I'm wrapped!

Welcome to the Wrapped Club! Glad to hear you're wrapped and out of the hospital!  Now you can concentrate on healing and a better quality of life in the future.  Out of curiosity, what was the reason your surgeon wanted you in the hospital for four days?  The majority of surgeons release their patients the next day. 

Your appetite won't be great for a while, if you're anything like most post-op patients.  Your stomach has been stretched and wrapped and stitched, and it's not happy with you right now.  It takes time for it to heal and start feeling like its old self. 

Did you surgeon tell you that your wrap will become increasingly more swollen over the next two weeks?  Generally, its normal for your swallowing to become worse over that time, then to begin to improve after peak swelling has passed.

If you can surrender to your recovery and follow its lead, you will do fine.  You can't rush this recovery.  Your body will take its own sweet time to heal, and if you can accept that, you'll do just fine.  Go with the flow and listen to your body. 

Glad to hear you're home!

Happy healing!

Denise

Thanks for your replies.  I promise you I am taking life very easy indeed and will absolutely listen to what my body tells me.  Denise, my surgeon always wanted me to stay in for three or four nights - that was planned - he likes to be completely sure that patients are able to cope with pureed food and are feeling strong enough, especially those going home alone.  I was glad of the extra time - I felt confident enough to leave after four nights.  Two years ago I had a hysterectomy in the same hospital and insisted on leaving much earlier than my doctor wanted (different doctor, obviously) and paid for it with a very rough recovery indeed.  Last night I was so glad of my comfy bed and of the rubber egg-shell overlay I bought for it last week, and even managed to sleep on my stomach after four uncomfortable nights on my sides or back in hospital.  I am just taking paracetamol every six hours for the discomfort and doing ok.  I have 20 Zofran wafers, 10 of which are in my hand bag and will remain there always.  At work, if I feel nauseous, I am surrounded by injectable Zofran (Ondansetron) and no shortage of people who can administer it, including myself so I'll be ok there. 

So far I have managed small meals, very small, of stewed apple I prepared before surgery and froze, tinned fruit, plain biscuits dunked in tea and a plain one-egg omelette last night.  I've dropped 2.4kgs since Thursday (a bit over 5lbs) but can well afford this.  In hospital I had issues with constipation but since coming home and actually having some fibre in my diet, I now have issues in the opposite direction, if you get my meaning but it's not violent or particularly crampy etc.

My surgeon said avoid bread for at least six weeks, also chunky meat and white rice by itself.  I plan to avoid anything like these things for longer than that, I want to give this wrap and my poor stomach plenty of time to heal before I bombard it with anything difficult.

I've had occasion to cough a few times, but only gently and I'm trying to do it carefully.  That should be ok, shouldn't it?

I'm looking forward to being healed and putting my bed flat and getting off the medication, that will be a glorious day but I will be patient and not rush it.  Any further suggestions or advice will be so much appreciated - I'll admit to being a bit nervous presently.  Thank you again,

Jen