Home and feeling great!!!!

Well guys I made it. I surgery Wednesday and was released last night around 9pm. Mt surgery was set for 8am and I did not go bac****il 4pm ( that was 28hours with nothing to drink ) And in an hour and a half I was in recovery. Dr. Davis said I had a classic text book surgery. But I was up walking around the hospital at 9pm that night- the nurses freaked but I wanted the foley out lol I had some complication but they were minor- got dehydrated, and place back on IV Fluids with a bolus and at first could not void so i had to be straight cathed- needless to say I made it work the next time. I dont know why I was so dry. They put me on fluids IV wise and i was drinking 1 oz every hour as I was awake. Now being home I am worried that I will do it again. OH YEAH the hospital made me gain 9lbs- if I would have never read that from others I might have freaked out.... Pain not really even in the hospital. It only happens when I was walking so far and trying to move around in the bed and pulling on my stomach it seems. I was nausea the entire time so he put me on the patch and thank god in heaven for this med. If you struggle with nausea as for this before you even hit recovery~ Everyone was wonderful and me being an employee there also helped. lol So here are some of my questions... 1. do I try for the protein right away when I am still on liquids? He said I can advance to full liquid and I dont know what food to choose and try... 2. How do you get the hospital weight off? 3. How far to walk when it is 104 degrees? That is about it plus does anyone else feel dead tired after a tad bit of energy?? So glad to be home and see others made it well and the love from this group... Tanya

Welcome home... 1) try liquid protein, my doctor is making me drink isopure as soon as my leak test results are in and I can start putting fluids down. 2) don't know anything about the hospital weight yet, I go in for surgery on Thursday. 3) It is hot and humid here in Baltimore too...heat index yesterday was 120 degrees! Luckily, I joined a gym with air conditioning...so I plan on having my mom or boyfriend drive me there to walk a few minutes on the treadmill...just so I can get moving. Otherwise, maybe you can walk to halls of you home...boring I know, but its better than sweating in the heat! Hope everything goes well...keep hydrated!

Congrats! Nice feeling getting back home isn't it! Sounds as if you are handling the pain issues very good. Take it easy in 104 degrees! Continued success to you! Candy

Congratulations, Tanya!! I'm so glad it all went well for you. I am only on clear liquids right now, so the only protein I might be able to get in me right now is from broth. Unfortunately, broth has a really metallic taste to it to me, and I haven't been able to drink any of it. I am drinking hot tea, a little cold water, and eating green jello - also the only color so far without that metallic taste. My doctor puts me on full liquids next week, and that's when I'll have to start getting the protein in. I bought a strawberry flavored one that I can mix with ice and skim milk, hoping it tastes good, but if not, I'll look for a flavorless one (is there such a thing?), and have to make it work. A friend of mine who had her surgery last year gave me a lot of recipes for drinks to use on full liquids that will help me get my protein in. I am making a 12 ounce cup of hot tea, and I can drink about 8 ounces in an hour and a half. The doctor wanted to make sure I could do 4 ounces an hour, and I am, so that's good. Also, I bought those little cups of sugar free jello. I ate about 1/4 of one yesterday, fed some to the baby, and ate 1/3 of it today to fini**** So it did take me long to eat the jello, but I'm not really hungry for anything right now, and the tea is very soothing. It's the Irish in me As for vitamins, I should be taking chewables - two of them - but I have not taken them yet. I purchased liquid vitamins, but I forgot to ask if they qualify as clear liquid, so since I see the doctor on Monday, I figured I could wait the couple of days until I see him. I know they are going to taste nasty, but so do the chewables, so I figured since I already spent the money, I should try them at least. I may be on chewables by the end of next week if I can't get these vitamins in. I'm not tired during the day, but I will say that since I've been home, I have been in bed at 10 and not up until 8. Normally, I'm an 11 - 6 kind of girl. It may be because I'm catching up with the loss of sleep at the hospital, or the fact that the kids don't have to be anywhere and hubby is off, so we have the luxury of sleeping in late. I really feel as though I have as much energy as normal during the day, but I totally crash at night. I would say DO NOT walk very far in that heat! You are setting yourself up to dehydrate. If you can't get to a gym or get a treadmill brought to you, just walk around the house. At this stage, any bit of exercise is going to help you. I joined a gym a few weeks back, but my husband won't let me go to the treadmill until the doctor clears me on Monday. As for the hospital weight - it will come off. That was a lot of fluid, and you've got to give it time to find the exit!! I'm worried already that when I can eat soft foods in two weeks (well, actually, just over a week now), I'll gain weight back. The foods I'm eating now have no calories in them, so adding calories would make me gain weight right? I hope not - I feel really good looking at the scale! Best of luck to you as you continue to recover - we'll keep tabs on each other

Thanks for the advice!!!!! I am going to try tea now cause of you- that sounds so good and warm. I am irish too so I get that one lol. I got the vitamins down ok, but think my calcium is wrong. I went to GNC and got this whey protein and it has several flavors so I got two small bags ( 1 lb ) of vanilla and chocolate carmel. I tried the CC one and it was so sweet and not gritty but I only did 2 oz. I asked about flavorless and he said they had nothing. I need to go to the vitamin shop and try that. Cause with the choices I get with full and clear liquids i will NEVER get enough protein in. Dont worry about gaining the weight once you add food. You are only eating 2-4 oz of food- the calorie count is so damn small that there is no way to gain if you are picking protein and low/ no carbs or fat. At some points before we would put down 5000 calories. There is no way in heaven we could get that from 2 oz lol Maybe if that is a concern to you, go to fitday.com and place what you ate and drank and it will keep you on track and aware of what you are really doing. it will surprise you how little calories and how little protein we get and need to add. How is your weekend going? Hope you are feeling good. Will keep you updated

congrats. for liquid proteins i use the promedis shakes. they are 80 cal 15 g of protein and no other garbage. also use bariatrix protein or vhp shakes. all are available from your doctor or at www.manageyourweight.com the hospital weight is swelling from the surgery. it will disappear in a few days and be passed as water. stay hydrated and cool......not far in 104 deg unless you are really used to ut

I have lost the hospital weight and then some I am down 13lbs from my weight when I came home on Friday. That is a lot of weight so I am happy again. I called and made my week post op check for thursday and asked about the protein requirement and they said just do liquids right now until he sees you and then we can add protein. I just hope I am not tearing down what protein I have in my muscles. But they said that no right ow I am healing and they dont want the site irritated and need me to stay hydrated the most. I have decided the only walk outside after the sun goes down. This heat is not healthy enough for me to do it during the day. I have a treadmill that i bought years ago that I can take my laundry off now and start using as well rofl I know I am bad I am still getting a little tired during the afternoon and I take a small naps. My family thinks I am doing too much and wearing myself out. I dont think I am up and moving and doing as much as I should. Pain only on the left side now where there is swelling. Taking the meds only once a day and then sometimes when I lay down for bed. But I do feel great after having this major surgery only 5 days post op lol How is everyone else doing? Anything you have found has helped? hugs, Tanya