How Are You One Week Post-Opers

[tmorgan813 13]

I am 10 days out today and I am doing really well. I have been able to get my Protein and liquids in the past three days. I have never had any really bad pain (after the first two days in the hospital)....to me it felt like bad menstrual cramps. I am finding that I have to remind myself that eating 2-3oz of food will take me 30-60 minutes. It's such a HUGE change from the way I used to eat. The feeling of the food "dropping straight down to your stomach" seems to get better every day. I walk all the time and I feel that has helped me with all the gas and the pain. It really helps to walk after you eat as it seems to get things moving and not just sitting in your tummy. It really is neat how much better you feel every day. I remember my first day (right after surgery), thinking "why did I do this? The pain is HORRIBLE!!!" And now, I have no regrets and the pain is more or less gone. I was even able to sleep on my stomach last night!!!!

[tmorgan813 13]

I am 9 days post opp, and my NUT n Dr. Have me eating soft foods Protein rich like an egg, yogurt,soup, tuna. Does this seem odd

My doctor has me doing the same thing. She just wants me to "loosen it up" if I can't handle it. I've been lucky and I can get things like that down with little issue. If you are having issues with what she has you eating, call and ask for other options. Good luck.

[CrazyCatLady 130]

Tomorrow I will be a full week post-op. As a wound care nurse, I was overly pleased that my wounds are pretty much totally healed - yay! Still a little soreness at the lap keyhole where my penrose drain was, but nothing too bad.

In many ways, my recovery has gone beautifully. I was able to lean over and pick things off the floor at 4 days post op, can walk pretty well (though I'm slow), drove home 5 hours on 3rd post-op day.

On the other hand....my sleeve is a tempermental tyrant (we call him Cthulu Jr.). He won't tolerate plain Water in any form - tepid, warm, cold - I get terrible cramping and bubbles, often resulting in that gut-wrenching kind of gas. My sense of smell has become hypersensitive - on the drive home, my husband opened a bag of Doritos in the car and it felt like my stomach was going to come up through my nose. It's been the only time I had really terrible nausea. My doc has me on clears until 10 days post op, and I've yet to make my Fluid goal of 60 oz a day yet - I'm lucky to hit 30oz. Even watered down, anything with sugar gives me terrible cramping diarrhea - apple juice, white grape juice, clear VitaminWater. I have attempted liquid Protein twice (once with Isopuke, once with Nectar), both times with extreme discomfort. I had 3 sips over 30 minutes, and then it sat in my abdomen like a lead weight for nearly 2 hours. Chest felt tight and I generally felt unwell. WTF?

This has been such a change for me. In the past, I was the master of my stomach....even if it said "I'm full!", I would just shove more food into it! Now, I am at the mercy of this tiny abdominal tyrant who gurgles and churns constantly. It's like when my daughter was an infant, before I figured out what her different cries meant and they all sounded the same....is it hungry? Is it full? is it angry?? I can't tell!

The worst is those gurgles that I have learned to identify as "Oh my God, find a bathroom...high-speed liquids coming through!". Ugh! It starts bubbling at my low abdomen and progresses in one long, writhing motion up to my esophagus...and I've got about 90 seconds to find a toilet. Sorry, probably TMI.

I thought I was prepared for post-op - heck, I've taught bariatric classes! But I feel like a n00b.

~Asche, The Crazy Cat Lady