Less than 24 hrs post op

Doing prrtTy good. Shoulder pains are bad. Heat helped a lot. I am worried,because I can burp. Easily. Just come up, I ahave had little difficulty swallowing. Too loose???

Hi Illinifan,

Welcome to the Wrapped Club! Glad to hear you're doing pretty well.  Pretty well is about the best you can expect in the early days!  The shoulder pain is the worst.  I remember wondering what shoulder pain had to do with stomach surgery, but it's very common.  I have a suggestion.  Whenever you get up to go to the bathroom, make a couple of laps around your house.  I found that the more I walked, the less my shoulder hurt, and visa-versa.

Like you, I could burp right after surgery.  I asked my surgeon about it and he said it was a bonus and a good thing.  I had been warned that I wouldn't be able to burp or vomit after surgery, so like you, I feared that it had been made too loose.  That's not the case.  You'll avoid painful bloating as a result. 

Don't forget that your wrap will become increasingly more swollen during the next two weeks, so don't be surprised if your swallowing gets worse before it gets better.

Happy healing!

Denise

Hi Illinifan,

When I was in the hospital I took my IV pole and walked laps around the nurse's desk. It was a pain because they put the inflatable things on my legs, so I had to ask them to remove them so I could get up and walking.  The night nurse gave me that advice and I followed it when I got home as well.

Here's hoping you get those oxygen levels up soon, so you can head for home, where it's much easier to rest and get better!

Take care,

Denise