When does this get better?

 I'm home from  my LBL and BL/BA 3 days ago and I'm pretty miserable. I had to come home with a catheter because I couldn't pee after surgery....now I'm scared I won't ever be able to pee again on my own. The pain is awful, so I'm not moving around much, but I don't want to get blood clot. I suffer from anxiety so everything is freaking me out. When I'm walking I feel dizzy, so I sit down, but then I feel like that's all I'm doing. I'm drinking a lot and eating protein bars, but I'm scared of complications or doing this wrong somehow. What did I just do...and will I be miserable for weeks to come? Help please!

Hello! I'm sorry you are so miserable. I had a pretty rough run in those early days. You will definitely be able to pee again on your own. My husband suffers from the same thing after surgeries. Damn bladder won't wake up on its own for a while. Were you given good pain medications and are you staying on top of it so the pain doesn't get ahead of you? Are you wearing your compression stockings? Doing ankle twirls and calf muscle contractions off and on? The reality is that you only have so much control over any possible complications. Try not to stress yourself about "doing it wrong"--you can't help that you get dizzy. And you can't help you feel like you were hit by a bus. I felt the very same way. I did, however, feel better each day with the occasional set back or days where I didn't notice improvement and that freaked me out a little. I really didn't move much either.  I was a little worried that I was inviting trouble with clots because I hurt so bad that I could barely stand the thought of getting up to go to the bathroom. I joked that my surgeon was going to have to surgically remove my recliner from my ass!

It will get better. I'm sure of it. It will soon be a distant memory. And with the narcotics it will all be blurry soon enough.

Hang in there!!! Thinking of you and hoping for fast improvement.

Denise

Did you have any muscle repair (tightening) If so, then that is going to be the worst part with pain. The 1st week was hard for me but got easier with each passing day. Ask you PS if he can prescribe you liquid Lortab, that stuff was like gold to me and you can take it every 4 hours and it really dulls the pain a lot. Sorry for your pain, it will get better. Best of luck to you.

 It really does get better!  The first 4 days were the worst, then gradually it has gotten better and better.

Check in with your doc about stool softener if you haven't gone.  I started with one a day a few days before surgery.  But they are a lifesaver.

Hang in there!

Xoxo, Alicia

 I didn't have the BL/BA but did have the LBL with muscle repair.  All the advice you have gotten is correct - it WILL get better!  The first few days are the toughest and then you will feel better a little each day.  For me it felt like 2-3 days improvement, then one day of not so much, etc.  I really started feeling better and more like myself in the 2nd week.  Just be sure to follow your doctors instructions, as far as walking, getting enough protein in, etc.  If you have any questions - be sure and call their office.  That's what they are there for and no question is to silly!

Hugs,
Gracie150

 Sorry you are feeling so badly, but it does get better.  I am going to basically repeat what the others said. From my personal experience, you can never here the information too many times!

Don't worry about the catheter. Same thing happened to me and I had the same worries.  They took it out in the hospital and when my bladder wouldn't wake up after 7 hours, they put it back in (major mortification).  It took my bladder 6 days after surgery to wake up. It is annoying to have the bag...but think about the bright side. You don't have to struggle to get up while resting to hit the loo! The anastheia just impacts some of like this.

You shouldnt really be having so much pain. It should be more of a discomfort. Your doc probably gave you pain meds. TAKE THEM. If they said every 4 hours, take it every 4 hours. You have to stay ahead of the pain, it is harder to try to catch up to it. If you are in alot of pain and still taking your meds as prescribed - give your doc a call.

The dizziness can easily be from the pain meds or the after effects of the anastheia and hospital morphine.  It is hard, but try and go for at least one 15minute walk a day. Have someone right with you to help steady you.

