Showers, back pain and jello......

I so want a shower. I think I smell. Nobody else agrees with me. I just don't feel clean enough after a wipedown with a washcloth. It's just not the same. So today I cheated, I took half a shower. Kept my shirt on to keep my incision area dry and showered from bottom of the shirt down.......it felt so wonderful! Some parts of a womans body is just meant to be showered correctly. My back is killing me still. I was told that laying on the OR table and then sleeping in a hospital bed doesn't make for a happy back, and they were right. I can't sleep in my own bed, don't have a recliner so I've been rigging up the couch. All I can say is it works and that's about it. And that's not helping out the back pain. I need a jell-o tip. I'm tired of it. Went today and bought a bunch of different flavors to see if that would help. But you can only do so much with Jell-o and it's a mainstay in the diet the doctor sent home with me. And I have a confession to make. Today I cheated, I ate two bites of Taco Bells Pinto's & Cheese. Went down so well. No pain, no barfing, no real heavy feeling in my pouch. I coudln't help myself. I had to have them. Other then that I've been perfectly good, drinking my broths, eating jello and sf popsicles, juice and water. ~Tanja

I'm glad I was allowed to shower the day I was released from the hospital...it was the first thing I did when I got home and it was glorious!! Are you on a clear liquid diet? I am on clear liquids for two weeks post-op and it has been the most difficult part of the surgery. I have thought of 'cheating' but I'm afraid if I start now, I will find it too easy to cheat down the road. I'm really going to try and do this right and get my head hunger under control early on in the game. Please don't think that I'm judging you at all, I believe that everyone has to do things the way they're comfortable doing it. After 12 days I'm sick of jello, tea, Fruit Refreshers, broth, and popsicles. I want food. I woke up yesterday morning after a dream that I was eating a green olive and I just cried.....I'm so hungry..... Hope all continues to go well for you!! (And I know what you mean about the back pain.....I still have it!) Hugs, Nancy

Hey there, call you doctor and make sure but you should be able to shower, i actually showered while i was still in the hospital, he didnt let me shower until the second post op day in the hospital but each time i shower i change out my dressings and keep them dry, you should be able to shower regularely i just dont take my patches off while i am drying and with that hospital tape, its not going on where....But glad you had to release... Jello i have not tried yet been to busy eating all the cooked food my mom been cooking....Potatoe Soup is sooo good, and Split Peas Soup is good also, made from scratch, i will get the receips from her and share them so yall can enjoy something other then broths if you can have it...

Hey Diva! Congratulations on doing so well!! I have a date of September 1 and was over here on the July board looking for helpful hints......I hope you get the recipe for your Mother's potato soup!! I LOVE potato soup, and I bet it would be an easy thing to mix unflavored protein powder into.. Look forward to hearing from you, and to reading more success stories on your journal.

I cheated too....badly. I had 1/4 of a celeste cheese pizza for 1. It was heaven, and I lost a lb since yesterday when I ate it... No trouble with it at all - just chewed, chewed, chewed. My mom is a nurse and I was worried about taking a shower, she said soap and water is the best thing for the incision, especially running the water over it gently to clean it out. I did freak out in the shower because one of my inicisions was open, but it is now healing wonderfully!

I've been the QUEEN of not following my guidelines. I don't overdo it, of course, but I haven't been pefect in choosing my liquids and pureed foods. On Tuesday, I get to actually have deli meat, although I've already eaten things like meatloaf and spaghetti. I try not to sweat it too much, because I've read others say that they left the hospital on SOLIDS. As for taking a shower...there should be no reason why you can't. I was told to shower with my dressings on, and then change them when I got out. As soon as my drain site stopped leaking and began to crust over, I was told to leave it undressed. And once I had a good scab, I could even swim. Honestly, I think there should be some FDA approved protocol for WLS foods, showers, and activities. Doesn't it just drive you nuts when one person has to do a liquid diet for six weeks post-op while someone else eats chicken before leaving the hospital?