Good Morning. What do you remember of your 1st 2 weeks post-op?

The first day home, I remember DH helping me up and out of the pull-out couch and standing there burping and it hurt a little. I remember spiking a fever and DH talking to the surgeon's associate. Instructions were to blow into that spirometer thingy and the fever would come down. Ketosi**** me before I got home from the hospital and I couldn't drink my broth. Uck!

All my awake time the first week was taken up with writing down what I was taking for vites and meds, dumping my drain and noting how much and what color the fluid was, I slept with all my "junk" around me including my CPAP (I thought of it as my lifeline), writing down how much I drank or "ate", and taking the dogs around the house for a quick walk. I think by the 3d day home I was able to roll out of bed rather than having to be pulled up and out. Ahh...the first shower! Wonderful!  

The 2nd week I went to the office and got the drain taken out. Free at last! My DH and Son#2 had set me up in the living room and I had a portable DVD player. I watched all the Indiana Jones movies that week. lol  By the end of the second weekend home, DH and I went out for breakfast and I had eggs Benedict (singular no waffle) and one bite of pineapple. Went back to work 1/2 days that Monday. I think I might have gotten back on OH the week I went back to work but nada the 2 weeks post-op. I guess my OH addiction hadn't set in. 

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--gina
   

2nd try, OH ate my first try.
I remember fighting with the Dr to let me go home because I couldn't keep my O2 level up, I won.  Once home I remember sleeping in the recliner a lot, day and night.  Nothing tasted good but plain water.  Trying to keep track of drinking every 15 minutes.  Not liking any protein but getting most of it down.  Walking to the barn, down the driveway. 
Got my drain out at 1 week, yeah.  Was moving better and started sleeping some in the bed, probably mostly by the end of that week.  Doing Payroll from home (that is where my office is anyway).  Moving to full liquids and yogurt being such a good thing.  Never had bad gas or any nausa, how lucky.
Mainly, over the whole time, feeling markedly better each and every day.

In the hospital, it was all about sleeping and peeing.  That IV had me up and in the bathroom about every couple of hours!  The first few days there was very little pain, and what I did have came when moving from lying to sitting (the incisions), and from sitting to standing (the abs, which felt like I'd done a thousand situps LOL).   Day three we took a drive out to visit my parents, day four I was shopping alone at Sam's, by one week I had absolutely NO discomfort at all and couldn't even tell I'd had anything done (well, except for the scars and not being able to eat), early that second week I was cleaningi the house, and day ten I went back to work.  The biggest impression I have from those first two weeks were how surprised I was by how smooth and easy everything was.  

Ahh, something I remember vividly! ( note to everyone, I have a low tolerance to pain)
The minute I woke up in the hospital and was in SEVERE pain! The ICU nurses were the best though, they did allow me to get up and start walking around the nurses station, that was my best memory, those nurses were the absolute best!!!
Was there over night and transferred to the unit, hateful a$$ nurses there, if it were not for a specific student nurse I would have gone insane. They took out my catheter before I left the ICU and still could not pee, 9 hours later, when I was able to go, I put out 1000 mls of urine. Boy that felt so great! 
Got home and the pain was intense! Could not sleep in the bed ( for longer than 30 min) the recliner was my friend, then found out I was ALLERGIC to Lortab! Found out 2 days after I got home, my entire body was COVERED in hives and boy did they itch! Called back to the Dr and was told tylenol! What the HECK! I am in severe pain! Oh well did the tylenol for 3 more days, couldnt get all of it in and it was ICKY! In the meantime, I am walking up and down the hallway, through out the house, picking things up with my feet. Walking outside , goal was mailbox and back, it felt great to get out.
Finally made it to my 2 wk appt and still could not sit and stood the entire appt. He asked if I wanted any more drugs, I REFUSED! I shocked myself and him. I was starting to feel halfway human again.

Then it happened!!! I was actually sleeping in the bed and suffered a severe asthma attack! Twisted to reach for my inhaler, and pulled the stitches INSIDE my belly. I saw the tweety bird and the stars! All were swimming around my head and damn it hurt!!! Called back the Dr and he was like, just take it easy.. Did I mention he's an A$$!  Every milestone I had just made, just got set back another 2 weeks. I had to start all over again! I was wishing for drugs by then too. My husband still had plenty of time off ( had 2 weeks to use or lose) so he was able to extend his time to stay home with me.

