what was Day 1 like?

Day 1 - I was in the ICU so drugged up I couldn't even remember most of it.

Day 2 - I was up walking at least 3 times a day.

Day 3 - I was off the morphine pump, was peeing on my own and walking at least 3 times a day.  

Day 5 - I went home from the hospital.

Day 6 - I was completely off all pain meds and only take over the counter meds every other day or so!

Day 6-20 - I asked myself WTF did I do to myself!  I told my Mom if this didn't work I would just end up being fat forever, because there was no way in he$$ I was going through this again!  It had nothing to do with pain and everything to do with only being able to eat a spoonful or two at a time.  I was crapping everytime I turned around. I couldn't hardly drink and just a quick trip to the gas station riding in the car completely tired me out for the day. 

By 3 months post-op I had fallen completely in love with my DS and if I ever needed to I would without a doubt do it all over again!!! 

**My DS was open and I never had the "hit by a Mac Truck" feeling.  I do have a high pain tollerance and I heal amazingly well!!**

I expected the absolute worst but my journey has been pretty good so far. Day one i woke up and they had hyper-extended my right arm during surgery and  it hurt like dickens and i couldnt feel my fingers on either hand because of the pins and needles. This was my biggest issue. I had very little abdominal pain but i was told you have to ask for pain meds so as soon as i kinda wake i slurred that i needed pain meds:)

I was up walking a little and sitting in a chair. I was NPO the first day so sipping didnt start til day 2. I walked the halls 6 times day two and had terrible nurses that wouldnt come when i pressed the call button that night so i had to toilet myself several times and that included taking off and putting on the pressure booties i was wearing on my calves....not easy to say the least! I had a little nausea but i asked for nausea meds anytime they were available because i didnt want to feel more than a little.

I went home (or back to the hotel) the eve of Day 2. For me DS recovery has been easier than lapband recovery...but that me:) And my DS surgeon is a genius so that helped:)

peace of cake, had a epidural, slept thru the first day, and had a feeding tube (which i kept for 12 weeks) had a Cather to pee through and little pain, no issues at all. 

Day 1 I was stoned out of my mind, so I didn't care. I remember the OR, the nurses saying it was going to get busy, and then being in recovery. I remember seeing my husband, calling my mom to say "I'm alive" and that's it. I really don't remember anything else until day 3.

Now, day 3, I wanted to never wake up again. Sleep was good. If I was asleep, I didn't hurt! They made me walk every 4 hours or so, at the very least. If I wasn't sleeping, I was walking, or waiting for the pain meds to kick in so I could walk.

Sipping? Forget about it. They hung 2 bags of fluids when they saw how much I was getting down (not much), and holding on to (way too much, minimal urine output).

Just a hint. Never let them give you lasix while you're hooked up to the damn inflatable booties... I peed all over the floor cause it took me so long to get the damn things undone so I could flee my bed. Argh. Still, do it once a year for life, just to maintain my current weight loss? You betcha!

I would say my recovery was like sparty's, and maybe that is because we had the same surgeon.  I did not have a morphine line, though.

My thoughts:
1.  Will you be in ICU (with no roommates) and for how long?  ICU is wonderful and much quieter than a regular room.  I was there for two wonderful days.
2.  Will the dr be aggressive with pain meds?  Don't let them wear off.
3.  Will you automatically have an iv for fluids and for how long?  This is your trick to being hydrated.
4.  Will you chose to get up and walk on your own or will they have to come get you to walk.  If you chose to do it on your own, then no one will have to wake you up later to do it.
5.  Will you have a PICC line?  So nice, because they can draw blood from the line instead of poking you all the time.
6.  I had breathing treatments every 6 hours.  Totally preventative.  I got woke up a little from that but it was no big deal.
7.  If you have to share a room, it is no fun.  I had one night by myself (wonderful) and one night that I shared (yuck).
8.  Access to a tv?  This may sound funny, but I had this small tv that was tucked behind me that I could pull forward and put right in front of my face.  If I couldn't sleep, I just turned it on, even if it was the middle of the night, until the roommate came.  It was nice I didn't have to stare across the room or worry about the noise.  It kept my mind off where I was as I could take breaks and watch tv.  Then, I would go back to sleep and all was well!

Oh, and I specifically requested NO VISITORS!  You will have enough interruptions at the hospital.  Why add to a crew of people that are coming at unexpected times?  I even told my husband not to come.  I felt very very rested while in the hospital!