August Surgery buddies

[Onemealplan 91]

On 08/28/2024 at 12:08, draikaina8503 said:

Home from my post-op appointment.

I can start purees tomorrow, as well as my Vitamins. All of my staples are out and the incisions look great, but it does look like I started having contact dermatitis with the staples. But the doctor reassured me that it was not infection.

10 days ago I had surgery, and I have lost 26lbs. I can't remember the last time I was under 300lbs. I still feel like crying tears of joy. I was so worried that I was going to do something to screw myself up, even though I knew it was just anxiety. And this was the first real tangible thing for me.

Congratulations 🎊🎈🎉. Hopefully it’s heal just nicely. One day at a time. Not everyday will be the same just go with the flow. You got this!

[ShoppGirl 4,345]

5 hours ago, Justarwaxx said:

Don't be in a hurry and do it slowly and see how you feel day by day! I feel soft food is not far off pureed. Just less blending teehee. I wish we had in person meetings, that sounds nice and healthy!

I got some clarification on what to start with on soft foods. It’s basically anything that you can cut easily with the side of your fork but chewed really well of course. With the exception or broccoli and asparagus or celery. She said those tend to cause issues for some people so just don’t start with them.

The in person meeting was actually cool. He had a planned topic to present and asked if we had questions about that and then he opened it up to ask any questions we had about anything. They have different people cover it each month but last night was the surgeon so that was kinda cool.

[ShoppGirl 4,345]

9 hours ago, draikaina8503 said:

A thought that occurred to me -

I have several cans of various chili with Beans. Do you think I could puree those down and have them during the pureed stage? Or better to wait till soft foods?

I'll be asking at my appointment today, but I was just wondering what you all thought as well.

I would assume it’s fine. The only thing I would’ve questioned would be the shell on the Beans but my purée specifically says refried beans are okay so that’s just purée beans. So long as the spice doesn’t bother you it should be okay. Assuming the meat really does purée well with no chunks.

[ShoppGirl 4,345]

@draikaina8503 i really hope They underneath you for purée anyways. I have my fingers crossed for you. And I hope you get some answers and solutions about the blisters and the pain as well.

To me, cottage cheese has a kinda weird consistency and it’s sorta salty. Which is odd because I like salt and my friend who always thinks things are too salty loves the stuff. I am waiting for soft foods because I found a list of things to mix in with it to make it taste better but for purée you can mix it in with eggs. The recipe is 1/4 cup with two eggs. I tried it and of course that’s more than we should eat so I saved it for the next day. It did dry out a bit if your super sensitive I would just make one at a time and estimate an eight if a cup.

Thank you for reminding me about the ac. My husband said he was gonna call and ask them about the error code if we still needed a tech and he hasn’t mentioned anything. It’s still working but I need to make sure he didn’t forget to ask.

Thanks for the heads up about the allergy tests. Sounds like I can pretty much do the same thing at home for free and just call for an ambulance if I need one. I assume that’s what they do as well.

Take it easy with the Bending. I know the feeling of just wanting to do it yourself but I seen my NP today and asked what i can do in terms of housework. She said you have to be super careful engaging your abdominal muscles. She said I probably wouldn’t tear anything at this point but I could develop a hernia. And that’s another surgery with another recovery. Better to do a little while longer now then to have to start all over. Do you have one of them grabber things for picking stuff up? I got one at dollar tree that’s probably won’t last too long cause it’s plastic but it’s been fine for now. I had a metal one but I’m pretty sure it found its way to the garage and that’s the land of no return. They come in handy outside of surgery when something gets underneath things and is hard to reach too.

The sticky stuff comes off easily with alcohol and the NP said today baby oil too. And you will sleep less and less as time goes on. Your body is just living on so few calories right now it thinks it’s starving and wants to hibernate. In terms of the routine it sounds like yours will have to be more flexible but you will figure it out I’m sure once we make the exercise and stuff a habit it’s just a matter of changing times of day to keep it up if other things come up We can do this

Update. Glad to hear you get to start puree and that you do not have any infection. All of us seem to be making the little steps day by day towards getting back to our presurgery grove with our post surgery bodies. It’s so exciting!!

Edited August 28 by ShoppGirl

[draikaina8503 70]

3 hours ago, ShoppGirl said:

I got some clarification on what to start with on soft foods. It’s basically anything that you can cut easily with the side of your fork but chewed really well of course. With the exception or broccoli and asparagus or celery. She said those tend to cause issues for some people so just don’t start with them.

The in person meeting was actually cool. He had a planned topic to present and asked if we had questions about that and then he opened it up to ask any questions we had about anything. They have different people cover it each month but last night was the surgeon so that was kinda cool.

I wish we had an in person support group. We have a Facebook group for our team. But the only in person groups locally are for other hospitals, and they won't let you join unless you had your surgery with them.

[draikaina8503 70]

2 hours ago, ShoppGirl said:

I would assume it’s fine. The only thing I would’ve questioned would be the shell on the Beans but my purée specifically says refried Beans are okay so that’s just purée beans. So long as the spice doesn’t bother you it should be okay. Assuming the meat really does purée well with no chunks.

