A few questions for after surgery

I was thinking this morning that there needs to be a trouble shooting guide (like in the back on a tv instruction book).  Like if your chest feels tight, or like you swallowed a bubble you may : Have sipped too fast or sipped too much etc. I woke up this morning and wasn't feeling so hot.  I have the sweats.  Like hot/cold (mostly hot) flashes.  Is this normal? My stomach is also quite sore.  I tried going all night and this morning without pain meds--we'll see how it goes.  My stomach also has been growling a ton this moring.  I know growling is normal, but I wonder how long it does this? So I have down to drink 1 ounce over 15 minutes.  But I can sip almost a whole ounce at once (like with my pain meds or the nasty milk of magnesia---which hurt bad by the way).  But one sire says to have 8 ounces over 1 hour.  When did you feel like you could have more than one ounce over 15 minutes. I drank constantly yesterday and very very slow making 1 ounce last over 15 minutes.  But I just barely made my fluid count (on the low end) that way.   So did you feel small chest pains ever (like in your breast bone)?  What did those mean?  Did you have the sweats at all?  ow did you know how much exactly you could/should drink?

Clearly I am not the one to answer these questions since I have not had surgery yet. I would only encourage you to take your pain meds if you need them and do not be a martyr! Why suffer needlessly. I know you want to be self-sufficient soon (and you will be) but make it a little easier on yourself in the meantime. You can wean yourself off them as your discomfort decreases...and I will bet that will happen in the next day or two. My prayers are with you for a speedy recovery and just from what I have read (a lot!) I think things sound like they are progressing very normally. remember...everyone's experience will vary somewhat.

tanya,  usually gas wll cause chest & shoulder pain, and take medssorry u r hvn bad day

Tanya,     First of all...don't panic! I know it's easier said then done, at times, but you have to remember that you just had what amounts to major surgery and your body is trying to get itself "back on track." The "bubble" you feel is probably the gas they used during surgery. That feeling lasted a week with me as I just could not seem to burp it up!     Don't hesitate to call Dr. Loggins's office either as that is what they are there for.....to answer any questions or concerns we might have. I know it's easy to say that we don't want to "bother" them but I've found that following a patient even after surgery isn't a bother to them. (I've called a couple of times. Once just because I was frustrated at a plateau I was on! ) They would rather hear from you and calm your "fear" then find that you "suffered" needlessly.  As I said in an earlier post. "If you need to take pain meds.....do so" You body is rebelling against having been invaded upon.      As for getting your liquids in.......just keep something liquid with you at all times. I was fortunate to be able to drink more than an ounce every 15 minutes....but that does not mean everyone else can. Having water by my side constantly just helped me to keep it flowing and I'd get my needed amount in. Even now that I'm back to "regular" foods, I STILL carry a bottle of water with me constantly and have made it a habit worth keeping.      Follow the booklet that Corinne gave you with regard to what to "eat" from surgery onward. I call it my weight-loss "bible" and refer to it even now. According to that, you should be getting in 60 -80 grams of protein a day and a fluid goal of 48 - 64 ounces.( page 26 of the booklet. )      The next post-surgery support group meeting is on the 13th of March. Here too is a good place to ask questions and get answers as Corinne does a beautiful job of running these groups.       If you have any other questions, please feel free to pm me. I check this site daily.       Again, welcome to the loser's bench ! It's the beginning of a journey to a brand new YOU! Anne

sorry I was so quick I was on hold on the phone, grrrrr, from my past experience of surgery it sounds like common gas pains.  I hear walk walk walk, poop poop poop is the only way out. hehe, you take care and it will get better.  Cheryl

My stomach ? gurgled for days after my surgery but think it was gas moving around . Cause in no way was I hungry. When I got home from hosp. I had 3 days of icky loose poops but was told it was left over blood and what not from the surgery. Pain meds sound like they are constipating you. No way could I get in the min 48 ounces the first week I just did the best I could and as you get further out you will be able to tolerate more fluid at a time. Just get in what you can and relax. You are doing fine.Pain by your chest bone could very well be gas. The pain meds could be what are causing the sweats. If you are concerned at all call Dr Loggins office. I called plenty of times lol

I haven't been taking the pain meds much.  It sort of burns going down and just doesn't taste well.  I feel gaggish now with it so I am trying to go without.  At first I thought my tatses didn't change.  I just am not into certain things.  I have all these flavored bottles waters and none of them are appealig to me.  Plain water and ice chips so far.  Popsicles are working and I made some sf butterscotch pudding with protein micellar milk.  That seems okay too. I'm working on it.  I can't wait to feel like I can get up and down no problem, or in and out of bed, or rolling over---without making funny whining noises. I hope it is less than a week away, I am useless around the house for anything.

Tanya, If anything bothers you, you should first call your doctors office and ask them. We've been through it, but they know best. I had hot/cold flashes when I was in Ketosis. I also had my surgery in August so it was already hot outside so that didn't help.  To this day my stomach still make noises. Very loud noises too. lol The soreness lasted a month for me. I had complications tho, and everyone is different. I also keep water (or an other liquid) with me all the time and I also keep water by my bed at night incase I wake up in the middle of the night. It's not hard to get in all your liquid when you're always drinking. I never had the 1 oz in 15 minutes rule. I was told to drink whatever I could. I found it hard to get my liquids in when I had to worry about getting in the food. The 1/2 hour before and 1 hour after rule was very hard for me. Now I'm a pro at it. I'm always looking at my watch when I get done eatting so I know when I can drink again. It's just a habit now. If I must have something before my hour is up or I know I will eat before a 1/2 an hour I try to only have a small sip or chew an ice cube. When I was first out from surgery I craved ice chips. I wanted to chew and was sooo thirsty all the time.  To this day I get chest pains when I've drank or eatten to fast. Your new pouch is between your breast bones and I know when I've made my pouch angry. lol It tells me. If you still have the pain even tho you havent drank anything it may be something else so you NEED to call your doctor. I was like you with the pain meds. I didn't want to take them. I was only taking acetaminophen when I left the hospital because the pain pills they gave me made me throw up. When I had to go back into the ER for complications they gave me anti nausa meds to help so I could take the pain meds. (wish they had done that in the hospital). If you can stomach them, take them, if you can't you should tell your doctor. I hope you're getting some rest and that you're feeling better soon. ~dori~

Wow Dori I didn't realize the cold flashes went along with this whole thing. The first couple weeks home At night especially I would be totally freezing just couldn't warm up. Just thought is was from all the trauma my body had been through. Nice to know it is not uncommon to have this happen.

Tanya, congratulations on your surgery!  It sounds like pretty normal stuff happening...but like the posters previous....you should call your dr. if you have any concerns, that is what they are there for and don't think you are bothering them!!  Best of luck to you on this new journey, it sure is a great one!!  Hang in there, you will be able to move around just fine in about two weeks, just rest!!