Posted 10/10/2010 7:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Ritch,
Glad to hear your surgical pain is subsiding. That's the very smallest part of your recovery, though. Your insides have been scrambled, and your upper GI tract has been revised. It's what you can't see that has the most healing to do.
From my calculations you're about a week into your recovery, or close to that. Remember that your wrap will continue to become progressively more swollen through week two, so don't be surprised if you get into more swallowing problems before it gets better.
Your lack of appetite is typical post surgery, as your stomach is swollen, and it interprets that swelling as fullness. Keep your food intake small...better to eat multiple times and a little each time.
You'll likely to get a variety of symptoms (throat/wrap) as your system recovers. Don't worry. Just be sure to eat carefully, get plenty of water into your system over the course of the day. If you have trouble swallowing as the swelling increases, follow food with a warm beverage...it will relax your esophagus and help things move.
Good luck going back to work. Be sure to take it very easy! Be good to yourself, and take care of your wrap/hernia repair. You don't want to go through all this just to mess it up by trying to be a hero and lifting something you shouldn't!
Keep in touch, and let us know how you're progressing.
Take care,
Denise