still blown up like a balloon), before she would take it out and get someone else to restart it. The next morning at 8am the doc came in, asked how the liquid diet was staying down, I told her about the nausea the day before, but today there was none. That is when she told me that anytime I felt the least bit nauseated, if I would just sip on Gatorade, that would help the most,then she asked if I wanted the IV out and the JP drain out? I said "YES", and she said if I did ok at lunch I could go home then. I was sure happy to hear that. Spent the morning sipping, walking and sitting in the chair, had a great shower and pulled the drain out myself, after she snipped the suture holding it in.. That felt so much better after it was out. Got home about 2pm, sat up in the chair til about 8pm, and then I was so ready for bed. Today I was out of bed by 8am, and felt so good, except for the soreness, I forget to lay down for a nap. I just spent all day, sipping, walking and resting. Tolerating small sips of CIB well, yogurt and cream of wheat. Before dinner was the first time I actually felt any hunger, but it was a nice feeling, and I felt very satisfied after my dinner of cream of mushroom soup and yogurt. I know I am not getting enough water in, so I am trying to do better, but I takes me so long to "eat my meals" and I am trying to stay away from water 30 minutes before and after. So is it that importatant to keep to the 30 minute rule when I am still on just liquids? I guess I can call the doc tomorrow and ask her that. I am just so afraid of getting too full that I stop eating before I ever get any feeling of fullness.
Since I didn't get a nap in today, I went to bed at 7pm, but then I woke up at 10pm and I am not tired at all yet. Everyone else is a sleep and the house is quiet, so I am enjoying my alone time now. My only complaint, is that I am very surprised at how sore I am. I knew there would be lots of pain and soreness at the operative site, but I was hoping it would start to be getting a little better by now, and it seems just as sore today as the first day. Oh well, I guess I am just not as tough as I thought I was. I talked to work today, and they asked if I still thought I would come back on Monday, I said the way I felt today, no, I will probably need more time, and they all agreed that was good, so we will play that by ear, and see how I feel next week.
Tomorrow I am going to try and get outside for a walk if it is not too hot, they are predicting highs in the 90's, so I better go early.
I am sorry this is going on so long, but I just wanted to give everyone an update, and say thanks to everyone who wished me well.
The wonderful journey has begun!

porshh951 · 06-08-2007, 12:13 AM

hey stranger we had the very same surgeon and had our procedure at the same hospital. I'm right in you're area. We totally should get together sometime. I'm going to schedule my last apointment with capeheart late in june since im all done and ready for plastics.

Amazing to hear you are home and doing good. I wish you nothing but, the best and since you are in my area if you ever need anything from me simply ask and i'll be here.

awesome to have a fellow capeheart person onboard now. I was getting a little lonely. Congrats on everything and pulling the drain out yourself. I was a sissy I guess and had the nurse do it. I simply just couldn't get the darn thing to come out.

lward76 · 06-08-2007, 09:56 AM

Sounds like your doing really well. and that is great to hear!! I still stop eating before i even began to feel full and i do just fine with that. Just try to keep your liquids in sip and sip and sip some more!! I wish you a great journey! have a great day!!

fitbefore40 · 06-08-2007, 02:45 PM

Congrats on being on the losing side. It should all get better form here. Just follow instructions and keep on moving.

CeeCee · 06-08-2007, 04:12 PM

You sound Like you're doing really well! That's excellent! Don't know if this will help you, but I found that keeping my water/beverage of choice in a large, CLEAR glass helped- and I used one of the good, 12 dollar apiece glasses too! Clear gave me an easier visual reminder, and the colder it was, the better it felt on my poor pouch! Good luck!

Escondido Elf · 06-08-2007, 08:13 PM

Great to hear how wonderfully you're doing -- Congrats!