Few days Post Op. have questions

Hello everyone.

I am officially on the losers side (barely) :)

Well first, I know I am supposed to drink a lot. But I just dont feel thirsty or anything. I am trying to sip my sugar free koolaid and lemonade but it is not easy. I dont want to get dehydrated though. Does it get a bit easier over the next few days? I am supposed to drink 4oz an hour, but maybe getting 4oz every 2 hours or so that I am awake. And I am really sleepy, so I had a big nap today and obviously didnt drink.

Also since the surgery, my burps have been really smelly. Does this go away?

And my last question for now are about the 5 bandages on my tummy. When do they go away? They still have gause on them. Do they just fall off when they are ready, or am I supposed to take them off? When I shower, should I try not to force water on them, or what?

Thanks!

Yes, the fluid intake gets better. I was incredibly thirsty and so frustrated that I just couldn't drink that much. About 4 weeks out I was able to easily get in my fluids, but I'm a water junkie (always have been). It just got easier. Don't worry, you'll get there. Just do the best you can.

Welcome to the world of smelly burps. They get better too, but if you're not eating enough, be prepared for bad breath/burps. You really won't be eating enough for a bit yet. Again, you'll get there.

I don't quite know about the bandages. I had steri-strips on my incisions except for my drain. I showered normally, but changed the gauze/bandage around my drain after each shower. It was interesting to have to cut/manipulate and position the bandages around the tube sticking out of me. Don't soak your incisions in the shower. Yes, they will get wet (such is the nature of water), but don't drown them. If you feel the need to change the gauze, just get the requisite supplies and do so.

Good luck, and welcome to the Losers Bench!!!

my doc pu****erproof banages over my incisions but he said i could shower normally and they wouldnt be affected. They started to itch and peel about mid-week and i started slowly pulling at them bit by bit. the doc took them off completely when i went for my two week check up after surgery. it was a relief the itchiness was starting to drive me mental

Water in take will get easier. I had surgery on the 20th and I'm just now able to drink about 40-50oz instead of the required 64 and in the first week I was lucky to get in 20oz of water. Not sure about the smelly burps haven't had that issue (at least you can burp I haven't been able to since surgery and it gets stuck in my throat and hurts... thats going away though) I had gauze over one incesion but I took it off the next day and had the steri-strips on under it and those came off at my 1 week check up on thursday but my doctor took them off. Remember don't put ANYTHING!! on you incesion sites cuz it causes more chance of an infection just let them heal naturally, at least thats what my doc told me to do and I'm listening to him and everything looks good so far!

Ok thanks! 20oz seems about right for what I am getting now.

Today I am already working on 16oz but it is not easy. I am not thristy, I just cant physically drink that much. I sip a bit, then full. And sleepy, and when I wake up I take more... The IV bag was much easier :) 

And I talked to my doctor and they are steri-strips. Look like strapping tape basically. He said leave them alone and they will fall off by themselves when ready.

hI Girl!! I know this times are really hard. but hang in there is gonna be over really soon.
about te watter. yes ia barely imposible to drink all the fluid that u suposed. so just keep a glass of water next to you and sip, sip, sip. I was feeling sick everymornig right after surgery till i found out that it was `cuz i wasn´t drinkin enogh liquids trough the nigth so make sure you also sip at night. or when you wake up. u can put some water in a glass with some gatorade o propel it would make you feel really good right after.

the smell goes away in a while. but also the vitamines have a smell to so it will past 2.

 

about the bandages I dunno i did not had any drains or bandages, so sorry i cna´t help you with that.

keep it up you are dong great!

hugs

The fluid intake keeps getting better, I know at about 3 months out I could hit my fluid goals without trying that hard.   But the first three months I really had to stay on myself to hit my minimums.   I found crystal light and the SF koolaids too sweet early out so I would sip water with squeeze of lemon in it--it helped.

I had little pieces of tape over each of my incision places.   I was told to leave them alone and they will fall off on their own, and they did.

Hang in there it keeps getting better!!!!