Surgery day!

I'm glad to report that surgery was a complete success. I was able to get up and walk pretty quickly after getting to my room, and have made about three circuits around the nurses station over the last six hours, plus so so many trips to the bathroom (these IV fluids run right through me!). As this is my first surgery, I was very anxious about the procedure, and anesthesia in particular. Though I did wake up a little startled in the OR, my surgeon and his team were very good about reorienting me and keeping me calm. The only thing that's really getting me is these gas pains! I keep feeling like I need to belch...like it's *right there* and just not getting out. I have a couple times, and have been moving and walking to hopefully alleviate it. I know it'll take some time but so far, I'm really looking forward to this journey and I'm so happy to be a part of this community. Thank you all for showing so much support in all your posts.

Congrats on your surgery and you seem to be recovering so well! Have they done a leak test yet? The first thing I got to drink after surgery was the WORST tasting liquid I had ever had and stood in front of a board for x-rays.

They didn't have me do a leak test like that. I know they had me do something similar to that preop where I had to drink barium mixed with the smallest bit of water and the cup felt as heavy as concrete! I hope they don't.make me do that again. Atm I've amassed a small collection of one ounce cups of jello, chicken broth and v8 splash. Haven't gotten to the point where I can take all three Oz every three hours yet.

I was so traumatized by the barium! Ech. It's, uh, exit wasn't so great either..

It's so bad that over a year out from that event the thought of drinking it makes me shudder. I vote we fund research for a better tasting barium.

Agreed, or at least some that doesn't feel like concrete when they hand it to you. I was so surprised...here is this tiny styrofoam cup, how much could it possibly weigh! Then when she put it in my hand, I nearly dropped it because I was not expecting that much weight from that tiny cup. Yuck. In addition to that barium, they made me drink something like a mix of alkaseltzer/sprite during the pre-op radiology study, then told me "Try not to belch!" Pft. Easier said than done when they have you rolling all over the exam table to coat your stomach with barium.

I am all on board for funding research for something better! Lol!

Way to go! Walk and sip as much as possible :) Walking will help with the gas pains.

Welcome to the Loser's Bench!

Good for you that you're up and walking! It will help you heal so much faster. I was doing laps around the entire floor about every 2 hours, except for a 4-hour stretch when I slept. I believe it really helped. I don't remember having any gas pains...and I didn't pee but once (very small amount) the day of surgery, and once before I went home. Those IV fluids really stayed with me!

I'm looking at the date on your post...it's still the 25th, and just after 7pm Pacific Time.

But on the yellow box that shows your post when I reply, it says: On June 26, 2018 at 12:22 AM Pacific Time, DescendTheStair wrote:

Am I going nuts? heheh

Maybe I'm secretly posting from the future! Lol. Definitely posted on Monday though. Got out of surgery and up to my room around 11/11:30am cst on June 25th. My gas pains are pretty awful atm, and it's about quarter til 5am, but I've also lived with Gerd for 14 years and my surgeon also did a hiatal hernia repair (which I didn't know I had) so maybe that has a bit of effect on the pain.

These IV fluids got me going every 2-3 hours! Almost through my third liter bag of LR so it's no wonder

I had a hiatal hernia too, the size of a grapefruit! I had no idea.

My surgeon fixed it (he told me at our first consultation that he would fix it if he found one) and I think that did make recovery a wee bit more difficult for a few days. It's that anchor stitch!

I hope you have a speedy and uneventful recovery!