August 25 wrap-My journey to a better way of living

GINA

Sweetie, you cannot rush this recovery, it will not let you.. you will cause yourself pain if you fight the natural progression of YOUR recovery. We do not all recover at the same rate or in the same way.. you have pushed yourself terribly since your surgery..
when I went back to work, my co-workers would not even let me bend over to pick something up. I am at 5 months and they are aware that I will not be completely healed inside for about a year.. they will not let me lift anything that they know would put any strain on me. Your boss and co-workers evidently have no idea what your body has been through. They need to know.. if for no other reason than to be able to understand why you will have limitations for some time when you return to work.

You should take your pain meds until you are no longer in pain.. there is no time limit. If 1/2 tablet crushed (swallow with apple sauce or yogurt or pudding, grits, cream of wheat.. anything like that) will keep you out of pain... do it.. take 1/2 tablet at nite for a more restful sleep if you awake in pain or are uncomfortable to point you cannot rest and sleep soundly. One day you will realize that you do not need them any longer. I think I stopped completely about 3 -3 1/2 weeks. But mine is not a timetable. You have to listen to what you need.

As far as clothing goes.. the first 2 weeks the only time I got dressed was when I had to go get my staples removed and when I went for my 2 week check up, the rest of the time I was in a nitegown. I still am uncomfortable when I have my jeans buttoned.. we have had major surgery.. the outside is healed.. the inside is not...relax and roll with the flow of your recovery.. your recovery is still in it's infancy. Would you expect your baby to walk at 2 weeks?? Silly to even think of it right? The first thing I take off when I get home from work is my bra and pants. You will be able to bend over again when your insides have recovered from being moved all over your midsection and then replaced and after part of it was stitched to another part... think about the trauma your insides have suffered in the quest to make you well... and by the way.. are your issues from before surgery still with you or are they gone?? I too wanted all of this recovery to be done with once I no longer had reflux and pain and vomiting in the middle of the nite and asthma and rescue inhalers.. once I had no more issues, the reason I didn't have them was slowing me down.. I was told by some very wise people on this forum.. relax and recover as quickly or slow;y as your body lets you..

You will be able to walk your puppy when you feel like it..I don't mean to sound smart but, walking is good for you.. do it but do it in moderation.. let your body tell you how far you can walk. you are less than 2 weeks post surgery.. I was still thankful that I could get to the bathroom and the bed at that point.. I am 62 years old.. I am guessing your much younger than that.

My nose ran too when I came home from the hospital.. and blowing it was a new experience in pain.. but about 3-3 1/2 weeks it was much better.. the pain was.. I don't remember when I got rid of the runny nose..

Last but not least, I will say that you will always be a member of the wrapped club and you can always come to us here at the forum to get answers or to have someone to talk to or to shout, swear, scream or cry about your frustrations.. we know what you are going through... we went through it too..

Reach for the Sunshine... Rainbows will follow...
SANDI

GINA

I had issues with my sides for several weeks depending on what I did. If I stretched wrong or if I laid too long on one side, it would hurt like crazy for a while.. then it would gradually ease off.. and you are right the 'dumping' can cause it to feel sore. the nausea could be where you cannot tell if you are hungry or not or you cannot tell if you are full and you have overfilled your stomach.. I felt nausea on both of these issues. Since they have used the top of your stomach (fundus) as the wrap, you cannot tell if you are full.. and you overfill if you do not watch what you eat because it takes 15-20 minutes for the stomach to relay to the brain that you are full (for me this is true, someone else maybe longer or shorter time) if you eat too much you will have nausea or pain.. mine was mostly nausea. When I am hungry I have nausea, I cannot tell I am hungry, just start feeling half sick...