I did ask, and essentially I can have -any- beans so long as they are smashed up. So that's exciting for me as a bean lover. lol

[draikaina8503 70]

2 hours ago, ShoppGirl said:

@draikaina8503 i really hope They underneath you for purée anyways. I have my fingers crossed for you. And I hope you get some answers and solutions about the blisters and the pain as well.

To me, cottage cheese has a kinda weird consistency and it’s sorta salty. Which is odd because I like salt and my friend who always thinks things are too salty loves the stuff. I am waiting for soft foods because I found a list of things to mix in with it to make it taste better but for purée you can mix it in with eggs. The recipe is 1/4 cup with two eggs. I tried it and of course that’s more than we should eat so I saved it for the next day. It did dry out a bit if your super sensitive I would just make one at a time and estimate an eight if a cup.

Thank you for reminding me about the ac. My husband said he was gonna call and ask them about the error code if we still needed a tech and he hasn’t mentioned anything. It’s still working but I need to make sure he didn’t forget to ask.

Thanks for the heads up about the allergy tests. Sounds like I can pretty much do the same thing at home for free and just call for an ambulance if I need one. I assume that’s what they do as well.

Take it easy with the Bending. I know the feeling of just wanting to do it yourself but I seen my NP today and asked what i can do in terms of housework. She said you have to be super careful engaging your abdominal muscles. She said I probably wouldn’t tear anything at this point but I could develop a hernia. And that’s another surgery with another recovery. Better to do a little while longer now then to have to start all over. Do you have one of them grabber things for picking stuff up? I got one at dollar tree that’s probably won’t last too long cause it’s plastic but it’s been fine for now. I had a metal one but I’m pretty sure it found its way to the garage and that’s the land of no return. They come in handy outside of surgery when something gets underneath things and is hard to reach too.

The sticky stuff comes off easily with alcohol and the NP said today baby oil too. And you will sleep less and less as time goes on. Your body is just living on so few calories right now it thinks it’s starving and wants to hibernate. In terms of the routine it sounds like yours will have to be more flexible but you will figure it out I’m sure once we make the exercise and stuff a habit it’s just a matter of changing times of day to keep it up if other things come up We can do this

Update. Glad to hear you get to start puree and that you do not have any infection. All of us seem to be making the little steps day by day towards getting back to our presurgery grove with our post surgery bodies. It’s so exciting!!

I did tell my husband that doing laundry today was too much bending. So he knows that if laundry is getting done again in the next few weeks, it's on him to load and unload. I can pour in the detergent and get it going, but I just can't bend over to move the clothes around.

I've been using alcohol swabs to try to get the sticky stuff off, but some of it is absolutely being hardheaded and wanting to stick around. Oh well, it comes off a little bit at a time lol.

The grabber thing is a great idea. I hadn't thought about that.

For the allergy tests, they do keep medicine in the office to reverse reactions. So if you want to play it risky at home, just make sure that there is someone with you in case you go into anaphylaxis. In office, ambulances are only called when even an Epi Pen doesn't cut it.

[ShoppGirl 4,345]

So at one point when I was in the hospital someome said I had nine incisions including the drain but if i did it was tiny and healed before I left cause I left with 7 steri strips and a band aid where the drain was. Anyways, out of 7, only two had fallen off. The NP commented on the fact that it was unusual today and said if any start to lift I could take tjem off. Well after my shower one was lifted a little so I carefully took it off and I do not reccomend it unless they are pretty loose (looser than mine was). It pulled and it hurts quite a bit. Of course ask your team if they suggested differently but from the patient perspective it doesn’t feel very good.

[Onemealplan 91]

08/28/2024 08:20 PM, draikaina8503 said:

I did tell my husband that doing laundry today was too much bending. So he knows that if laundry is getting done again in the next few weeks, it's on him to load and unload. I can pour in the detergent and get it going, but I just can't bend over to move the clothes around.

I've been using alcohol swabs to try to get the sticky stuff off, but some of it is absolutely being hardheaded and wanting to stick around. Oh well, it comes off a little bit at a time lol.

The grabber thing is a great idea. I hadn't thought about that.

For the allergy tests, they do keep medicine in the office to reverse reactions. So if you want to play it risky at home, just make sure that there is someone with you in case you go into anaphylaxis. In office, ambulances are only called when even an Epi Pen doesn't cut it.

I use baby oil with a cotton ball. Works like a charm to remove anything sticky left over from the Band-Aid. 

[Onemealplan 91]

[ShoppGirl 4,345]

Has anyome asked if corn is okay on soft foods. I know that my book said specifically no corn or peas on purées. I am curious because I was adding the spicy bean veggie burgers to my cart from Morningstar Farms for my soft phase which starts Monday but if I’m pretty sure they have some corn in them.

