August Surgery buddies

[CrazyDog&CatLady 23]

I'm getting revision surgery on August 26th. Next Monday. I'm nervous, excited, exhausted, SUPER anxious (anxiety disorders and major changes don't tend to work too well together 😂), and a little terrified. I was sleeved in March of 2015 but I literally blocked out everything that happened to me pre-and-post-op. Not kidding. I reached out to my ex last week, he was with me at that time, and I was like "was I this crazy-anxious before?" and is one word answer was "yup". 😂😂

Anyway - good luck to all of the August surgery-buddies - you got this!!! 💖

[draikaina8503 71]

2 hours ago, CrazyDog&CatLady said:

I'm getting revision surgery on August 26th. Next Monday. I'm nervous, excited, exhausted, SUPER anxious (anxiety disorders and major changes don't tend to work too well together 😂), and a little terrified. I was sleeved in March of 2015 but I literally blocked out everything that happened to me pre-and-post-op. Not kidding. I reached out to my ex last week, he was with me at that time, and I was like "was I this crazy-anxious before?" and is one word answer was "yup". 😂😂

Anyway - good luck to all of the August surgery-buddies - you got this!!! 💖

I had all those emotions too for my RYGB. Now we are into the post-op stage of me practically going overboard to make sure I follow the diet exactly and remembering to take all my meds. It did not help that I had a major change in medicines and had just picked up several bottles of things that were just discontinued. (My brain: Look at all that wasted money...)

But we got this and it will all be worth it!

For everyone on stage 2 of the liquid diet (what my doc calls stage 2, essentially the non-clear liquids and such being added back in), all my instructions say about yogurt is that it has to be thinned. How much Water are you all adding to 'thin' it?

[ShoppGirl 4,789]

6 hours ago, CrazyDog&CatLady said:

I'm getting revision surgery on August 26th. Next Monday. I'm nervous, excited, exhausted, SUPER anxious (anxiety disorders and major changes don't tend to work too well together 😂), and a little terrified. I was sleeved in March of 2015 but I literally blocked out everything that happened to me pre-and-post-op. Not kidding. I reached out to my ex last week, he was with me at that time, and I was like "was I this crazy-anxious before?" and is one word answer was "yup". 😂😂

Anyway - good luck to all of the August surgery-buddies - you got this!!! 💖

I have an anxiety disorder on top of Bipolar and ADHD and I managed it. Just have to pull out ALL of your coping skills. For me that means to do anything and everything in my power to control what I can control and also to be mindful when it’s extra bad which for me is crocheting and of course take meds if all else fails. I also have to be very up front with my team about my anxiety for any medical thing. I explain that I can be reasoned with. I just need a little more patience and I can get through it. But I do have a ton of questions and once I lose faith in someone forget it. I need someone else to tell me the exact same thing so I can believe it. I wish I could remember the name of the comedian that talks about anxiety and said that sometimes she just needs someone in a white coat to tell her she is being stupid. Don’t know about you but that pretty much sums it up for me. 🤣 Honetly, just prepare as much as you can until you reach the point that you have controlled all that you can. Then when you show up the hosptial remember that your team does this every single day and let them take the wheel. You will be fine. ❤️

Edited August 19 by ShoppGirl

[ShoppGirl 4,789]

So I went to my post op appt at my family practice dr. I asked about my gallbladder and she agreed that it’s really not that life altering. It’s just going to be a balance with my SADI making me malabsorb fat. I need to consume enough for my body to still function without taking in too much because I don’t have a gall bladder.

Next up was my lack of bowel movement. I finally had one day 7 then again the morning of day 8 and 9. All in the morning and all pretty regular except very loose. Then days 10 and 11 so far nothing. Today I feel like I need to go but can’t. She said to increase the stool softeners back to two a day and take milk of magnesia tonight if I still haven’t gone.

The nurse showed me how to do my B-12 shot and guess what guys I did it!! She said the needle the pharmacy gave me was bigger than I needed and gave me a smaller one to use and to take with me so I could get more. She showed me how to get it into the needle but had me do the shot itself. I think I want someone to watch me just one more time to make sure I got it but i think I got it. It did it hurt at all. Didn’t even feel it honestly. And once my hands stopped shaking it was really easy to do. I took the needle back to my pharmacy and showed them and they do Jace them and they sell them so I went ahead and got 12 so if it continues to be a monthly thing I’m good for a year.

i will add that I am home now and using the mug warmer for my scrambled eggs I am eating them out of a mug because I do not have a flare with a bottom smaller than the 4” for it to sit flush but it’s working. The eggs are not piping hot but they are staying warm.

@draikaina8503 i would probably add fat free milk instead of Water thinking it would taste a little better. I assume at that stage You just need it to run off the spoon like liquid. Similar to your Protein Shake.