I did say I do not have my rescue inhalers anymore. I had been on inhalers for about 10 years.. shortly before my surgery it got so bad the doc had me on steroids to clear my lungs 2 times. After my surgery, I have had no more issues with my lungs and I haven't used my inhalers since forever.. I walked up 2 flights of stairs today that, the last time I walked up them, my friend reminded me that I had been forced to use my inhaler because I couldn't breathe when I got to the top... today I was a bit winded, normal for a 62 year old that had surgery 5 months ago. I am so blessed to have found my surgeon and this forum..

You are very close to being over the hump with your swelling.. usually the swelling will peak at about day 14.. give or take a day or 2. You will begin to notice that swallowing is less of an issue once this process starts (swelling going down). Please don't take this as a green lite to rush anything.. you will have to continue to take your time small bites and small amounts to swallow..

I was a big chicken so I delayed eating a lot of things I might have been able to, simply because I didn't want to risk pain.. it didn't hurt me, I just went slower.. I was also enjoying losing the weight. I have a thyroid problem and I needed to lose weight but couldn't, this was the perfect catalyst for me.
I drank coffee for about the first 5 weeks after surgery then it started making me nauseous so I went to tea.. it eventually did it too. Now I am on Dr Pepper it helps me burp, yes I can when my tummy wants me to, and to burp most times helps the nausea if I am feeling that way.

SO.. ask your questions and once you are well into recovery, pay it forward and lend your experience to the new "wrappers". You can continue to ask questions and post your experience as you go, but you can help others too. Just the way all of us are.. I hope this has helped you...

Reach for the Sunshine... Rainbows will follow
SANDI

Hi Gina.

So sorry you are suffering. I escaped that side pain mostly after two to three weeks, pray it goes soon. I had weird pain in my right side(!) yesterday that must have been a wind issue. I had been eating something not so plain which didn't quite agree with me I reckon. Im still tiredand started back at work doing half days this week and next. M lucky I.can work from home this week...still napping. It is odd how different people get different symptoms and experiences in recovery! I try remember the hell that was and that picks me up. I have a two week holiday at start of Oct with my lovely wife and daughter, down in Cornwall on our south coast. I worry I'll still be the invalid but we'll try make most of it!

Have you tReid cut up pasta and sauce yet? I had mince yesterday.Squak squak!!!

Remember what has gone, and that this phase will pass. Hang in there

Kevin

Kevin how many weeks are you out????? I can't remember....
I am not back to work in the office yet. No way. I get tired to easily. I do some work from home, and can crash as needed. Maybe next week, I will try a few half days in the office. Maybe.... I am really stinking tired a lot. I am glad you have some Holiday time coming. I hope you're feeling good and not so tired so you can enjoy it. You'll be farther away from your adventure with the "wrap" so I am hopeful it will be good for you. I keep longing for a beach with warm air, and warm waters. Just relaxing by. Like I don't relax enough now....but its different. This is surely recovery, not relaxing. They don't feel the same to me. You enjoy relaxing, this recovery is necessary and my BODY knows it.

Sandi, I am having trouble eating. It hurts...keeps feeling like it is getting stuck in there, and it hurts....

I have not been able to eat Mac & Cheese since that day. That hurts like a son-of-a-gun (who made that dumb saying up anyway?).

I ate a sweet potato today that looked like baby food it was so mashed up, and got gas later, but it wasn't as painful as some of the gas Ive had. My stomach makes noises ALL the time, or at least I feel like it does.

Also, I did some veggies as you suggested Squash, and zucchini. Baked together with a little cheese on it (protein). I had trouble a little with the skin or was it the cheese? Do you remove the skin, and do you bake it in anything?

I am so hungry....ALL the time....I drink water, or some watered down juice and it doesn't help me. SOmetimes I am so hungry I feel sick.

The runny eggs tasted great, but gave me HORRIFIC gas. I don't want to go there again....It hurt clear up into my shoulders and shoulder blades. No thanks...I must not be ready for that stuff. Who would've thought that those little tiny eggs can do so much stuff that "wind" control is needed, only there is no way to control it.

Ugh....I am so tired....

