My first post-op questions - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

JodyGK · 06-28-2009, 12:56 PM

My first post in the post-op forum! Wow, it feels good. Doing very well five days out. I'm walking every 90 min. per doc instructions and doing the spirometer as much as possible with no problems. Coughing not bringing up anything and lungs feel real clear. I can take deep breaths with no problem. I do have a sore shoulder that's been bothering me since the first day. Nurse said it was probably from the positioning during surgery. I sure hope it resolves soon. Sometimes deep breaths bother it.

Everything else is going very well. I was discharged 24 hours after surgery and told to stay on clear liquids until I get a call on Monday from Kelly at surgeon's office. Keeping liquids up nicely. I've got a couple questions though.

1. I've been wearing the binder for every walk, but sometimes in the evening it feels like the binder is actually irritating one of my incision sites. How long is it normal to continue wearing it?

2. How long after surgery is it customary to continue using the spirometer? Just curious, will continue using it as long as necessary.

Well, I can certainly wait til tomorrow to get answers from Kelly when I talk to her, but what the heck, I thought I'd see what others had to say. Thanks!

Jody

Corrine · 06-28-2009, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JodyGK

My first post in the post-op forum! Wow, it feels good. Doing very well five days out. I'm walking every 90 min. per doc instructions and doing the spirometer as much as possible with no problems. Coughing not bringing up anything and lungs feel real clear. I can take deep breaths with no problem. I do have a sore shoulder that's been bothering me since the first day. Nurse said it was probably from the positioning during surgery. I sure hope it resolves soon. Sometimes deep breaths bother it.

Everything else is going very well. I was discharged 24 hours after surgery and told to stay on clear liquids until I get a call on Monday from Kelly at surgeon's office. Keeping liquids up nicely. I've got a couple questions though.

1. I've been wearing the binder for every walk, but sometimes in the evening it feels like the binder is actually irritating one of my incision sites. How long is it normal to continue wearing it?

2. How long after surgery is it customary to continue using the spirometer? Just curious, will continue using it as long as necessary.

Well, I can certainly wait til tomorrow to get answers from Kelly when I talk to her, but what the heck, I thought I'd see what others had to say. Thanks!

Jody

Jody - welcome to the losers bench. Sounds like you are off to a flying start sweetheart.

I didn't have a binder for my RNY (laproscopically) but I did have a support thing following open abdominal surgery last October.

I only wore the thing when I was up and about - when I went for a rest or went to bed, I took the thing off. My tummy got warm and the itching started.

Laying down and exposing my tummy to the air was the best feeling!

On the spirometer thing - I carried on for one month until I was able to walk at a fast pace and get the old breathing rate up. I know some dropped it earlier but I didn't (asthma as a kid).

LyndasRoom · 06-28-2009, 01:27 PM

HI Jody! Welcome to the losers bench! Maybe you could put something between the binder and the incision site , like a piece of gauze, to keep it from rubbing. I don't remember how long you need to use the spirometer...I HATED that thing! but I have lung issues...See you at Rain's soon!

JodyGK · 06-28-2009, 03:38 PM

Hi Lynda and Corrine == thank you so much for the quick responses! I'm going to try the cushioning thing tonight, Lynda. I was actually kinda hoping I could just ditch the binder since I can't manage to get it on by myself and when Gene's at work my mom has to come over to help me. I love her to death, and she really wants to help me out, but she doesn't wanna watch the stuff I wanna watch, she wants to talk about things I have zero interest in, etc. So I was looking for a way to not need her tomorrow. But I did try a walk without the binder today and, yeah, I do still need it

Thanks again,
Jody

poet_kelly · 06-28-2009, 04:45 PM

I had a binder after my surgery, and my doctor told me I could take it off whenever I wanted to. He said to wear it if it helped and if it bothered me, I didn't need to wear it. I wore for it for a few days after coming home and then ditched it.

I think they told me to use my spirometer for ten days after surgery. I didn't do it for that long, and I ended up with severe, severe pneumonia a couple of weeks later. So I would ask your doc and use it for however long he says.

Kelly

JodyGK · 06-29-2009, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poet_kelly

I think they told me to use my spirometer for ten days after surgery. I didn't do it for that long, and I ended up with severe, severe pneumonia a couple of weeks later. So I would ask your doc and use it for however long he says.

Ooh, this is GOOD info. I'm so sorry you had to deal with pneumonia so soon after surgery. I had no idea it was still possible to contract it at that point. I will heed your excellent advice and keep using mine til my doc gives me the "all clear"! Thanks so much, Kelly!

Jody

poet_kelly · 06-29-2009, 09:38 AM

My pneumonia was AWFUL. I ended up in the hospital for three weeks. I was in intensive care on a respirator for several days because I was unable to breathe on my own. Personally, I think I probably caught it while I was in the hospital after having my RNY. Hospitals are full of germs, you know. I was sick for a couple of weeks before I finally went to the ER and found out it was pneumonia. I was kind of upset, too, because I'd seen my surgeon a few days before that and he didn't catch it. Maybe if I'd started treatment sooner, it wouldn't have gotten so bad. But I also have to admit that I quit doing the spirometer before I was supposed to stop, so it may have been my own fault.

Kelly

Jobu · 06-29-2009, 09:54 AM

Well that never told me to wear a binder after surgery... but they did give me this rock solid little teddy bear to hug if I had to cough... of course being a man, I would do no such thing....

and I think I had to use that goofy breathing thing the whole 5 days I was in the hospital..

JodyGK · 06-29-2009, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poet_kelly

My pneumonia was AWFUL. I ended up in the hospital for three weeks. I was in intensive care on a respirator for several days because I was unable to breathe on my own. Personally, I think I probably caught it while I was in the hospital after having my RNY. Hospitals are full of germs, you know. I was sick for a couple of weeks before I finally went to the ER and found out it was pneumonia. I was kind of upset, too, because I'd seen my surgeon a few days before that and he didn't catch it. Maybe if I'd started treatment sooner, it wouldn't have gotten so bad. But I also have to admit that I quit doing the spirometer before I was supposed to stop, so it may have been my own fault.

That must have been terrible...I can't even imagine, so soon after surgery. Yes, hospitals are some of the scariest places when it comes to bugs. Last November I was hospitalized for infection of my lower legs. The whole time there I kept everything crossed I didn't pick up a case of MRSA while hanging out for five days in a semi-private room. I was doubly anxious to get home from the GB surgery and was thrilled when my surgeon released me 24 hours afterward. I only spent one full night in the hospital and that suited me just fine.

Whether you stopping the spirometer early was one of the reasons you contracted pneumonia is a moot point. Your surgeon absolutely should have caught it if he saw you a few days before you ended up in ER! And I agree, it probably wouldn't have gotten so severe if it had been caught and treated earlier. I would also think if your surgeon or any of your nurses had impressed upon you the importance of continuing the spirometer, you may have been more compliant.

JodyGK · 06-29-2009, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jobu

Well that never told me to wear a binder after surgery... but they did give me this rock solid little teddy bear to hug if I had to cough... of course being a man, I would do no such thing.....

Aww, I wasn't even given a teddy bear. I was told to bring a "coughing pillow" if I wanted to. I went around my house trying to rename one of my pillows "coughing" but they would have none of it. So I just used the hospital pillows for coughing.