Post Surgery necessities!

[alisadiane 18]

Hey everyone! My surgery date is July 25th and I am pretty much an obsessive neurotic planner/organizer. I have been trolling the boards to find a thread to help me make sure I have the items I will want/need for post surgery recovery. My doctor has really only offered me dietary restrictions and guidelines, but I can imagine there are best practices with things that were life savers for the healing process. What sort of things did you have during the first few days that you were SO glad you had? What were the items you wished you had? Any and all insight would be great!

[Ariellestarr 53]

Gas X extra strength chewables! I took one as soon as I got home. Also, heating pad, ice packs or bags of frozen peas, and lip balm! If the hospital has a delivery service for your post op meds, get them! My hospital did it through Walgreens. Best idea ever. The last thing you'll want to do on your way home is wait at a pharmacy. I'm five days post op and still can't lay in bed. If you have a recliner chair, i suggest to get it ready. Clear Protein drinks help. I get the bottles of Isopure at GNC. I had to drink out of medicine cups also, so if the hospital doesn't supply you with those, get them. Other essentials like Soups, ice pops, Jello, and all that jazz. Yogurt is good to get too if you only have a few days of Clear liquids like I did. I was glad I had it because I did not feel like going anywhere! What I wish I got is the unflavored Protein powder. It's good to mix into almost any food. That would have helped me get my daily Protein in.

Hope this helps! If I think of anything else I will let you know. Good luck!

Edited July 5, 2014 by Ariellestarr

[alisadiane 18]

@@Ariellestarr Thanks for the input!! My boyfriend and I live together so I'm sure he or my dad will fill my prescriptions for me..I definitely don't want to sit in a pharmacy right after surgery! I have heard a lot about sleeping in a recliner, and unfortunately I don't have one but I've been looking into something I can use in bed to help sleep more upright..or my parents have a recliner and I could stay with them, but there's nothing more comforting than your own home, so I'm hoping I can make it work..I also sleep on my left side, which is where my port will be, so I'm sure there will be all sorts of challenges with sleeping that will come up.

[Ariellestarr 53]

You can try getting one of those pregnancy body pillows. I heard those help and they look comfy as hell anyway! That will give your body a lot of support. My port is right above my belly button. I have five incisions. I'm use to sleeping on my side and on my stomach. So a week of sleeping on my back has been strange, but I've been ok with it because that's the only way I can sleep. Everyone is different, so hopefully you don't have the same issues I have!

[BandedBrunette481 310]

Hey everyone! My surgery date is July 25th and I am pretty much an obsessive neurotic planner/organizer. I have been trolling the boards to find a thread to help me make sure I have the items I will want/need for post surgery recovery. My doctor has really only offered me dietary restrictions and guidelines, but I can imagine there are best practices with things that were life savers for the healing process. What sort of things did you have during the first few days that you were SO glad you had? What were the items you wished you had? Any and all insight would be great!

Congrats on your upcoming surgery date!! I too am a planner so I understand your desire to be prepared!

I was glad to have my recliner, my pain meds, a place to pace around, a heating pad, tea, and comfy clothes. You mentioned that you don't have a recliner, but I think sitting propped up in bed will be a good alternative. It's really just the getting in and out of bed that's going to be the tricky part. Your abs are going to be SO sore. You will be surprised how many movements you do on a daily basis involve your abdominal muscles when you get home after surgery and can really feel them haha. This is where the heating pad comes in handy though! It helps with the pain and was my lifesaver. I kept my medicine, the heating pad, and a Water bottle right next to my recliner all the time so I didn't have to reach far for them.

When you get home you're probably going to sleep a lot, but when you aren't sleeping, and when that gas pain kicks in, you're going to want to walk around. I had my surgery in the winter, so I had to pace around inside. I would be up at all hours just doing laps around the living room! The walking helps get all your insides moving and it really does help get rid of the gas pain, I swear. You'll notice the longer you sit, the more uncomfortable you feel. So before you go in for surgery find a place to do your walking, whether it's outside or a path you can walk inside your house. You'll be grateful.

I also mentioned tea as one thing I was glad I had because that's what I drank the most of post-op. Warm liquids are great for easing the post-op pain and that was my warm liquid of choice (that was also on my surgeon's approved list). I bought Decaf and herbal teas because I was told no caffeine after surgery. You probably won't feel up to grocery shopping for at least the first week so make sure you have whatever foods/liquids are in your surgeon's post op diet requirements on hand!

Best of luck to you!

[fhawkins12 16]

I had surgery yesterday and so far I have been able to sleep on my bed . I have to lay on my right side which is the most comfortable. You definitely need to get Gas x. It helps. I have not tried heating pad @ do you just lay the heating pad on top of your belly? Does this help with the

Pain also.

[NolansNana 210]

I put an ice pack on my belly and used the heat pad for the pain in my shoulder. After 3 days I alternated heat and ice on my belly.

[Ariellestarr 53]

I also alternated the ice pack and heating pad. The ice pack feels better in the first week when you're still swollen. The heating pad helps with the gas pains and relaxing your muscles.

[alisadiane 18]

Thanks for all the insight, girls!! I'm getting my checklist all prepared and of course being overly neurotic about everything! Thank God my boyfriend loves me..I know I'm driving him insane with my anxiety and lists and planning...Good to know about the ice packs and heating pad. I actually have both of those already.