AM I there yet? GRIN...
How much farther?
I have to go to the bathroom again...GRIN

Seriously....I am so ready for NORMAL life again....Though, I am not sure I even remember what that was like.

THanks for help folks...What journey this is.

Gina

The first thing I would ask is, are you keeping your 'bites' small.. and are you chewing chewing chewing??? If you do not keep your bite small and chew well, your food could be getting 'hung up' at the wrap site and that will be very uncomfortable. Also, when eating most things, you need to be sure that you have water (juice, liquid of some type. I found water to be the best) at your side to sip as you eat and chew.

This recovery is high maintenance. You have to be sure to follow certain rules.. the most important of which is... chew chew chew..... most people eat the way I used to... 4 chews and swallow, ready or not.. you mustn't do that anymore. I have come to realize that small bites are what will produce the best results..

I am at 5 1/2 months post op and I again tried a hot dog bun... it was better than the last time but, still a bit uncomfortable.. so I will wait a couple more weeks and try again.. no big deal, just like an occasional 'coney dog' and they do not taste right without the bun...

Veggies I eat are cooked (boiled in chicken broth) til soft.. I use small squash (baby) and zucchini. cooked until almost mushy. I do not peel it, but then, the peel is cooked so soft it doesn't matter.

If you are hurting when you eat.. you may be eating too much or not chewing enough.. I know it is frustrating but, back up and eat soft for a day and then try 1 thing at a time to find out what irritates and eliminate that item for a week or two and then try it again.. some things may work for me and don;t for you and vice versa.

Let us know what is going on, if you continue to be uncomfortable and are concerned, call your doctor and talk to him/her. Satisfy your self that everything is ok.

I hope I have helped a little.. More than anything, relax and roll with your recovery. Don't try to move faster than your body wants to go.

Reach for the Sunshine Rainbows will follow

Sandi

Gina

At 3 weeks I was just starting to eat baked and broiled fish, applesauce and over cooked pasta.. I too was a chicken and I had very limited food diet.. Please don't starve your self, you should be eating every 2-3 hours small amounts so that you get enough nourishment. You no longer have an established meal 'time'. Since your stomach is smaller, you have to eat more often smaller amounts in order to keep up your strength. I stuck with mushy foods for over 4 weeks.. I chose safe rather than adventurous. You just have to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY... I still dump occasionally if I eat a really wrong thing .. my stomach tells me that I did a bad thing..

My typical day at 5 1/2 months is... 1/2 egg and cheese breakfast burrito about 8:30-9:00 am, lunch of pasta or veggies at 1:00pm and dinner of almost anything but beef or anything with bread.. about 5:00. I tried a hot dog bun today and I am not fairing very well.. it does not like me tonite..usually bread is ok after about 6 weeks.. not me I am an exception. I can snack on cheezits or goldfish crackers,, I eat most anything in small amounts but I chew chew chew

I don't know about swallowing air but it seems that what ever you have been eating, your wrap does not like.. the 'hurt' is what puzzles me, when I eat something I shouldn't I get severe nausea... and an ache not exactly pain...maybe you are eating too much.. that does cause pain and it makes my stomach make noises when I do it.

Just trying to throw some things out there that you may be able to add or eliminate from your scenario

Praying for you to get some answers to your issues..

Sandi ..

Post Edited (kyheart) : 9/16/2011 9:56:00 PM (GMT-6)

GINA

First of all.. this forum has been my friend and supporter since I was on day 11. I had come here before the surgery and just lurked around but, it was when I needed to talk to someone and no one knew quite what I was talking about that I came back and became a member.. I have never looked back.. I feel blessed to have become friends with so many caring wonderful people.. that said...

