ZhyKitty ~ Post Op Recovery ~ Welcome back !

I have faint pinkish-purple scars from my surgery. I'm hoping it will fade faster.

The swelling has been going on since the surgery it's just getting noticed now. It will get worse by week 2, then start shrinking.

Hi Cat,
It's normal not to be able to eat or drink very much at all in the beginning. You'll just nibble and sip. My surgeon told me it is because the wrap area/stomach is swollen, and it perceives the swelling as fullness. This lasts quite a while, but gradually you'll be able to eat/drink more.

I remember going out to eat in the early weeks, and eating just a little and bringing the rest home. For example a bowl or cup of soup would last me several meals. It's totally normal, and yes, it's why you'll lose weight.

It's recommended that you just graze all day...a little, a little more, etc. Be sure that the food you take in is mainly healthy, because you'll need nutrition.

What did your surgeon say about the eating protocol he recommends? When do you go back to see him/her again?

She's walking...she's walking
Denise

Shucks, your not a "baby"  as your pain was bad and your anxiety was high which makes things really tough. 

Keep on making progress every day and I am  sending you get well wishes.

Kindly,

Kitt

Kitty, I'm glad to say the gas will get quieter and less frequent. Those first months my niece kept walking around holding her nose when she got near me. I never stank, just very noisy. :(

Hey Cat,

Not sure if I moved too fast with the food. I ate mac and cheese for lunch. Then I left to go on my walk but had to return home due to diarrhea hitting me! YUCK! What's up with that?

I'm locked up tight but diarrhea is the norm? *sigh*

Denise - it might be rare - but I'm dealing with it.
I keep waiting for this miraculous "dumping" since to me that would be heaven, at least for a short time.

Newlywrapped, everyone told me that would happen before I had this done - looks like it happened for you. Dont worry, like she said, it's common. If only it would happen to me..... lol

Cat,

Are you taking Lortab? Alot of narcotic pain meds cause constipation. Try the tip Joy left. ^^ Hope it helps!

Good thing you're going to the doctor. Don't be embaressed to talk to her about it. I heard on another forum of one lady who didn't go for five weeks and her colon ruptured. The doctor told her if she had waited 15 minutes longer she would of died.
She wished she had told the doctor earlier of her, uh, "problem".

I called this morning and cant get in until Friday....but did get an 8 am appointment for Friday morning to see my GP.


Today is day 7 and with it comes another new and interesting/painful development or two.

1.) Since I woke up, I feel like I have a huge burp trapped in my chest.
I suppose it's just gas trapped up at the top of the wrap where it cant pass....
I'm assuming walking would be the best thing for it? It hurts, feels like it's pushing on raw skin.
I have downed several gasx strips. Has this happened to anyone else? It's like a bubble, just pushing right there.
I can tell it isnt going to come out and I'm not nauseous or anything but....ow.....

2.) I cant get out and walk it off.....
These sores have come up on the insides of my thighs - one on each side up at the top.
Best I can figure, the constant walking and the loosening of my skin over the last 3 weeks (I've dropped almost 17lbs - I went on liquids before my operation) have caused friction blisters?
My skin doesnt fit tight anymore there....and since both are located inside a stretch mark (which is always vulnerable skin) I am putting my money on them being from rubbing where the skin sort of folds over.... (I am so going to need a gym after all this.)
This is not good. I cant get any bandages to stick there and so I cant take my walks....it really hurts.
I feel sort of scared... I want to make sure I didnt pick up staph in the hospital or something horrible like that - I'm way too paranoid not to get it looked at so I'm sort of freaking about having to wait until Friday....
I'm also afraid the shoulder pain will come back....
Anyone else who dropped a lot of weight really fast get something like this? Anyone?
It sure would ease my mind to hear about it....
I've put aloe verra on it and am sort of, um, letting the air get to it since I'm home alone.
Suggestions, anyone?


This is the most odd recovery from anything I've ever had....
I'm just sort of "going with the flow" but this day hasnt started out to be the best.....


Cat

I'm all over that advice. Thank you!!! : )
Today was unpleasant - but I'm still getting better even with these little problems.
I cant believe how much it improves on a daily basis. : )

about the same as the last two days....lol
I seem to have hit a temporary plateau.
I'm not doing nearly as well as you are - and I'm a little jealous - but I wasn't in the same good shape as you were going in (and certainly not now) and you're 11 years younger - so maybe I'm not doing too bad? LOL

I get tired very easy, but I'm trying to stay awake for the whole day at this point.

I dont need my anti-nausea meds unless I take pain meds at this point and I've cut back to only once or twice a day on those.

I ate 4 tsp of very watered down, plain grits - my first real food - but I felt overstuffed for hours afterward like I'd pigged out at Thanksgiving dinner! LOL If I do that again tomorrow I'll only eat two tsp and stop. Maybe that would have been better?

What's truly sad is (I shouldnt be saying this in public lol) that to me, right now, the BEST feeling in the world is to pass gas.
I'm still locked up like ft. knoxx. It's terrible. I'm drinking laxatives (mira-lax once a day) but nothing is happening.
Dr app. Friday morning to deal with that and the two unexplained sores on my upper inner thighs.
Those wouldn't bother me nearly as much if they didnt make walking so painful.
What I hope they are are blisters from the skin, which is now loose because I'm dropping weight, rubbing when I'm walking.
It is only like that at the top of each thigh in one place on each of them....
Of course, my inner hypochondriac is afraid it's staph. LOL

Still, even with these little quirks, I'm feeling WAY better than I thought I would be at this point, so I'm okay with the progress I'm making....slow but steady....even if the last two days have been sort of the same. I suppose the one thing that does improve each day is the healing of the cuts and the soreness.... that part gets better steadily.

What about you?

I bet you're right. I'm positive it's why I cant stand to be in a sitting position!
At this point, I dont much care what it takes to get that sorted out.

That aloe verra juice stops the burning. You wont believe it.
It tastes nasty to me, but I drink it anyway. ; )
Sooo worth it.

CVS pharamacy sells it for sure - but I'll go hunt online and see where else I can find it.