what was Day 1 like?

I know they want you up walking and sipping.....but do they allow you to get any kind of rest for more than an hour at a time?

The day one of which you speak was day two-plus for me. You sip, you get out of bed to pee and to wobble around the hall, you go back to bed, sip and sleep. You won't get great sleep in the hospital in any case, as they are not known to be restful places, but you can hope--and bring an eye mask and ear plugs :-).

Day 1 was miserable!!@##


But day 1001 feels good as hell.


I would NEVER do it again, but I am so glad I was brave enough to do it.

If anyone tells you it ain't that bad, they are a big fat liar or have DS amnesia LOL.

But, if I can do it anyone can. I am a pain and suffering wimp.

I absoluely LOVE your post. It is the truth. I agree with you 100%.
I would never do it again either. So glad I am 18 months out.
I know some people have it easy after surgery but it was pure hell for me.

I love it - DS amnesia. I'm not saying it wasn't worth it but man the road to get where I am at today was long and hard.

And as for Day 1 - I have no clue - I do remember pain but I was so drugged up I was just in and out of sleep. I actually anticipated a few days in the hospital watching TV and reading, relaxing etc... LOL yeah right. The only thing I needed to bring to the hospital was myself - everything else was a waste of time to bring. This is just me and how it was for me. I know others had a wonderful recovery - God I wish that was me!!!

I must have been hitting the pain pump as I honestly have absolutely no recollection of it and I would be shocked to find out I might have gotten up and walked as I don't remember that until day 3! If it had been painful or unbearable I would have remembered! 

I wished for death on day 1.

Then they swapped me from morphine to dilaudid and everything was kopacetic.

Day one sucked.  Badly.  So did all the days of the first month.  And the next  6 months.  It goes away and you are skinny.  Not a bad deal :) 

Day 1 was the absolute worst day of my life. That's all I can say...between the NG tube assault, getting up, uncontrolled pain, and just wanting to die....It was NOT a good day. It's only been up since then. It gets better, I promise!

 The only thing that got my through Day 1 was thinking about Day 365.

It sucks.

You will be tired, and you can sleep, but sleeping in a hospital isn't easy.  If you have a private room you still have to deal with beeps and hall noises, nurses and doctors checking you, drawing blood, taking vitals, etc.  If you have a roommate you have to add all that interuption in as well. I've had my fair share of hospitalizations and usually deal with them as a 24/7 time meld - sleeping when I can around the clock.

You will have an assorted type of tubes and wires connected to you depending on your surgeon and your condition.  Things like a catheter, drains, an IV, a heart monitor, etc.  Those things, and your bandages make moving around difficult.  Pain medicine will be your best friend.  While you have the IV fluids you dont need to sip 100% of your fluids on your own, but you should work towards that.  

It gets better.  Expect it to suck and expect that you will get through it one day at a time.

 Day 1, 2 & 3 were all about the same and they all sucked!  I was in  ICU, sucked ice, tried to get up and pee and slept.  The pain meds are great though, 2 hits to the pain pump and off to sleep!  It's hard, but it is soooooooooooo worth it.  The recovery is long (much longer than I expected) abdominal surgery is rough, but just take it slow ans sleep as much as you can. 

Good luck!  :)