Counting days after surgery....

[Beadingnurse 116]

Okay....dumb question alert....skip this one if you can't tolerate idiotic questions. Hey...I had surgery on Tuesday so my thinking is fogged by powerful drugs and pain....

How do you count days since your surgery? Today I told my hubby that I felt like I was doing pretty good considering this was Day 4 for me. He pointed out that it is actually day 5. I told him I was counting post op days. Surgery was on Tuesday so Wed is Day 1, Thur is Day 2, Fri is Day 3 and today is Day 4. Duh....but it now occurs to me that other people may do this different.

NOT that it matters a bit but if one is navel gazing the amount of trivial nonsense one can be obsessed with is truly astounding! I know it will matter less to me as time goes on and I start calculating the time from surgery in weeks and months but now every darned hour seems monumentally important. :blah:

Does anyone start day 1 with the surgery day like my husband would?

[swizzly 901]

LOL...I never actually thought about it. I think I counted the day after surgery as day one post-op, but I can see your husband's point too. Actually it makes more sense to count from the day of surgery, because, eg, that same day the next month will be your one-month surgiversary. If that makes any sense...

Oy this topic is hard to talk about without blithering like an idiot.

[Infernored 5]

In the medical field, if you had surgery Tuesday, that is Day of Surgery. Then Wednesday is Post Op Day 1 and so on.

[Beadingnurse 116]

In the medical field, if you had surgery Tuesday, that is Day of Surgery. Then Wednesday is Post Op Day 1 and so on.

HEATHER!!! You had surgery on Tuesday too! How are you? Did it go okay for you? Did you end up with all of your colleagues attending as you yelled obscene things at them in the PACU? (oh wait, that was me...sorry) :embaressed_smile: I know you were worried about all of your new co-workers taking care of you after surgery and I so get that now. I was blessedly unknown at the hospital where I had my surgery but I can only imagine the extra burden of trying not to be a prima donna or a whiner with your colleagues. You have enough on your mind just having your surgery without also trying to remain professional.

And yes....I distinctly recall saying to the PACU nurse.."*%#!*, I KNOW you have better drugs than this". (I am truly embarrassed and sent her an apology.)

[Infernored 5]

LOL!! I wish I could have been anonymous, but at the same time I know they really cared for me well. I couldn't really open my eyes yet in PACU and I was nauseated and only remembered talking when they asked me questions. I am going back to work on Tuesday so hopefully there isn't anything else to it besides that! LOL

Besides that I am doing fine after surgery. I got to go home after one night and I am taking mostly tylenol for pain. Still getting used to this!

[MRSKOUBiK 27]

I considered my day of surgery day 1 post op. But, like mentioned aboved, it varies based on what you think!

I just assumed day of surgery is what counted because on the 20th of every month I'd be yet another month post op...

I think it's a good question!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

My Doc said the day after surgery is day one.

[wannabethinn 4]

I had surgery on Wednesday and I was told the day after surgery is Day 1 Post Op. Hope all of new sleevers are doing well. I am having some pain, but not much. I'm sleeping in the recliner so I don't have to climb the stairs. Also, I wanted to share an experience I had in the hospital to anyone who has not been sleeved. My surgery was at 7:30 a.m. and I felt pretty good when I got to my room. Most of the day was spent resting and walking some, but I had my morphine pump. I didn't think I had much gas as I was not burping or anything. Anyway.....about 10:00 p.m. I crawled back into bed after a short walk and decided to put the head of my hospital bed back as I had been sitting up all day. OH MY GOD - gas pains hit my chest and shoulders so bad that I could hardly push the button for the nurse. When she came in I was crying "put my bed up, put my bed up" like a maniac!! Needless to say, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT put your bed back to the horizontal position so soon after surgery. Other than that, I think I'm going be fine. That night I thought I was dying!!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

The gas pains that many complain about... are not from gas in the intestines, but from the gas that is used to inflate the abdomen during lap surgery so the docs can see what they are doing. When they finish up with surgery, the internal gas is released through the incisions, but a little may get left behind, and that can raise up in the abdominal cavity and cause some pain... often in the left shoulder. Walking is what is good to get this absorbed into the body. Some swear by a hot water bottle or heating pad for this too. The abdominal gas pains may last for a few weeks before going away. The other more common "gas" may be a problem too, this is what gas-x works well for....

[Goofyspice 1]

And yes....I distinctly recall saying to the PACU nurse.."*%#!*, I KNOW you have better drugs than this". (I

am truly embarrassed and sent her an apology.)

Thats Flippin Funny... !!!

I think its a great question!!! I would get so confused.

I always thought the day of surgery as day #1 but as you can tell by this thread that is not always the case. Thats why I like just stating when someone was sleeved... then you can do your own count

So including day of surgery I am 6days out

[Beadingnurse 116]

And yes....I distinctly recall saying to the PACU nurse.."*%#!*, I KNOW you have better drugs than this". (I

am truly embarrassed and sent her an apology.)

Thats Flippin Funny... !!!

I think its a great question!!! I would get so confused.

I always thought the day of surgery as day #1 but as you can tell by this thread that is not always the case. Thats why I like just stating when someone was sleeved... then you can do your own count

So including day of surgery I am 6days out

GoofySpice...my husband is a surgeon and he tells me stories occasionally (without names of course!) of how people behave when they have lighter anesthesia and are semi awake during procedures. Some of the most prim and proper old ladies in the world can get quite risque and bawdy...nothing like having a little chemical dis-inhibition!! Fortunately folks who work in those environments are professionals and never let the person know they did anything potentially embarrassing.

Thank goodness we have general anesthesia for the VSG so I only got to embarrass myself in the PACU instead of in front of the whole surgical team.