Back home

I just got home about an hour ago. The 25 min or so ride in the car wasnt fun. The pain is tolerable. It feels like I was kicked in the stomach over and over again. My back aches, my bowels seem to be grumbling awfully loud. It is like I have this internal massager going off. Today was the first day I had a significant amt of fluids by mouth. I had to have a liter before they would release me. I had about 4 oz chicken broth, 4oz of cranberry juice, and the res****er. I prefer room temp liquid or warm liquid. Ice water is bad. Tastes like metal or chewing on tin foil to me. I have the runs pretty bad. Sipping on room temp cranburry ice crystal light atm. My experience in the hospital was both good and bad. I had some good care and then some bad care. The surgical team that worked on me was outstanding so that was most important. I had a problem with a nurses aide and a nurse. When I am feeling better I will tell you more about that. Ohh... It seems I got my period too. Val - Is this normal? I have not had it since Novemeber. Should I call my dr. about this to make sure it is my period and not some sort of other bleeding? Thanks

Hi Honey!!! (gentle hug) Actually it is pretty normal to do that. My friend did the same thing. Surgery is a stressor, messes with your hormones. Definately make sure it's your period, you can place a tampon in to confirm that. So, that doesn't suprise me at all. Once you start losing weight you may begin having more regular cycles, and your fertility can tend to increase. So definately be careful in that area. I wouldn't advise becoming pregnant until at LEAST a year out. Well, get some rest, get your fluids in and take care of yourself. Welcome to the LOSING SIDE!! Val

Thanks Val. Just took my pain meds and feeling better. I crushed them up with 4 oz of skim milk and unjury. Now laying in bed just relaxing. Another question - Should I be taking my vitamins already or can I wait another day since my stomach is so upset? This is my log for the day. Let me know if you think this is ok. Also will try for some more unjury protein 1 more times before bed. That seems to go down the best. Date: 4/21/2005 Aerobic Activity 3-5 min walks X 6 Fluid Intake Totals: Multivitamin N/A Calcium N/A Time Item Description Amt all morning IV fluids noon chicken broth 4oz 1pm cranberry juice 4oz 11 - 3pm water 24oz sipped over 3 hrs 4pm herbal tea 2oz 4pm crystal light 1oz 5pm herbal tea 2oz 6pm unjury protein 1 packet with 4oz skim milk and crushed pain meds The hospital I was at is just not set up well yet for bariatric patients. My surgeon is just getting it going and seems to have to yell at staff a lot for not following his directions. For breakfast today the cranbury juice they gave me had high fructose corn syrup as the 2nd ingredient. Also on my tray coffee and powdered coffee creamer. No protien supplement even though my nutritionist said they would have one. I was stoned from all the drugs and really didnt think much about the cranbury juice making me sick at the time but it did.. well that or the reglan (sp). Im sure all of the other meds too that they gave me. Had a few shots given to my in my stomach. I think one was heprin. Also had a load of assorted stuff given through my IV.

YEAH FOR STACY Welcome to the loosing side!!!! I got the period thing too Stacy....freaked me out as I thought it might be something wrong. Hang in there darlin and rest your body!! Your in my thoughts and prayers. Tami~

Stacy, Glad to see you home already! I will be gone for the weekend but I will be on the computer Sat. evening....Hopefully! Lots of love from PA! Tammy

Welcome home!!!!

Hi Stacy! So glad everything went well. Your husband sure is nice. He'll be a big help to you when you're ready to start training again. I think the period thing is normal and listen to Val about being more fertile after surgery. Don't use birth control pills either! My surgeon originally said that they shouldn't be affected, but there are at least 20 women on the post-op pregnancy forum who got pregnant on them because they didn't absorb good. My ob/gyn had put me on the Nuva Ring before I decided to get pregnant. I liked it, really simple and easy to use. Keep us posted on your progress and call me anytime! Jennifer

YES!! Thanks for the back up Jennifer! I am an OB nurse and we are seeing a big increase in pregnant wls patients. Some of these gals are way too soon after surgery and their bodies haven't recovered enough. Our set of spontaneous quads was a wls surgery patient. I mean spontaneous in that NO FERTILITY DRUGS. Bang bang bang bang... 4 eggs baby. Popping like popcorn! She did very well. Another thing is the glucola they give you to test for gdm has 50 grams of sugar and is literally pure glucose... try drinking that in less that 10 minutes...that spells Dump with a capital D! So you really need to be careful. This is such a new area in medicine... I am hoping to get into a reserach position one day just for that! I am glad you liked the nuva ring. I think they are really awesome. I will tell my coworker that because she is also a research nurse and the doc she works for is doing research on the ring for irregular bleeding too.