@@fhawkins12 congrats on your surgery!! I'm so glad it went well!

[The Icy One 518]

Don't forget stool softener. If you use narcotic pain killers, you will probably need them. Something that you can mix into Water is good. Colace makes a powder that you can stir into Water. It is clear and you can't really taste it.

If you want a recliner for your recovery, you can rent one for a couple of weeks or a month. If you decide to obtain a recliner for your recovery, get one that has an electric leg/foot rest that is operated with a push button. You don't want to be stressing your abdominal muscles trying to get your feet up and down.

Don't forget to stock up on rubbing alcohol, gauze 4X4 pads, skin friendly tape for incision care. You need to change your bandages twice a day until your sutures/staples come out. DO NOT use the big, waterproof bandages. They will totally rip your skin to shreds. (Ask me how I know. ) And be sure to change where you put your tape, from time to time to make it easier on your skin. It is perfectly okay to shower with your incisions uncovered, anyway. Just be gentle when washing and patting them dry.

Good luck with your surgery.

[betchaican 14]

I was on a bunch of pain linkers cause I also had a hiatal hernia taken care of too when I had my Band put in so I couldn't push when I had to go to the bathroom (so I didn't) and there for I got really constipated to the point that suppositories weren't even working so I had this little bottle with like a sports cap on the end of it and filled it with hot Water to use when I was on the toilet to help with discomfort it suuucked! But def incorporate some Metamucil into ur Clear Liquids, and also I was in discomfort for about a week and a half in the belly area I used a heating pad and ice packs alternating and my hubby made me laugh and it hurt to laugh so much lol I used a wrap around back brace to like "hold me in" ad he helped tremendously!!!! Even for small stuff like bending over HUUGGGEE life savor for me!! And either silky pjs or sheets on the bed or both even, helped me turn from one side to another! But the back brace was great cause your guts are litterally all touched and moved around and everything has to have time heal and get back into place and stuff when I wore it for a while the took it off it literally felt like EVERYTHIG was all over the place it was nice to put it back on not too too tight though just enough to where it feels comfortable! Good luck honey girl you'll do great!!

[NolansNana 210]

Yeah I was the same way

I take pain meds for back pain everyday. I used myralax for 3 days,finally I took one women's laxative. Worked the next day.

[alisadiane 18]

@@betchaican I also found out I had a hiatal hernia and they will be repairing it at the same time as surgery. Is there any additional pain or restrictions during healing from adding this onto my surgery? I am only taking 4-5 days off work and really hoping it won't be that bad after surgery..but now I've got this additional procedure and just wondering if it adds any to the recovery time.

[NolansNana 210]

I had to have a hernia repair also. It took a week for me and I have a high pain tolerance. Everyone is different but you have to remember you are having major surgery so you have to accept that and giveyourself permission to be selfish awhile. It takes time to heal

Best of luck to you.

[betchaican 14]

With the hiatal hernia repair, it was much more painful n sore for me cause I know other people who just got the band done and were in obviously much less pain then I was I think I was feeling much better around day 10 I was very discouraged and miserable thinking why did I ever do this bla bla bla but that was just my brain telling me jesus why would you ever do this to your body?! I went back to the doc and he sad you to remember you just had MAJOR surgery and almost all of your organs were poked around and moved and as with any healing process it will take time and by this time next yr you'll be coming back in here saying " YOU WERE RIGHT DOC " but I'm telling you once I healed nicely and a few months passed by and people kept seeing me and I wanna say just from pre liquid diet for the week before surgery and the 2 weeks after surgery I dropped 25 lbs like that!!!!!!! I got lap band in September 16 2013 and I am 80 lbs lighter!! If for any reason they told me my band failed ( I'm just saying, figuratively speaking not saying it would or will ) I would re do the surgery in a heartbeat over and over!! If you LISTEN to your doc and do everything your suppose to everything works out exactly the way it should and again with the hiatal hernia it will be more painful and sore then just having the lap band surgery it's self and remember a hiatal hernia is your stomach starting to come up through your esophagus because the stomach is so big it's pushing right up against your esophagus and has no where to go but up so they pull it back down where it's suppose to be and put a few stitches in to make sure it Dosent go back up. Which now I can recall not being able to drink a wine cooler or a carbonated beverage like a mikes hard lemonade and always having that feeling that terrible pain ie: acid reflux, indigestion. Ever burp and taste that pukey taste? That's partly from the hernia. Now though, having the hernia fixed no more pukey burps no

More pain in chest area of acid reflux or indigestion I can drink a mikes lemonade no problem now ( which I am NOT a big drinker) but it's nice to be able to go to a party and have a drink like any other normal adult and not hve the feeling I wanna go unbutton my jeans and curl up into my bed with my arms across my stomach right underneath my boobs and wine like a little baby case it burns lol!!

This lap band system is the best thing I could have ever ever done! It's well worth the little bit of pain ull have after surgery ! Cause you'll be looking and feeling so good about yourself so soon its gunna be like a new you!!! Like I said I'd do it 100 times over again!! hey if u wanna email or text or pen pal let me know!! Ur gunna do great!! Xoxo