Update on Jim Hickey---I made it thru

Good afternoon Ladies, I read all of your responses so I will try and answer them all with this one response---They did the cut about 1300 hrs on 30 May 2008 and I woke up about 7:30 PM in the OR and didn't have a clue as to where I was. All I could hear and feel was this nurse shaking me and telling me to wake up. I think she thought I was having a bad dream or something. I thought I was going home on Sat but they kept me till about 2:00 PM on Sunday as my potassium was really high for some reason and they tried several things to bring it down. Well I hated to leave the hosp and the good drugs but I had too and did. The rest of sunday and Monday was a lot of sleeping and stuff. Today, I'm still weak and nauseated a bit but definitely getting better. I weighed myself at the hosp on one of my walks around the floor and the weight was more than when I went in. How could I gain weight after all this and my tummy was pretty bloated as well so I'm going to attribute it to water from all the fluids they gave me and the gas was probably bloating me as it has come down considerably now. I go see Dr Elariny tomorrow for a post-op checkup at 1230 hours. I had a great nursing staff for my room and I wrote them a cudo and posted it on their bulletin board. So far I'm just cosuming a protein drink , a coupla shots of B12, juice, jello and broth. If there is any thing I'm not doing, let me know...I get tired pretty easy but I guess that is to be expected. Anyway, thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts, many hugs to all of you---I am a loser????Jim Hickey

Hey Jim! Welcome home! The only thing I would suggest that you didn't mention is exercise. Right now, you're going to be in a bit of pain, and it might hurt really bad to walk around, but you need to do as much as possible. That will help a great deal with the gas as well. You're looking to work up to at least 30 minutes of walking a day. You're right about why you gained weight. Give it a week -- you'll lose all of this "new" weight, and probably some of the existing weight on top of it. Then it is only downhill from there. For now, at least until your staples are out, I would suggest keeping to your clear liquid diet (it's been a while, I'm having trouble remembering!). I THINK, once the staples are out, that you can proceed to stuff that is pureed, and that will last for about the next two months. Make sure you are taking your vitamins (multivitamin, calcium (must be citrate, not carbonate!), b12 (though if you just had a shot, you should be good on that... maybe someone else can tell you how long those are good for), and B complex). You have my cell number... call or text me if you have any questions that don't get answered here. Good luck! Julie

I do the B-12 shots as well and they are good for a month. I take mine on the first of each month so that I wont forget.
Theresa

Welcome to the losing side Jim!!!!  So glad everything went well.  Just keep walking & sipping, soon you will be up & running and dropping those pounds.

Hey Jim...great to hear from you!!!  You know all those people that claimed you're full of hot air?  Well, now you can agree with them!! LOL  Don't worry...that will dissipate in a relatively short time & all this pain & stuff will be but a distant memory.  So here's to your speedy recovery    .  And yes, you're now a big Loser like the rest of us!!!!

Hi Jim! Congrats loser! Glad you are okay and home. Take it easy, my friend. Hope to see a lot less of you in the future. ;)                        Jamie

Welcome home Jim glad to see you are home and resting. Like already said walking will help with the pain some I didnt have all that I was gutted so didnt have the gas like most. But walk walk walk and sip sip sip. And Congrats! Your on our side now w/ the loosers. 

Hello Jim! I am so glad to hear that you are doing well. Yes!!! You ARE a looser!!!!!! Congrats!!! You need to rest, and let your body heal. Let your body do the talking. If you feel tired..... sleep..... Take care and keep us posted! hugs to you!! cathy

Jim - so glad you are home!  sip sip sip and walk and walk.  also,  i highly recommend doing your spirometer hourly as long as you are awake.  I ended up with double pneumonia a week after surgery, i don't wish that on anyone.  Take care! lys

Glad to hear from you!  Keep up the good work.  All the IV fluids are surely to blame for your weighing more, not to worry, those extra few pounds will be gone before you know it.