[draikaina8503 70]

16 hours ago, ShoppGirl said:

Has anyome asked if corn is okay on soft foods. I know that my book said specifically no corn or peas on purées. I am curious because I was adding the spicy bean veggie burgers to my cart from Morningstar Farms for my soft phase which starts Monday but if I’m pretty sure they have some corn in them.

I'm honestly not sure. pureed stage is stage 3 for me, but I'm not allowed anything with firm shells until stage 5. Stage 5 is also when I can get canned fruits and things like that too.

9 incisions sounds like a lot, but I know you had a different surgery than I did. I had 5 incisions plus an additional one for the drain. 19 staples. They took the staples out yesterday and then put steristrips on then. But by the end of the day, the steristrips were gone. I don't know if it's just how they were placed or what, but they did not stay long at all.

I just ate my first meal of scrambled egg whites. Here's hoping!

[ShoppGirl 4,345]

50 minutes ago, draikaina8503 said:

I'm honestly not sure. pureed stage is stage 3 for me, but I'm not allowed anything with firm shells until stage 5. Stage 5 is also when I can get canned fruits and things like that too.

9 incisions sounds like a lot, but I know you had a different surgery than I did. I had 5 incisions plus an additional one for the drain. 19 staples. They took the staples out yesterday and then put steristrips on then. But by the end of the day, the steristrips were gone. I don't know if it's just how they were placed or what, but they did not stay long at all.

I just ate my first meal of scrambled egg whites. Here's hoping!

My surgery was robotic and they took my gallbladder unexpectedly too. I’m guessing one of them things means more incisions?

I think if you have any oil on your skin they don’t stick so it would make sense that fresh out of surgery I was squeaky clean and they would stick longer than at a follow up appointment but also it has to do with if it’s an area that has to bend. My top ones came off but the lower ones all stayed.

oh yea. I remember them first scrambled eggs. Best eggs of my life. lol. The mug warmer really helps for that to keep them warm throughout but I found it was only really good for that. I tried it with the refried Beans and it didn’t keep them as warm.

[ShoppGirl 4,345]

So I got another Steri strip off and my belly button looks funny now. My husband said he’s guessing it’s caused by some swelling I still have which is also why he thinks one of my incisions looks sort of dented in. I certainly hope so. I mean the scars I can deal with (although the belly button one is pretty thick unfortunately). I don’t plan to be wearing any bikinis anytime soon anyways but the weird belly button I don’t think I can get past.

Went to my crochet/ knit group today and it was even easier than last week. I felt up to stopping by the fresh market after to just scope it out. I really thought I remembered it having more lower calorie/ low fat stuff. I mean they do have a much better variety or produce and seafood which is good and they have some convenience foods that are healthy-ish (like they have steamer bags of cut veggies that look delicious but they have butter or another sauce in them) things that look like they will be awesome for maintenance but maybe not quite yet. They do have like fresh prepared stuff that’s relatively healthy and would be a really good alternative to take out like salmon and veggie meals that are already prepared and Turkey meatballs as well as a Turkey meatloaf . The ingredients in the meatballs aren’t too bad (it prints on the sticker but she printed one for me to read ahead). It doesn’t have nutrition info though. I just really thought they had more fat free in like cheeses and all that. They do have lots of cheeses and dressings and all that just not a lot of low fat or fat free.

Anyways, last week I just did the crochet group and came home and crashed because it zapped my energy. Today I did the store too and I’m not feeling exhausted.it really has gotten better day by day for me. Hopefully at this point I can just stay up and get back on track a little with my sleep schedule. That afternoon nap has been making me stay up later and later and then I want to sleep in.

I am not sure if I mentioned but I ordered some Walking shoes. I am going to try to walk around the neighborhood and see if I can handle the heat as well as the activity. I think I’m going to start in the evenings since I haven’t been getting up early but hope to eventually switch it to mornings to get it done for the day.

Pretty excited still for Monday. Not sure what I’m going to have with my snow crabs yet. I would normally have a potato or rice. Maybe some grilled squash with onions. Those are pretty soft.

[Greekmom4 31]

@ShoppGirl my biggest incision is kind of dented in also. My surgeon said it will flatten out. It is also where they removed my stomach.

Steristrips: I did not have them, or staples. My incisions all have stitches and a strange purple glue covering them. It is slowly wearing off.

Food: We had a vegetarian potluck at work today and I did have a small teaspoon of ranch dip, one bite of a very spicy hummus, and a bite of a veggie meatball. I knew I could tolerate the food and did not want to punish myself by not having anything.
Today I am 3 weeks and 2 days post-op and wore jeans for the first time. Not the brightest idea but I survived the day. LoL going to change as soon as I get home.
I have lost 16 pounds since my surgery day. I am a slower loser and have had a couple of 3 day stalls. I like to weigh daily to see if a certain food or activity affects my weight loss. It also keeps me accountable. I know this may not be good for all people.
I can’t wait for my 6 week checkup so I can be cleared to go to the gym.
We have a large department move at work coming up in a couple of weeks and know that may pose some problems with my weight restrictions.

Hope everyone is doing well and it seems like we are progressing along from all the posts. Keep up the good work. We’ve got this!