Greetings from the other side!

Hello my fellow April folks! I had my surgery on April 1st. I am feeling good. It wasn't that bad. My joke is that except for the intense abdominal pain and pretty flowers in my bedroom, it doesn't feel like I had surgery at all. Even though I hurt, I took walks in the hospital and am being conscientious to walk around my apartment which helps get the gas out. (I am SO GASSY! ) The first shower I took in the hospital was the best ever! My muscles were really sore post-op and the shower made them feel so much better. My girlfriend has been amazing throughout this process. I prey that you will all have someone in your life who will help take care of you the way she has done for me. It is very amazing to eat 1/4 of a cup of something and have it fill you up so intensely. The medicines make me pretty sleepy. But I feel good enough today to sit at the Thank you for all your good thoughts, and well wishes. I pray that all of you will have the smooth transition that I have experienced. Unsolicited bits of wisdom from your Post-op sister: 1. eat light before your bowel prep. A salad was easy to "release" An easier bowel prep is worth far more than any "last supper" 2. use baby wipes for bowel prep - makes process much less painful. 3. Wear something VERY loose around the waist to the hospital 4. bring a pillow to the hospital - excellent for the ride home, when tummy is sensitive. 5. Have them put an icepack inside the binder around your tummy. When the pain meds start to wear off, and you can't take another for an hour, this provides AMAZING relief. Make sure it has some kind of cottoney layer between your skin and the plastic. 6. buy little cups - 3oz ones for the bathroom work great. Makes meals easy, are big enough that you don't end up spilling your tiny portions over the sides. 7. Sugar Free popsicles - WONDERFUL! but be careful, they make me VERY full if I eat them too fast. 8. Know that a single can of cream of chicken soup will last 5 meals! So don't worry about buying "enough" food. 9. if you have the means, have someone with you at the hospital - you are drugged out, and they are giving you information. Is a very good idea to have someone who isn't on large amounts of opiates listening along to help you remember. 10. If you can, call ahead and request a private room in your hospital. It was so nice not to have to deal with anyone else during this very private time. 11. All I took to the hospital was the following: CD Player/headphones - to listen to music through the surgery. Chapstick - a MUST as you will be dried out from the surgery and the Oxygen, Pillow - for lap on car ride home. Stuffed Tigger - for love. Anything else would have been just extra baggage. Best of luck to you all on your journeys, ~Lara Lap RNY 4-1-04 400-352-goal of 260

Hi! thank you for all the info. I took notes. I just have one question. The bowel prep. Is this after the surgery? So, you are recommending salads the day before? I would rather have salads the day before surgery then have any problems with my bowels Priscilla

My surgeon required that we cleanse out our bowels the day before surgery. My last meal was at noon the day before, and at 3pm I was required to drink a bottle of Magneisum Citrate ("The Sparkling Laxative" - that's what the bottle actually said, as if that would make someone want to take it more) Well, everyone in my surgeon's group groused about how awful this process was. So I decided to taper off of rich foods, and make my last meal a nice lite greek salad. This made the bowel preparation far less painful than the ones I have heard my friends go through - the ones where every thing that could be eaten was eaten. Follow what your surgeon recommends. If part of that is a laxative or enema I suggest a light meal before it. It makes the "coming out" process far less dramatic. Best of luck to you on your journey!!!!!!! ~Lara

Thanks for the update Lara and congratulations!!!! I took some notes, too My surgeon has me on complete liquids for 4 days before the surgery, along with a series of laxatives, enemas, and gas medicine. Do you recommend I eat a salad anyway before surgery?

GREAT post. Your ideas were wonderfiul! I hadn't thought about chapstick. I have my surgery on 4-21 and have to go through 3 days of clear liquids before surgery. The one thing I have done for post op has bought plastic baby containers (like tupperware) with lids on them. They're only 4 ounces and I figure will be wonderful to take broth and other things to work. Also, I bought 2 sippy cups. I am a HORRIBLE gulper; love large drinks. So, I'm going to try to retrain myself a bit before surgery to sip sip sip. I know this is probably overkill, but it is something I can do before hand. Thanks again!! Liz

I also got some coffee spoons which are nice and tiny. I don't like the coating on baby spoons as they make me feel silly. But I like useing the smaller spoons, as it reminds me to pace myself and gives me a smaller amount to pretend to chew. (Nothing on my liquid diet really needs chewing, sometimes I chew the jello just because I already miss crunchy/chewy things) Sippy cups don't sound out of hand if you know that you are a gulper. I am a cheap-a$$ so I have been buying the Babyfood that comes in the "tupperware" style containers and recycling them. They are also nice and small. Best of luck to you!!! ~Lara

Hi Lara... Congrats on reaching the other side. Thanks so much for your informative post. My Dr. did not mention anything about a bowel prep but I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea. I'm beginning to think the "last supper" think might not be too good since the last 2 weeks I've pigged out on everything I can get my hands on. Now that my date is getting nearer *4/15* I feel like I should slow things down a little.. Take care and keep us posted on your continued success!! Betty

I have done the same exact thing....eat everything that isn't nailed down! Actually, I'm eating things I know I'll probably never be able to eat again; sweets, fried things, bread, french bread, etc. My absolute 2 final meals will be my mom's homemade chicken and dumplings and a girls' night out to PF Chang's... lettuce wraps and Mongolian Beef. Oh, yummm.. Oh, and on the baby cups and sippy cups. I got mine 3 for $1.00 at Dollar Tree. I'm sure any $1 store in the country would have the same things. I agree on the baby spoons, couldn't bring myself to do that. But, I do have some tea spoons for ice tea that are pretty tiny. That might work. I have to go find a strainer, though. THAT I hate spending money on. Liz

Lara: THANKS for all the great tips! I am scheduled for surgery on April 12th. I hadn't even thought of some of your suggestions, so I owe you a BIG THANKS! Continued success and smooth recovery! God Bless.