went from y am i doing this, 2 what did i do,2 now what do i do..help

First off, let me just say thank you for everyone strong and powerful thoughts and prayers. I made it through surgery on the 19 beautifully.
 
I had no compilations, no drains, doing good.

my blood pressure is already low and Dr. told me to just take pain med as needed and reflux med.
 
I came home on Wed. felt tired and a bit sore on the left upper side. I've been walking since night one at the hospital. i made it a point to get up at least 3 time a day, more if not having spasms in the left side. all thanks to the great advice i have found here.

So my fellow losers...what do i do know....

I was so happy I was finally getting the surgery after 5 yrs of trying, i don't think i took the time to ask myself if this is still what i want.

so now the night before surgery, I'm down the street from the hospital (got a room at the hotel closer to hospital) and wondering what the hell am i doing here. I freaked out and started a fight with the fiance told him i hated him and wanted him to take the car and just go back home. that i would take a cab to the hospital in the morning.

 I went nuts.. what the heck is this what they mean by cold feet..well then mind were freezing.....

So anyway after i whopping 4hrs til hospital not being able to sleep. I go...
I bite the bullet and go.

i check in, get ready, get to the op room with surgeon there and ask (in my head) do i tell him no, wait i need MORE time, after I begged this guy to do the surgery...well i said nothing,

i wake up with fiance still there (thank God) and think what the hell did i do...**** it's to late now dummy, why didn't you speak up and say something anything...

anyway, now that I've wasted your time....yahhhhhhh... I did help (again)

I don't know what I'm doing. just a small refresher. i was approved back in 2005 was days from making my date and lost my job, went on medicaid took over two years dealing with his bariatric intake lady giving me the round around, lost paperwork, they switched office, personal time off because of her husband, re-see a shrink because time was up on the first sign off, it was a joke. any way...

she sends me a paper in Oct. 08 says the bariatrics office will be closing, that all files will be sent to the surgeon ( whom i still have not met) office. and that if that's not bad enough that the surgeon will no longer be taking medicaid come the new year....yaaaaaaa are u F*&CKING kidding me...

so now its a dash, get an apt. met the surgeon, cry tell him this sad tale and see what he says. met him, real nice, agrees to do the surgeon. GREAT....FINALLY RIGHT.

OK so now what. i don't know what I'm doing. i didn't get anything except a headache and round around from the lady whom should have been like my angel, giving me the info i need to be successful at this, but she sucked.

now it was 2 weeks before the surgery and I'm on OH and reading about people with same date starting a diet...OK well ...should i be starting one, i don't know...so great talks and advise from everyone here, most saying call the Doc. OK, so I call the office, ask what pre op needs to b done.  Doc. calls me back and says just 3 days before ok, i ask when should i start taking in more protein and such and he asked are you ready for the surgery, ( in a panic, thinking that i have debt with in the last 4 years was going to be for nothing with this answer) I say yes I just want to be well prepared for when i get home.

So with no real clue as to what the hell i am doing, and yes i know the best answers would be from my doc and that people on her are not medical professionals, but like me you did have this surgery, you did have to drink for the next week, i just want to know what and when and how often.
 
please help.. i can't change what i have had done only work with what i have and make the best of it. 

I will have a follow up with the doc next week where i feel ,what do i have to lose by telling him how i feel, he can't take back the bypass, and getting some real answers....

in the meantime please help me make it through this week without ending up in the hospital because i drank to much or had protein before i was supposed to or not enough when i should have....

p.s. DON"T BE LIKE ME,  be smart get all questions answered before you let some reroute your inside...
thanks for any and all help...

Rita,

First of all congratulations on the beginning of a healther you and welcome to the losers bench.  All surgeons have different opinions on what and when to eat post op but I will tell you I felt very much the same way you are feeling now because the booklet they gave me did not give enough examples.  After a half a day and some divine advice from my wonderful husband, we devised a schedule that worked like a CHARM.

Here is what they allowed me to have from the day I was released from the hospital until 2 weeks post op:

The told me to begin with portion sizes of only 1 TBS and increase to 2 TBS as tolerated for the "thicker liquids".  They said begin drinking 1/4 cup of liquids and increase to 1/2 cup as tolerated.

I took this to mean that the following items are thicker liquids:

 Diet pudding
Sugar free and nonfat yogurt
Low fat cottage cheese
Blended broth based soups or low fat creamy soups
Hot cereal e.g. cream of wheat or cream of rice NO OATMEAL


I took liquids to mean the following:
nonfat or 1% milk (if you can tolerate)
Lactose free or soy based low calorie drinks
High protein supplement drinks with no sugar added (<200 calories and > 20 grams of protein in an 8 to 11 ounce serving.)

