How many "walks" while in hospital?

[honk 780]

For those of you who stayed overnight in the hospital; how many walks did you take to get the gas to dissipate? My nurse at the surgeons office said not to bring stuff with us to the hospital. I am going to pack an overnight bag that can be left in the car until after the surgery. My mother will be there with me. I want to bring my own pajamas. If I am going to be walking the halls I don't want my but showing. Also for those who left the hospital the next day were you able to put on a pull over shirt? Should I bring one that button's up the front? Were you able to put on a bra that closes in the front? Just want to know the type and color/fabric I should plan on. Especially since my sister's boyfriend may drive me home (my mother does'nt like driving in the city) I don't want to be an exibitionist.

[shelley1057 0]

I brought me a snap front duster style house coat for walking the halls. Also a bra that hooks in the front would be perfect. Just as long as it's not tight. And I had a pull over cotton top with some cotton pull on capris that were comfortable for riding home in. Bring whatever you want. the family can hold on to it until your in a room. They are just being lazy by telling you they don't want you to bring anything. That way they don't have to keep track of your things. Good luck!

[missgypsy 1]

i brought my own jammies to put on but didn't because the nurses weren't to crazy about that one. on the way home i just put on a tshirt and shorts, sans the bra. seemed like to put trouble to put it on and ride in the truck just to go home lol. trust me i didn't care at that point lol. if you are worried about showing off by walking they will give you another gown to put on backwards over it.

[jpatches 0]

I only took very few things with me. I packed some very loose fitting pj shorts, tooth paste and toothbrush, and slippers. My surgery was at 7 am, so I pretty much arrived in pj's.

After surgery, I did a lot of walking in the hospital. It took me a few days to get rid of the gas pains completely. Getting up to walk in the hospital definately made the pain from the gas better than laying in the bed and just dealing with it. I was a little embarrased to have my booty hanging out of the back of the gown while I was walking. I asked the nurse if I could put on my pj shorts and she said it was fine. I just left the hospital gown on as my shirt.

The day that I was leaving I kept my PJ shorts on and I was able to wear a bra and put on a loose fitting t-shirt. My incisions were low enough that a bra would not even touch them. I also recommend flip flops for when you leave because it may be a little hard for you to bend over and put on shoes.

:wub:

[cmj19 0]

I took PJs with me, but I also didn't wear them in the end. I really didn't care once it came round to it. I was too preoccupied with trying to get comfortable. I stayed overnight, and the nurse said I could put underwear/whatever I wanted on when I liked. So I just wore a comfy bra and undies under my hospital gown (though I didn't have an open butt one.. maybe that's an American thing?).

As for walking around, my advice would be to just take a long coat or a dressing gown. Much easier than trying to change if you don't feel like it. And walk as much as you can! The morning after surgery I found it helped me loads. I just took really short ones up and down the corridor every twenty minutes or so.. ended up looking forward to them really.

[Jachut 487]

Didnt end up wearing my own pj's, I did put a robe on over the gown to walk, I walked around from a couple of hours after the actual surgery, not far, lots of sleeping etc.

I went home in the clothes I arrived in - jeans (and ordinary jeans at that, no elastic waist) and a long sleeve tshirt and regular bra. I simply wasnt that sore.

[BetsyB 9]

I packed PJs and a robe, and didn't use them. The unit was not heavily trafficked, the gown they gave me wrapped around me twice---so I just held it closed and walked.

I just didn't feel like wrestling into other clothes while hooked up to an IV, a pulse oximeter, and everything else they had me connected to.

I don't think I crossed paths with anyone other than the occasional nurse during my walks--and I was up and walking every hour or two, with little naps in between. It was nighttime, so there weren't visitors. There weren't other patients up walking (I guess they had the sense to sleep!), there weren't doctors and students and transport people---just me, walking.

[Nicole74 4]

I had surgery on Friday morning and had to stay overnight, I think total I walked about 5x just to the bathroom and than up the hall. I packed an overnight bag with a comfy tee, elastic shorts and a sports bra but to be honest I never touched my suitcase. I stayed in the hospital gown the whole time, partly because I had a lot of discomfort and just didnt feel like getting dressed until I left. I took a dark colored tee and didnt even wear a bra on the way home...its probably gonna depend on how much pain you are in that decides what you want to wear or change into. They gave me a larger hospital gown so it gave plenty of coverage. Good luck and just bring some comfy easy to put on and off clothing!

