Home from Hospital!

Surgery was Monday morning!  As I've heard on this board.....I really DID wake up in Recovery feeling like I'd been hit by a truck.  I remember moaning and pointing to my upper belly and I remember them giving me a couple different pain relievers before landing on Dilaudid.  Felt OK Day 1...it was Day 2 that left me miserable from the GAS.  Oh my.....it was worse that I ever imagined.   They sent me home with Lortab and Prilosec.  Here we are at the end of Day 3 and I feel like I'm doing at least better than yesterday, so it's a step in the right direction! 
I keep reading that many of you never have that "full" feeling right after surgery.......well, I feel like I always have that feeling.  I take tiny sips of water/crystal light/Nectar....and with every single sip, I feel like I need to wait about 30 seconds before taking another one.  Is this normal?  It just seems SO hard to get in 60+oz of liquid......I think I got in maybe 40, if I'm lucky.  I will try harder tomorrow. 
I have 6 holes on my belly.  The strechcy band thing they gave me for my mid-section helps me feel more secure when I walk.  The Lortab makes me a bit itchy but I do not CARE because it does help with the belly pain.  Anyway, just thought I'd update that I made it through! ;)

Congrats and I'm glad you made it home okay!

Ask your surgeon about taking benedryl for the itching.  Definitely won't help staying awake to walk and drink but it should help. 

Take care!

I had issues drinking anything when I got home. They gave me a sleeve of those 1 ounce cups, and it would take me an hour to get through half of it. Im not sure if it was a "fullness" I was feeling, but all the girgling going on in the belly was concerning. I was afraid to drink anything, or eat more then a tip of the spoonful of jello. I am 9 days out, and I can not get anough fluids. I would actually like to drink water, more then I would eat. lol. I still have some girgling, but not as much as when I first got home. I think I feel growling, but Im uncertain.. it could just be gas? I try to get down 2 4oz meals a day ( I am still on the full liquid diet, yogurts and such) However, I am drinking like 30-40 oz of water a day. I cant get enough!!

Gas-X strips were my best friend in my first few post op days!   I had a hard time getting in my fluids and my protein the first few days.  Be patient and don't give up.  It will get better.

welcome to the Loser's Bench! Congratulations on your surgery, isn't it so exciting to begin the journey?

I had a problem with fluid intake as well right off the bat. However, keep it up and try to get as much in as possible. at day 3, I was just able to start drinking at my own pace. My surgeon wouldn't allow anything to drink the 1st day, except a little bit of water to moisten the mouth "DO NOT swallow he kept saying". the second day we could have 2 oz every couple of hours (I think it was ever 3 or 4). The 3rd day, we were allowed as much water as we wanted, as long as we walked to go get it--funny how they make you walk huh? anyways, try as hard as you can to get your fluids in, my doc said "aim for that 60, but in reality, you probably won't make it." just don't give up, because one day, you will be able to make it there I used to get a 1.5 liter bottle of water, freeze it (I'd take a sip before i put it in, other wise the bottle might break), after about 2 hours, I"d get it out of the fridge, and it'd be like crushed ice. and try to drink as much as I could, it's about 48 oz of water in 1.5 liters, so I'd usually finish that aorund dinner time, and then I'd fill it up again, and sip on it after dinner ,and then through the night, when I'd wake up.

I had my surgery on Monday too.. Woohoo!  I too am having the "fullness" feeling when drinking.  I'ts hard to keep drinking when I feel so full.  Not sure if it's just the gas that's making me feel full.  I wi**** would go away.  I am going to try some Gas-x strips and see if that helps.  Good luck to you..