2 days post-op

Hi guys,

 

Thought I'd dropin and tell you how I'm doing.

 

I got my lapband on Monday, and it kinda went well.

 

The surgeon told me that my stomach was so fat that he was afraid the lapband was too tight and I may have to stay for a week in ICU to be fed intraveinously.

Fortunately, his conditions were that I was able to drink soem liquids and be able to pee in order to leave.

 I was able to sip ice cubes and drink a little liquid, they needed to use a catheter the first night (900cc)  but I was able to do it myself Tuesday am, so I got discharged.

 

The only thing is that I have trouble drinking, a small amount makes me feel full. I have had 2 portions of 125ml of chicken broth today without feeling nauseated, but any more and I fell like I'm going to barf.

 

Yesterday, I tried a sf fruit popsicle and regurgitated like a baby. But I had one today that stayed down.

 

I also feel every sip of water is painfull. I know my insides are all swollen and tender from the operation, but I'm a little afraid of dehydration at this point. Since the pain is not making me drink as much as I probably should.

 Any advice?
 

Hey Marcel, use a spoon for the fluids...take that little at a time...and just get in a routine...little little little....they juiced you up in the hospital, so don;t sweat it for a day or so....but teaspoon at a time Russ

Hi Marcel,

I'm glad to hear your operation went smooth. I had the lapband done on Dec 4th 2006. I felt pretty crummy for the first 2 or 3 days, then things seemed to get much better.

Keep trying to drink slowly and keep walking around. I drank some of my left over Optifast shakes from my pre-op diet and that got my nutrition in. Once I was able to shower I felt much better.

Just stick with it and it will get better each day. Best of luck 

Dan

Hey Buddy!  I'm very glad to see you back, I was Praying for you my Friend.  Sorry to hear that happened to you.
How are you doing with Pain?  What botheres you the most?  Why did they use a Catheter for?  "Yikes"!  &  "Ouch"!  I'm hate the Catheter, God I hope they don't use that thing on me. 
I would follow you Doc's orders To The Letter.  This is going to be a very important time for you.  How long did your Surgery last?  How were your Gas Pains?  I'm just so interested in knowing everything A-Z  I have my Pre-Op tomorrow at 1:00pm with my Surgeon, I have a list of questions, but maybe I could get some more from you, I've already got one from what you posted. 
Don't feel you have to answer my Spastic  Post here all at once, take care of yourself first.  Only respond if you feel up to it.  I'm just so Happy for you, and want you to be well soon!!!

Your Friend,

Rocko~~

P.S. Sorry I'm firing so many questions at you  :-(

Hey Marcel, Glad to hear you’re home. Painful sips? Make ‘em even smaller. Like just "wetting your tongue." Ice chips or SF Popsicles (not the Real Fruit ones, just the ‘fake crap’) Those will go down at a slower speed. Also try playing with the temperature of your liquids. I’ve seen folks who swore they could only tolerate Ice Cold, And just as many who only could tolerate Hot-like broth or tea. I was a "Room-Temp Man" Myself. Too cold or too hot and I’d dry heave there at first. I had to have that "Goldiee-Locks- Just-Right" stuff. It does get easier each week! Hang in there and get in what liquid/water that you can…. Little-Bitty Sips! Best Wishes- Dx

Marcel: Welcome home... rest,sip,walk,rest,sip,walk,repeat,repeat Good on ya Kev-

Hey Marcel ; My banded brother . Good to hear from ya . IT WILL GET BETTER  ! I have been banded for about eighteen months now . I went through all kinds of crap and was in the hosp for ten days after my banding surgery . Good thing for me everything is great now . I have lost 138 lbs down from 348 to 218-220 it kinda floats about in that range .  time will heal all wonds , and you will be no your way to a new life . I now ride a bike to and from my work , thats about 8 mile one way . Not so bad of a ride , but there is allmost a five hundred climb in elev. ( 486 ft climb in elev . )  Going to work is not so easy but goin home is a blast .  I work second shift ( 3:30 PM - 1:00 am ) and there is nobody on the road at that time of the morning. Makes for a quite ride home !  Keep up the good work . It will get easyer as time goes on . In the mean time keep drinking tha****er . Nick

It's 2:00 am and I'm still up.

I had gone to bed, but I made a mistake: I took my nightly prescribed pills.

I have 6 pills to take: talk about heartburn! I had to get back up, I couldn't sleep.

I can't quit them cold turkey, but I'm guessing I'll have to spread their intake. And some I'm supposed to take with food, except I'm not eating for a while Duh! What's a guy to do?

That is something they don't warn you about Rocko, and try to find out what your pouch capacity will be, I wasn't told what mine was. How am I supposed to figure when enough is enough other than by barfing?

I'm sure glad you guys are here to tell me it gets easier, otherwise I'd be questioning my decision right now.

Marcel, Most everyone gets a good two weeks of- "What The ‘F’ did I do to Myself!?!?" Fortunately, they also get years of- "Why didn’t I do This Sooner!" For the pills? Did you doc tell you to crush them? Or use a ‘pill-splitter?’ That WILL NOT work for some drugs because they are designed to release slowly And crushing them can ‘Mess You Up’ by having them absorb into your system too fast. Give the Doc’s office a call First thing in the morning and explain your difficulty with taking your meds. He (or more likely one of the nurses) will call you back with instruction as to how best to deal with your meds. For those first days? It’s best to just keep their office on the Speed-Dial. For sleep? Most Docs and Hospitals will allow and/or give patients Benadryl. It’s an antihistamine that’ll make you sleepy. It also helps if you are taking a Narcotic Pain med, Because those can make you a bit ‘itchy’ and the Benadryl stops that. Ask the Doc about that in the morning as well. In ther meantime- Got a heating pad in the house? A heating pad on low on your lower back will give many guys great comfort and help relax your body. It saved me early on when it came to ‘getting to sleep.’ Hope your feeling better each day! Best Wishes- Dx

Dx,

No mention of the pills was made at all. The surgeon even forgot to prescribe pain killers, it was another doctor at the ICU that did it (Morphine)

I will give my family doctor a ring in regards to the meds he prescribed.

 Right now what's really killing me is the hiccups. They hurt, I NEVER used to have them pre-op,and they are making me spit some nasty  frothy stuff, that I don't even know what it is or where it comes from.

 

And they are draining my energy real fast.