[Gone23456 0]

I stayed overnight and took a sports bra, pj pants and a loose fitting t-shirt with. I changed from my surgery gown to my clothes about 1 p.m. (Had surgery at 8 a.m.) I kept refusing to change into the normal hospital gown so they finally said if I didn't want to do that, then I could put my real clothes on. I was a much happier girl after that :thumbup:

I walked the entire night. I couldn't sleep so I just walked up and down the hallways with my IV(I was one of 3 people in my part of the hospital). I'd walk for about 10 mins and then go lay down and read for a half hour. I didn't have too much gas pain (don't know if this is why, or if I was just lucky)

Good luck!!

[TracyNYC 4]

Hi, I stayed overnight and once I was settled in my room I walked every hour. They woke us all night every single hour. I was told it was not so much the gas as fear of blood clots which are common after surgery in the morbidly obese. Finally a t 4 am we asked to be left alone until 7. The nurse agreed, but the aid woke me 2x in that 3 hours bugging me a bout a flu shot! I was not happy.

The gowns were plenty big, as were the beds, since I was in a section just for wls patients. I was getting tangled in the robe it was so big. Going home I wore the sweats and tee shirt I had worn in the day before sans bra. Not out of pain, but I did not care.

Bring lip balm. I was very dry and was glad they told us that. I also thought the temp was just fine, which means others will be cold. ( I am 41 and swear I have been in menopause since I was 10-always dying of the heat)

We had a 5 hour class in the hospital the week before which was amazingly informative and detailed everything from where to park to exactly what we would be fed after the surgery. They said discharge was at 2pm and it was.

Good luck. Try to find someone here who had the procedure done in the same place to get the "skinny" (haha) on the routine.

Best of luck.

[ThinAli 0]

I didn't walk at all in the hospital. I wouldn't bring your pj's. I don't know how many surgeries you have had or if you have ever been put under but I hadn't until this surgery. My bladder didn't wake up from the drugs so I had to be cathered twice and they have to use sanitizers down there that would have probably stained my clothes. If you are worried about people seeing your bum maybe bring a robe to cover up. I wore a tee shirt and shorts home and a sports bra. My port is about 4 inches below my breasts and with the bandage I was afraid to mess up the bandage. MY big advice is to bring a pillow for the ride home. Put the pillow between you and your seat belt. I slept with the pillow on my tummy as well because i rested my hands on my belly. At home I did the same because I have animals that walk over my belly in the course of the evening...this spared me a lot of pain.

[TracyNYC 4]

Yes, the pillow is a must. I learned that trick when my mother had a hysterectomy. I don't remember if they told me to use the pillow in the car, but we brought one. Also I sort of used a pillow at home to prop up my belly when I was on my side, to prevent my incision from pulling too much.

[ThinAli 0]

well depending on where they slice and dice you the seatbelt may sit on the sutures. and one can only imagine how painful it would be if the driver hit the brakes hard!

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

I stayed in the hospital gown with another one on backwards when I got up to walk, which I did often...so often they quit counting and told me I was "obviously going to handle this without problem" which, hey, is exactly the type of patient I want to be. My first post op request was "may I PLEASE put my underwear on????" I took a book (which I didn't read), my cell phone and charger (which saved me from boredom), lip balm (#1 necessity), pillow for the ride home (#2 necessity), toothbrush/paste, hairbrush, deodorant (#3 necessities). I wore leggings, a sports bra, and long/oversized t-shirt for the ride home.... It was a very uneventful hospital stay (which is the best type to have). Good luck!!!

[mmmakala 4]

I stayed over night, and did about a mile and a half, while i was walking in the hospital. I brought my own pj pants which I put on after a few hours of surgery, and kept my gown on till I was ready to go home. I just wore a baggy shirt when I left and was very comfortable with my pj pants and loose shirt.