Its ok to be sitting.  Thats all I did for the first 2 weeks. Sleep, eat, shower, 20 minute walk, sleep, sleep, sit and watch tv.  You have to take care of yourself. Your body just went under a MAJOR surgery. If you are like most of us, you were in there 6 to 8 hours! That is alot to recover from!  Give yourself some time and pamper yourself. Just remember to eat, eat, drink, drink and take those pain meds. Love yourself right now.

You are going to have some bumpy days in the next couple of weeks and you are probably going to hit the standard freak out/hormone/post op moment where you may cry for no reason or have terrible buyers remorse. It is ok. It isnt really you. Almost everyone has at least one emotionally rough day. Try to remember you will feel different the next day. I cried and cried while in the shower. I didnt even know why I was crying and the next day I felt better.   This was not only a big surgery physically, it is big psychologically and emotionally.

You are going to get better. You are going to feel better. Complication might happen, but you will get thru them if they do.  You know about them going in. You were prepared. You feel like 'yuck' now but this is all going to be worth it.  Try to find remember the exciting reasons for undertaking this surgery and chant them to yourself when you feel crummy. Sometimes my chants of 'pretty panties, pretty panties, pretty panties" got me thru the times I felt yucky. 

After what we put our bodies thru all the weight gain and losses over the years, this final step really isnt so so bad.  It will end and you will feel and look great. This is just a short time of discomfort and then you will have the rest of your life to enjoy the results.  This is what I tell myself and it helps to get me thru!

Good luck and just post here again if you need us.  Next time, I swear, I will type less!

Wow!  You lost 149lbs!  Congrats!
And this new body of yours is going to be the icing on the cake!  These first days are rough.  This is very true.  I was a dizzy girl too and I fainted in the shower at the hospital my 2nd day post op!  Luckily the nurse was in there with me!  Be sure to eat something as often as you can - even if it's just a protein shake.  Increase that protein big time - do those legs twirls and flex and point those toes to help get the circulation moving in your calves.  Your bladder will get better and you'll be pee'g and wishing you had that cath - getting up and down from the potty can be a chore with those tummy muscles!  Take those pain meds on time and if you don't have any - call and get some.  Set your alarm and don't go without them!  At least for the first few days or so!
You have come a long way Baby - and this is just a bump in the road.... keep on going and the greenest pasture is on the other side!  New boobies and a flat tummy!

Hang tough!  You CAN do this!

When I had my lbl/bl 6 months ago, I was expecting to come home with 2 drains. I came home with 4 drains, a catheter, and a pain pump hanging out of me. On day 3 was allowed to take out the breast drains, day 3 or 4 I was able to take out the pain pump, and on day 7 I was able to take out the catheter (yes, I did them myself with instructions from my doctor- no big deal). So by day 7, I felt soooooooo much better!!

Just be careful and don't do too much. Be careful even shifting in bed. At the 4 week mark I was shifting over in bed and did not lift up my butt high enough before moving it and tore a hole in my incision. That really sucked because I thought at the 4 week mark, I was pretty safe. Nope. It took 2 weeks for the hole to heal.

Hang in there!!

Laura

Everyday really does get better, just some days you don't feel it. There is only so much you can control right now, but moving around once in a while is a good thing. Even if you get up to get a little snack once in a while it's a good thing to keep moving with the little exercises like Denise mentioned. I hurt like crazy for 3 days then after that it got better everyday, butt not pooping for 8 days was what bugged me the most.

IT seems to me most everybody has that moment their first week they wake up one day and everything is just better, yours is right around the corner you'll see it quick enough.

Hang in there,

Bubba

so sorry you are having a bad time..I have been thinking of you. Are you staying on top of the pain by taking your paid med on a regular basis?  You bladder will wake up and you will pee again..I promise.  Dr. B already warned me of that.  When are they going to take the cath out?
I have heard so many people on here say that the first week is really hard....so don't expect too much and every day should get alittle easier
About your dizziness.  Don't just get up from bed...sit on the side of the bed for a few minutes before you get up.  That should help.  Make sure you keep drinking alot.

Take care!
patty