So, basically my 2 week nightmare turned into a 4 week ordeal! Wow am I glad I feel better!

I remember that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The first three days home were a little rough, and the pain meds made me really cloudy, but after a few days I was back to my normal routine, and learning how to drink slowly, etc. By the time my two week check up came, I didn't feel like I had surgery, except of course for the weird drinking/eating routine.

I was in the hospital 3 nights because I had really bad nausea, and they wanted me to be able to eat some form of solid foods before I went home.  Once I could eat enough yogurt, they were happy.  I remember in the hospital that I was incredibly sensitive to light and sound - stimuli, basically.  Any noises made me feel pain - it was very strange.  I remember being grateful for having strong legs because I could get my leg underneath me to pivot me out of bed without having to use my abs.  

I went home on percocet but hated taking it because I was thinking double.  The ride home (through Manhattan) was absolutely horrible, but my driver was really nice as he drove slowly over the bumps (while people honked at him).  Walking outside was hard because people walk really fast in NYC, and I had to creep on the sidewalk.  It gave me a new perspective of what it is like to be less abled in this city.  I stopped the percs by the 3rd day home, mostly because I hated taking crushed meds.

I tried getting in all the 3 things (protein, water, vits) but that didn't happen.  I started with water (powerade zero) then once I had that down, moved to protein (shakes and greek yogurt) then to vits.  It was only when I had all three at the levels I was supposed to have them that I felt better.  That was after 4 weeks.  I went back to work then.  

I felt pretty icky and wea****il about 5 weeks out, when I was able to get out of bed the old way.  By 6 weeks I was able to drink without the pain.  By 8 weeks I had no more gas pain.  By 12 weeks I felt pretty much like normal.  Now I'm great.  :)

My recovery was slow and hard, but I never ever ever regretted getting my RNY.  Incidentally, I started feeling better once the very rapid weight loss slowed down.  

I remember waking up from surgery and was surprised at how good I felt.  The nurses kept telling me I had the pain pump there if I needed to push the button.  My pain was very minimal.  I remember the nausea on day #2 everytime I tried to get up out of bed.  I remember when I came home, my worse complaint was the gas issue.  I felt like a Macy T'giving day float because I was so bloated.  I remember Once the gas issue passed I, I started questioning if I even had surgery. I was surprised at how good I felt.  Other than getting tired more easily, I had no issues. I remember worrying to death whether I was going to fail at this weight loss attempt too because Ive failed so many other times.  I remember worrying how I'd ever learn to take my vits on schedule and get all my protein & liquids in.  Great post Gina!  Cindy

I remember when I first woke up and I could feel my stomach bandaged up I looked at DH and said "I think I have screwed up".  That feeling only lasted until I was wide awake and then I was ok.  My sister had to call everyone because DH couldn't he was so upset and scared for me.

My sister kept telling me to hit the pain pump and I kept arguing with her that I didn't hurt and didn't need it.  I finally hit it to shut her up!!  That was the only time I used it.  Never took any other pain medicine and never felt uncomfortable.

I remember being so amazed as DH sat and ate in my room-pizza and all kinds of things I would have loved to eat in the past and my mouth did not even water!!   They had a computer for patients to use and internet so I got on it a couple of times.

I didn't have any drains, but the leak test was gross!!  I had to drink this nasty stuff. It gave me horrible diarhea.  I had IV's in both hands and poor DH had to help me.  He was so funny because he has such a weak stomach.  We walked and walked the halls at the hospital.

I agree with Gina the first shower was wonderful.  I had to spend 2 nights in the hospital.  The 3rd day I had to eat some pudding and drink something before I could leave. 

I stayed at my parents for a week after surgery.  We went to the mall every day and walked.  I spent most of my time writing down what I ate and drank and sleeping.  I remember being sooo cold.  DH was laughing because he is always cold and I was always hot he said this was going to be great!!  I got on my laptop some and checked email and visited OH.

I had surgery on a Monday and went back to work the following Thursday.  We had a board meeting that night so I had to wor****il about 9pm.  It was a long day and I was tired!!

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