Any Seattle/Tacoma Sleevers with surgeries approaching?

[teacherjen 18]

Camber, I'm so sorry your first day has been rough!

I'm tired (moving slowly) and dry-mouthed, otherwise ok. Walking, peeing, no nausea. ( I credit the pricy Emend pill I took a few hours before surgery. Intended for chemo but my surgeon orders it for gastric surgery.). I'm not in pain, really, more a torso soreness that my brain interprets as... Hunger! Ironic, huh? I am ver, very hungry!

I'm on IV fluids but will be focusing today on drinking enough. It's hard, going sip by sip.

The worst part so far was the fasting the day before.

Also, who was your surgeon Seastar?

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[Seastars 175]

This afternoon - and Dr Judy Chen (very happy with her & her team).

[eliminnowp 113]

Congrats guys! Hope your recovery goes smoothly. Keep us posted if you can, even if you just need to vent

I finally got a date...Aug 11th at Overlake with Dr. Anirban Gupta. It's almost a month earlier than I was expecting!

I wasn't nervous before but now I'm worried about everything and questioning my decision.

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[kadie777 50]

Well guys, I'm seriously struggling with nausea and vomiting, so much so that I got stuck here overnight because I couldn't drink the dye contrast.

The nausea and gas are the worst. I'm just starting to feel the pain 15 hours out but to be fair I couldn't take one of my doses of pain med because of the nausea and being so tired and out of it.

Hopefully the next update will be from home.

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Feeling any better? Did you get through the CT and GI swallow tests?

[Seastars 175]

Hoping Camber checks in soon and is doing ok.

I am home, tired but enjoying my own couch. Sipping and napping. Still having that sort-of achy pain in stomach, not bad but my brain keeps translating as hunger. Weird.

Random observations from the first 24 hours:

1. Definitely take the Emend anti-nausea pill, an hour or two before surgery, if prescribed by your surgeon. I balked at the co-pay - $50 for one pill?! - but a new research study says it really cuts dehydration and nausea, on average cutting almost 7 hours from your hospital stay.

2. Set up your bed at home (with lots of pillows so you can sleep sitting up partially), Protein shakes in the fridge, nightlight, Water bottle etc, before you leave for the hospital. You won't want to be stooping and reaching post-op. Consider sleeping on your first floor if your bedroom is up a flight of stars.

3. In hospital, focus on getting sleep/rest rather than tons of Water yet. Your IV will be hydrating you. That dry mouth is from anesthesia, not dehydration.

4. Wear no-skid socks in hospital to prevent falling when you walk around. You'll be pulling along an IV stand and not steady yet.

5. Once you are home (even for the car going home), fill a clear water bottle and mark with a rubber band where you "should" have drunk down to, by four hours from now or whatever.

6. At home: focus on water more than Protein Shakes. You will get dehydrated faster than you will protein-deprived.

7. Don't let the cats jump onto your belly like I did. Ow, incisions!

Good luck, all!

[kadie777 50]

Hoping Camber checks in soon and is doing ok.

I am home, tired but enjoying my own couch. Sipping and napping. Still having that sort-of achy pain in stomach, not bad but my brain keeps translating as hunger. Weird.

Random observations from the first 24 hours:

1. Definitely take the Emend anti-nausea pill, an hour or two before surgery, if prescribed by your surgeon. I balked at the co-pay - $50 for one pill?! - but a new research study says it really cuts dehydration and nausea, on average cutting almost 7 hours from your hospital stay.

2. Set up your bed at home (with lots of pillows so you can sleep sitting up partially), Protein shakes in the fridge, nightlight, Water bottle etc, before you leave for the hospital. You won't want to be stooping and reaching post-op. Consider sleeping on your first floor if your bedroom is up a flight of stars.

3. In hospital, focus on getting sleep/rest rather than tons of Water yet. Your IV will be hydrating you. That dry mouth is from anesthesia, not dehydration.

4. Wear no-skid socks in hospital to prevent falling when you walk around. You'll be pulling along an IV stand and not steady yet.

5. Once you are home (even for the car going home), fill a clear water bottle and mark with a rubber band where you "should" have drunk down to, by four hours from now or whatever.

6. At home: focus on water more than Protein Shakes. You will get dehydrated faster than you will protein-deprived.

7. Don't let the cats jump onto your belly like I did. Ow, incisions!

Good luck, all!

Great advice! I wish I had been given the option of Emend! I totally agree with focusing on liquids versus Protein initially. sugar free Popsicles are lovely once the nausea goes down.

[Camber 30]

I'm home now! They had to give me three separate anti-nausea pills before I could keep down the contrast dye. I also had to get checked out for blood clots since my heart rate was high. None to be found! I was walking a lot because of gas pain so I wasn't too worried. I'm able to drink much better now and the main issue is just soreness. My nurses and medical team were awesome with me. It was hard but soon this will be a distant memory.

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[Seastars 175]

Yay, Camber! Truly glad to hear you've made it to the other side. It. Keeps getting better, I hear!

[kadie777 50]

I'm home now! They had to give me three separate anti-nausea pills before I could keep down the contrast dye. I also had to get checked out for blood clots since my heart rate was high. None to be found! I was walking a lot because of gas pain so I wasn't too worried. I'm able to drink much better now and the main issue is just soreness. My nurses and medical team were awesome with me. It was hard but soon this will be a distant memory.

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So glad to hear! It gets better each day!

[Camber 30]

Something I learned... if a liquid version of your med exist then get them before you have surgery. Grinding pills and drinking pill slurry is no fun.

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[Camber 30]

Anybody seeing Dr. Srikanth and attending the support meetings? @@kadie777?

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[teacherjen 18]

Seastar and camber, so glad you're home. Thank you both for all of the tips. How soon after surgery do you have your first post-op appt?

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[teacherjen 18]

Anybody seeing Dr. Srikanth and attending the support meetings? @@kadie777?

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Camber, how was your experience with Dr. Srikanth? I'm still deciding on St. Francis surgeons.

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[Camber 30]

@@Seastar My post-op is two weeks after the surgery.

I can't comment on Dr. Housework but so far I love Dr. Srikanth and his nurse, Kristen, and all of the staff at the office. He is very thorough which has been reassuring for me since I have a lot of anxiety. He puts you through a lot of tests and I always felt my safety was the highest priority. He is a better safe than sorry kind of guy. He is a funny man, too, and will tell jokes which also put me at ease. You can tell exactly when he is nearby in the hospital because you'll hear him laughing and joking with other patients or the nurses.

My surgery went very well, but I did have really bad nausea after. I felt well cared for and went home the next day when I could hold down my liquids. Both Dr. Srikanth and his nurse checked on me the next day.

I do recommend Dr. Srikanth based on my experience so far.

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[teacherjen 18]

Camber, great info, thanks! So glad you have had a great experience.

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