August Sleevers

[Cheri_S 1]

I just want to get it done and let the healing begin, the liquid diet sucks. But I'm doing it, I'm down 7 pounds now, its nice to see the numbers go down!!!!

Good luck on Monday, can't wait to compare notes on the post-op side!!!

[*susan* 1,709]

You guys are all going to do fabulous! I am so excited for those of you about to get sleeved, you will love it.

[WhiteRice 0]

Surgery was Tuesday. First full day home today. Feeling pretty good. The kids are at my in-laws, and my mom is here with me. Just did 10 minutes of walking laps around the house. Pain meds are working pretty well. :laugh0: Trying to scale those back a bit so I'm not so drowsy all the time.

How's everyone else this fine afternoon?

[AJW 18]

Glad you're doing so well. I did better on day 1 than the rest of the days because of all the morphine going through me. Day 2 was not so good; day 3 was "ok;" day 4 was icky cause of the built up gas and Fluid retention; today is day 5 and feeling 50% better. Tomorrow will be better still until I'm back to normal.

[WhiteRice 0]

Glad you're doing so well. I did better on day 1 than the rest of the days because of all the morphine going through me. Day 2 was not so good; day 3 was "ok;" day 4 was icky cause of the built up gas and Fluid retention; today is day 5 and feeling 50% better. Tomorrow will be better still until I'm back to normal.

I think day 1 was the best until today, because I had on-demand IV dilaudid. Day 2 they switched me to oral dilaudid, which made me want to vomit within 5 minutes of taking it. It was awful. I elected to stay one more night to get that all worked out and to get my breathing fully under control (I'm asthmatic), and I'm SO glad I did stay. Now I'm on the right pain meds and feeling so much better.

Sorry you're having a rougher go of it. :laugh0: How are the liquids going? I'm finally learning to swallow less air with my sips, so that's going better for me now.

[AJW 18]

Well since I was in Mexicali, they don't do major pain meds like Dilaudid; they do the initial morphine spinal (an odd pain medication delivery system to me, but whatever) and after that you get under the tongue pain meds which aren't very effective. Most of my discomfort was from gas, bloating, queasiness, and everything associated with stomach upset rather than real PAIN. Dilaudid is a heavy-duty morphine pain med; I had it when I broke my leg as that was the appropriate pain relief medication for that situation. I had to have surgery to fix my fracture (and thus began my 10 year spiral of weight gain, but that's another story). For this type of surgery, in my humble opinion Dilaudid is way over-kill. Not that I would have turned it down, mind you, but apparently such a heavy duty drug is not the protocol at Hospital Almater.:laugh0:

The liquids are going. I use a straw. The first 5 days (that's all I got so far) it still hurts a little when I drink. That supposedly goes away after a week according to Dr. Aceves. Hope so. I am sipping, not gulping (as if!) but I still feel that spot that the Water hits when it goes down, especially in the middle of night when my pump is not primed like during the day, if you know what I mean.

Edited August 14, 2009 by AJW

[WhiteRice 0]

The dilaudid was not the first line drug. That would have been morphine in the iv, and then vicodin orally. But since I already knew from my 2-broken-arms stay in the hospital that morphine and vicodin both make me very nauseated, they went right to dilaudid, which was fine IV, but not so much orally. Orally it had me ringing the call button almost immediately to have the nurses running back in with the Zofran. We finally settled on Percocet to come home and that's going very well.

I'm past the hurting when I drink, as long as I'm aware of each sip. It's when I reach and take a sip without thinking that it hurts. I know every hospital's protocols are different, but all of my discharge paperwork says very specifically "no straws". I wonder if you might have less pain just sipping without one. I find that I get less air going down if I exhale before swallowing, which is opposite of what I've done all of my life. Just thinking out loud. Take it for what it's worth. Good luck. Are you home now?

[AJW 18]

Two broken arms? Girl, what did you do to yourself, were you in an accident? I broke my leg skiing on 1/1/98. Yes, I'm home, been home since Wednesday night.

[WhiteRice 0]

I had a motorcycle accident in Oct. 2001. Went over the handlebars and, of course, put my hands out to break my fall. :laugh0:

[AJW 18]

Ouch! You're lucky that's all you broke; could have killed you. Glad you survived it.

I had a motorcycle accident in Oct. 2001. Went over the handlebars and, of course, put my hands out to break my fall.

[DownInSocal 12]

Hi Guys!

AJ - I am glad you are doing good! Do you think the little bit of pain when you sip is from the breathing tube or is it deeper and def in your stomach?

WhiteRice - Wow. I have missed so much. You are all done and doing decent it seems. How do you swallow with less air?

[DownInSocal 12]

Sorry I have not been around. My husband had non WL surgery on Thursday and had complications. He is home now and is going to be fine but the last few days have been hard. It was supposed to be routine and he was going home the same day but his body had other plans. He is supposed to be the one to help and stay with me at the hospital. I am not sure now. I might be going at this alone. :confused1:

Edited August 16, 2009 by DownInSocal

[AJW 18]

That little bit of pain on swallowing is just from having the surgery, not the tube down your throat. Everyone is different recovery-wise, so don't go by your husband. I'll sure you'll do fine.

[WhiteRice 0]

WhiteRice - Wow. I have missed so much. You are all done and doing decent it seems. How do you swallow with less air?

Hi Socal. Yes, I'm all done. Day 6 today. I found that if I exhale before swallowing, which is completely opposite what I've done all my life and a little uncomfortable at first, I swallow less air. I don't know why, but it works for me. Maybe less air in the area above the trachea to go down with the swallow?

[DownInSocal 12]

I had mistyped. My husband had non weight loss surgery. I am just worried my support won't be there because he is kinda down for the count now. I just spent the day in the ER. We are home now and he is resting again. I have slept about 16 hours since 4 am Thursday. I am exausted but so tired I can't sleep and the minute I lie down something happens, he is in pain, he needs a drink, he needs pills, he is hungry, he is throwing up, he needs to pee, someone calls, someone comes to the door. Ugh.

I am thinking of postponing my surgery. We will see how he does the next couple of days. I need him and I can't be trying to recover while worrying about him.