Edited August 19 by ShoppGirl

[Pepper_No_Salt 49]

Every day gets a little better. My whole day revolves around trying to hit my fluid/protein goals. I keep getting closer. I’m up to tolerating 2oz of Fluid every 15 minutes. I can’t wait until I’m on full fluids after my post op on Thursday. My first stop is going to be at the store to get soups!

[ShoppGirl 4,789]

1 minute ago, Pepper_No_Salt said:

Every day gets a little better. My whole day revolves around trying to hit my fluid/protein goals. I keep getting closer. I’m up to tolerating 2oz of Fluid every 15 minutes. I can’t wait until I’m on full fluids after my post op on Thursday. My first stop is going to be at the store to get soups!

Yea meeting those goals does feel like a full time job and just as it gets a little easier you have to add in the Vitamins and supplements then once you get that you are up to purées so that’s like 4.5 hours out of the day you can’t be drinking (1.5 hours per meal including the 30 min before and after) which makes the Fluid goal a challenge again. I hadthe sleeve years ago and promise it does eventually get to be normal routine and not a big deal. This time I'm working a bit too now that I’m to the purée stage.

[ShoppGirl 4,789]

6 minutes ago, Pepper_No_Salt said:

Every day gets a little better. My whole day revolves around trying to hit my fluid/protein goals. I keep getting closer. I’m up to tolerating 2oz of Fluid every 15 minutes. I can’t wait until I’m on full fluids after my post op on Thursday. My first stop is going to be at the store to get soups!

If you like any that are low calorie, you can get a favorite Soup from a restaurant too and just strain out the good bits. It does leave behind a more flavorful broth. I was supposed to stick to low fat and fat free which limited that and with the gallbladder removal it was pretty important but I know that some plans are a little less restrictive.

[ShoppGirl 4,789]

That milk of magnesia is a miracle worker. I started with the lower dose even and it wasn’t two maybe three hours later and I’m good to go. I’ve not really ever dealt with Constipation if you can’t tell. 😆

[ShoppGirl 4,789]

Has anyone else tried the GENEPRO clear Protein Powder? I have some and I added jr to pudding and it wasn’t bad but I’m wondering about adding it to hot stuff. Wondering how it heats and how much I can add before it changes the texture.

[ShoppGirl 4,789]

Just seen a recipe for later on Instagram. Says add PB2 to applesauce and form into balls. Refrigerate that then dip them in melted chocolate for reeces pieces Protein balls. I wonder if you can do it with Sugar Free Chocolate.

Edited August 20 by ShoppGirl

[draikaina8503 71]

So, I know they said that I can shower with the staples in, just no scrubbing the area. Instead I'm supposed to just let the Water and soap run over the incision sites on their own. But I am so nervous about it that I bought baby wipes to do my 'cleaning' until I've healed up more. Or at least until the morning of my first post-op. I know they know what they are doing, but with my diabetes actually getting worse somehow on a liquid diet I am now terrified of screwing up my healing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@ShoppGirl Ooooh, that recipe sounds amazing if we can do that for ourselves. I'm adding it to the list of things to ask when I go for my first post-op appointment. (I know it won't be for a while, but I think it's good to go ahead and stock up on recipes early to avoid boredom. Though my husband's coworker who had the exact same procedure I did said you don't ever enjoy food again and he eats the same thing every day because it's only an eat to live thing.)

No clue about that Protein Powder. I have been considering getting some unflavored powder of some kind to add to meals and such going forward to help with the Protein goal. But I will admit that I also really haven't thought that far in advance lol.

Today was my first day of milk of magnesia, and yeah... I went. I didn't even feel constipated. But you said when talking to your doctor that going on day 7, 8 and 9 were normal. So now I'm wondering if I went too quickly? Since surgery was literally Friday and it's Monday now. I don't know but I do feel better after going, so I guess that's another thing that is going to be individualized.

Thank you for the milk idea. I did not add soy milk to my grocery order today, but that makes sense. Maybe I can convince hubby to go out in the morning and get some to make my life easier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@Pepper_No_Salt Glad to hear every day gets better! I've been stuck in awake for a couple of hours, sleep for four hours mode. So I'm still working towards hitting my goals. I hate it because I feel like I'm falling behind, but I'm not feeling dehydrated so I guess that whole "body is healing" thing is working in my favor.

[ShoppGirl 4,789]

43 minutes ago, draikaina8503 said:

So, I know they said that I can shower with the staples in, just no scrubbing the area. Instead I'm supposed to just let the Water and soap run over the incision sites on their own. But I am so nervous about it that I bought baby wipes to do my 'cleaning' until I've healed up more. Or at least until the morning of my first post-op. I know they know what they are doing, but with my diabetes actually getting worse somehow on a liquid diet I am now terrified of screwing up my healing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@ShoppGirl Ooooh, that recipe sounds amazing if we can do that for ourselves. I'm adding it to the list of things to ask when I go for my first post-op appointment. (I know it won't be for a while, but I think it's good to go ahead and stock up on recipes early to avoid boredom. Though my husband's coworker who had the exact same procedure I did said you don't ever enjoy food again and he eats the same thing every day because it's only an eat to live thing.)

