getting ready!!

Hi guys I have surgery on the 18th and curious about post surgery what to expect I have an appointment with Dr. Weber soon but I am really excited and want to prep myself. Any info is great!! Thanks

Dana, How exciting for you! Good luck on the 18th. I'm sure Dr Weber will explain everything very well to you and if you have any additional questions no matter how silly they may seem to you make sure you ask them. I am 3 weeks post op and so I'm freshly full of the experience. For me surgery went very smoothly and I woke up with absolutely no nausea which I was grateful for. I had a catheter and drain tube and morphine drip with my own little button thank goodness. The pain was pretty bad but definately manageable with the drip. The only problem for me with that was that about 15 minutes after using it I'd be totally zonked out. But I suppose that's not a bad thing as your body needs rest. Although you may think it can't be possible to walk you'll be surprised at how good it actually feels. It's a little difficult with the catheter but once that is removed (usually the day after surgery) the worst part is getting in and out of bed. The walking really makes everything feel much better. I was super thirsty after I woke up and was sucking on ice chips constantly. Also you probably want to make sure you have lip balm with you because my lips were dry all the time. They do pump you full of liquids through your IV and you have to pee constantly. My hands and feet were like little fat sausages they were so full of water but that pretty much went away after two days at home. After I left the hospital I was only on pain meds for three more days then did liquid tylonal for a day and have only needed pain meds once since then. I literally felt 110% better every day. I was amazed at how quickly I started feeling pretty darn good. Again, the walks felt great and the fresh air is wonderful. Getting the water and protien in was much harder than I thought it would be. I discovered that I swallow a lot of air so I've had to relearn how to drink without doing that. The littlest air bubbles are very uncomfortable. I started back to work two weeks after surgery and was surprised at how hard it was. I've had to take it pretty easy and do short days, the first day was the worst!!! Overall the process has been unexpected mostly in good ways, and a few not so great but it's exciting to be starting this new phase! I hope this helps and feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions!!! Corinna Q