Please talk to your doc and see if he can give you something for your migraines... 2nd.. do you have meds for nausea?? if not you should get an rx from your doc for phenergan or one of the anti-nausea meds.. you should not put your self in a position that you will throw up or be heaving... this could harm the wrap. when you feel so nauseous that you feel that you will start to heave... you need to use anti-nausea meds..

as far as the gas.. yes we can take something for it.. I took Gas-x. it helped.. there are other gas relievers I suppose but I chose Gas-x.

You need to try to eat something every 3 or 4 hours..even if it is something like crackers.. (I nibbled on club crackers.. they chew all the way to liquid and are very satisfying) always have water to sip on when you eat anything... do not only eat 2 or 3 meals a day... at 3 weeks I was on soft mushy all the time.. it wasn't until 5-6 weeks that I actually stepped it up and had anything more solid like real mac and cheese or chicken and dumplings... dark meat chicken stays very moist and will chew to liquid.. I think under the circumstances you sticking to mushy for a bit is a good idea.

I am 5 1/2 months post op and I have lost about 45 pounds.. every one was needed to be lost... I had gained weight because of the ppi's I took for 11 years or more and I also have an under-active thyroid.. actually I have no thyroid now.. anyway.. I needed to lose the weight because of another problem I have called spinal stenosis.. this weight loss took a lot of pressure off my back so I feel better in more than 1 respect. I have pretty much stopped losing maybe a pound every couple of weeks but, I am trying to watch what I eat because I do not want to gain weight back.

You are just over 3 weeks and at that time I was still very aware of gas issues.. I was still very cautious with food too. I also had stomach noises.(I went to my PCP and he was checking my stomach out.. he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and looked at it and then said "is that your stomach talking?? I thought it was my cell going off" :-0 ) I always continued to try new foods.. now I only have 2 issues with food.. I cannot eat bread yet and I cannot eat beef of any kind except ground beef.. we had meatloaf tonite... I try about every other week to eat some bread.. so far it is no good.. I cannot drink coffee anymore either.. I try every once in a while on the weekend and as long as it doesn't work, I will try again in a few weeks..

Don't force your self to eat something if you are afraid of it.. but don't be afraid to try .. do it in moderation.. you will discover that occasionally the food will work for you.. if you want to try try the flat bread, toast it well and see how it works... have you tried coke yet?? try a few sips and see how it works.. I was able to drink ginger ale the day of my surgery and I have continued to do so .. I drink Dr Pepper now instead of coffee.. it helps me burp.. as I said Some things work for me that are unusual.. I listen to what my body tells me to do and not to do..

Again I hope I have helped you in some small way.. don't use my experience as a template everyone is different, but some of the things that work for me may work for you, some may not..

Let us know how you are and please get those meds if your doc will write them for you..

as always... Reach for the Sunshine... Rainbows will follow..

Sandi

Hi Sandi, hi Gina. Thank you for asking about me that was kind.

I am away on holiday with my wife and 2year old daughter at moment, the wifi connection to web has been suspect and I have been totally immersed in the joys of doing as little as having a two year will allow...!! I went back to work part time for one week after four off, then full time for one week then on a two week hol, which will end soon. Not great timing work wise but really really has been great for me. I attempted a Sunday lunch with a pudding on the weekend, and managed most of it fine. I paid a little for it with gas and bloating later on but was worth it!!! I amstill scared of bread, rice and steak. I can handle a glass or two of wine. I can also have coke, but more than one a day seems to cause too much gas at night, so one it is. I am lucky in that I can burp fairly freely. My biggest concern is portion size. I have been pleased with some weight loss, and I can tell that part of me wants to avoid bread and keep the portions smaller to help with weight, but I know that is silly. Also I have my appetite back but when I eat even half of what I think I might I have trapped wind and bloating later. I am just not good at getting the balance right! If I eat small I dont suffer but am bored ( and grumpy!) or else I am sore and awake (and that is just far too familiar!!!) and its a fair bet that makes me grumpy too!! Maybe I should just have little portions of chocolate all day and no other food group?? !!!!

Would love to hear how you both are, wishing you well from windy England

Kevin