They also wanted me to shoot for 1 cup of water in between meals and have 7-8 meals from the above per day.

So here's what I did.  I "ate'  my thicker liquid stuff or drank my liquid (non water or herbal tea) on the EVEN hours and I drank water or herbal tea on the odd hours.  This kept me watching the clock but I never became nauseous or dehydrated and managed a great weight loss in those two weeks.

I am now at the soft pureed stage and I am working on the same idea of taking in the "food" on the even hours and drinking my water and herbal tea on the odd hours.  It is a little challenging but I think the key is to GO SLOW.

PM me if I can be of more help, but I hope you will find this helpful.  Do you have all your vitamins?

Hugs,

Barb

Hi newbarb2:
GREAT idea - the even hours and odd hours idea.  It seems so simple.  I'm now on thick liquids.

I'm telling you it works great and I never feel hungry yet I am getting all I should be.  I need to boost my protein a little but I'm working on it.

Rita,
I agree with Barb's advice- the diet instructions and examples leave a lot to the imagination. I think you have to work out a schedule that works for your body, trying to stay within the surgeon's guidelines. I ate a lot of sugar-free/fat-free pudding and cream soups (strained) the first 2 weeks home. You can't go wrong with sugar-free jello or popsickles, either. I drank several ounces of fluid every 30 minutes while I was awake- I was always sipping on something!  I got in my protein requirement from the start using protein shakes, which count as fluid, too.

It sounds as if you did great in surgery and I hope that you have an uneventful recovery. It sounds as if your fiance is supportive, which will be a big help for you. Don't be hard on yourself- you have been thinking about this for a LONG time, and I'm sure that you did a lot of research and really wanted it. We're all nervous before surgery- some more than others. I don't think that your regrets now are all that unusual, either. It's just concern and fear of the unknown. Hopefully, as time goes on and you heal and start to lose weight, you will feel more confident in your decision.

Post here when you need support! We're here for you.

I know you think you may have not done the right thing or you feel you have doubts about what you just did ....TRUST ME...SO DID I!!

I was Jan 19Th too.  I had a hernia repaired that i didn't know ihad and i have a drain tube in as well. I weighed 279 on surgery day. Came home on wed (3 days later) and weighed 299. Yeah..20 weight gain. WTF?? So trust me i know what your going through. I cried the first few days home and kept saying why did i do this..this was a big mistake..i cant live like this for the rest of my life. Yeah..pretty much had mini panic attacks off and on all day/night.

Thank God for my poor husband and my mother-n-law. Hubby was at my beckon call and was my sounding board. My wonderful mother-n-law was perfect...she would text message me from her work a few times a day. She called but never stayed on the phone too long just long enough to give me some sympathy and then would hang up. She rocked. Now, after some much needed sleep i am feeling pretty darn good mentally about all of this. it DOES get better( not so much easier but better) and eating healthy for the rest of my life makes me happy...at least now i know ill have the rest of my life to eat.

I joked with the girls in the OR right b4 they put the mask on my face and said...never mind i changed my mind...they took me very serious and said well tell us now....i just winked and laughed and said...lets do this thing!!   Whats done is done. You DID have it and in a few weeks when the weight is falling off and you have more energy your going to be glad you did. It sounds like you just feel unprepared. Well. we will change all of that. Stick with us kid!!




OK..now down to post op stuff.

I was told to stay on clear liquids for the first week. (64oz a day)

2ND week clear liquids but i can add in my protein drink.

3rd or 4Th week when he thought i was ready to advance then go to puree food.
( If you have to chew it its not pureed enough.)

then like week 6 go to soft food

then to reg diet.


If you want more info about it...instant message me and ill give you more of a run down. I have lots of helpful info from my surgeons office and nutritionist office. Ill be glad to tell you whatever i know. Too sore to sit here and type it out though...LOL ( might even give you my cell # and you can just take notes..LOL)


Its going to be OK...we are here for you. I was the same day as you so i REALLY know what your going through. Everyone on here is going through this too...ask away!!



I wish i was there to give you a hug...but this will have to due (((HUG)))

Even though you have mixed feelings (who doesn't), you have taken a step toward your health.  The good news is there is still plenty of time to be educated about this.  The internet has TONS of information, and the surgeon websites have lots of examples of postop instructions, if for some reason you can't get enough from your caregivers.  I don't regret what I did, but I still have my moments of "what have I done".  I find OH to be a great place to get ihformation and use up my nervous energy reading posts.  Best of luck to you!