No clue about that Protein Powder. I have been considering getting some unflavored powder of some kind to add to meals and such going forward to help with the Protein goal. But I will admit that I also really haven't thought that far in advance lol.

Today was my first day of milk of magnesia, and yeah... I went. I didn't even feel constipated. But you said when talking to your doctor that going on day 7, 8 and 9 were normal. So now I'm wondering if I went too quickly? Since surgery was literally Friday and it's Monday now. I don't know but I do feel better after going, so I guess that's another thing that is going to be individualized.

Thank you for the milk idea. I did not add soy milk to my grocery order today, but that makes sense. Maybe I can convince hubby to go out in the morning and get some to make my life easier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@Pepper_No_Salt Glad to hear every day gets better! I've been stuck in awake for a couple of hours, sleep for four hours mode. So I'm still working towards hitting my goals. I hate it because I feel like I'm falling behind, but I'm not feeling dehydrated so I guess that whole "body is healing" thing is working in my favor.

I pretty much did the same thing with the showering. I was just around the house in the as and I only had four days between so I showered before i left the hosptial. Mostly in case I had any issues infigired they could address it before I left but also so they could get the binder back on me cause they did it nice and tight and it really helped. Then I showered the night before my appointment. In retrospect I would’ve done thet the morning of because my bandage that was covering the drain hole came off and now I know it was dried blood that got wet in shower and it only looked like it was bleeding but that scared me a lot. I thought that it was gonna get infected for sure. (See- anxiety. 😬). Anyways the NP loolee at it and cleaned it then next day just to satisfy my anxiety and I’m still Alive.

I wouldn’t worry that you went to the bathroom sooner. That’s actually really good. I thing. I think my system just took a little longer to get started moving again which is why it took me till day 5 to pass gas and why I was still in so much pain and stuck there for two extra nights. I’m guessing some of that had to do with the fact that I was on heavy pain meds.

[draikaina8503 71]

1 hour ago, ShoppGirl said:

I pretty much did the same thing with the showering. I was just around the house in the as and I only had four days between so I showered before i left the hosptial. Mostly in case I had any issues infigired they could address it before I left but also so they could get the binder back on me cause they did it nice and tight and it really helped. Then I showered the night before my appointment. In retrospect I would’ve done thet the morning of because my bandage that was covering the drain hole came off and now I know it was dried blood that got wet in shower and it only looked like it was bleeding but that scared me a lot. I thought that it was gonna get infected for sure. (See- anxiety. 😬). Anyways the NP loolee at it and cleaned it then next day just to satisfy my anxiety and I’m still Alive.

I wouldn’t worry that you went to the bathroom sooner. That’s actually really good. I thing. I think my system just took a little longer to get started moving again which is why it took me till day 5 to pass gas and why I was still in so much pain and stuck there for two extra nights. I’m guessing some of that had to do with the fact that I was on heavy pain meds.

I wish I had been given a binder. I think it would have helped a lot. But they did give me a pillow for me to use (and to let the medical staff sign lol). I use the pillow a lot. But whenever I cough or hiccup, I don't think that pillow is strong enough to help me in those times.

Right now my worst pain is where the drain was placed, which is also next to the biggest incision I have that was stapled. The drain came out before I left the hospital, but ugh, it's so tender.

[ShoppGirl 4,789]

16 minutes ago, draikaina8503 said:

I wish I had been given a binder. I think it would have helped a lot. But they did give me a pillow for me to use (and to let the medical staff sign lol). I use the pillow a lot. But whenever I cough or hiccup, I don't think that pillow is strong enough to help me in those times.

Right now my worst pain is where the drain was placed, which is also next to the biggest incision I have that was stapled. The drain came out before I left the hospital, but ugh, it's so tender.

I am 12 days out and my incisions are still tender if I touch them. I honestly think it just takes a while. I don’t remember it being this way after my sleeve but maybe it was. Maybe give your surgeon a call and see if a binder is okay. They sell them ion Amazon. I wonder if the fact that you got staples has anything to do with it. I didn’t have staples. I have sutures and steri strips.

Edited August 20 by ShoppGirl

[draikaina8503 71]

4 hours ago, ShoppGirl said:

I wonder if the fact that you got staples has anything to do with it. I didn’t have staples. I have sutures and steri strips.

I didn't' think about that, but I'm willing to bet that's the reason. Because staples aren't flush against the skin.