Frustrating

 So, surgery was on the 12th, and I had a really rough first night and day after...spent most of it throwing up blood and being ignored by the nurses.  Got to come home a day late, and felt almost ok.

By last Tuesday, I was getting in my fluids and protein, but it was taking a good 12-14 hours a day to do it.  I was nauseous all day Tuesday, and started throwing up again on Wednesday morning.

Since I had such a hard time right at first, the surgeon had told me that if I started throwing up, I should call and have him paged, so I did.  He called me back (not even 7 in the morning) and sent me to the nearest ER....which is conveniently across the street.  He told me that he was going to have them give me some IV fluids and anti nausea medication, but not to worry.

They put me on IV fluids and a combination of phenergen and zofram (sic) to break the nausea, dilaudid to get rid of the abdominal pain from thowing up, then had me swallow contrast and did a CT scan with both the swallowed contrast and they pushed more through the IV.

No leak - thank goodness.  But he admitted me anyway, and there I was, with a half dead phone and no charger, a husband on duty 150 miles away, and  little bit of a panic attack.

So, I was in the hospital for a couple of days to break the vomiting and get me back "on track".  And I have to take anti nausea meds if I feel sick again...which is pretty much all the time.

Because of the potential long term benefit, yes I would do this again.....but goodness, when do I start feeling human again?

Sorry for the whine.....I just needed to get it out, I think.

So sorry to hear you are having such a hard time. Just keep in mind the long term health benefits, this too shall pass. I had quite a bit of naseua the first couple days too. The good thing is you have no leak. This is such a big deal and big operation so take it day by day. And also there must be some bariatric surgery code of conduct because none of my nurses were very helpful either. They were just doing their jobs. They didn't help me get up, walk, they didn't give me any suggestions how to get out of bed or anything. I was suprised I had more help after having both my normal births which were easier than this for me. Anyway I hope you feel better soon one step at a time.

 Thank you so much.  Sorry to hesr your nurses weren't helpful either.

Hi Texyradikal.

I'm so sorry to hear about all the problems you've had.  Not a great way to start out when you've been so excited and optimistic for so long..........I've read you pre-op posts   All I can tell you is that it WILL get better, each day will be a little easier, and you definitely will feel human again!

You did NOT whine -- you told your experience.  And even if you DID whine, OMG, with what you went through, you have every right!

We can all be grateful you didn't have a leak.  Your journey got off to a rocky start, though and for that I'm sending you hugs and prayers that you can find an easier road to follow now.

I don't know how it happened, but I was incredibly lucky -- even having two surgeries at one time, I had a fairly easy time of it with tons of help from the nurses, the nurse's aides, and just everyone at the hospital.  I'm thankful for that and I wish everyone could have had things work out the way they did for me.

You're on the mend and will get into your groove soon............keep us posted about your progress.

Ree

 Thank you so much.  It helped to get it all out.  And I still feel a little weepy and whiny, but think I'll just take each day as it comes.

Sorry you have had such a rough start - no fun!  I promise that each day will get a little better and by next month this will be a distant memory! 

 Thank you!!  I'm hoping that I'll be on the upswing soon.....and no matter what, I'm grateful for my spot on the loser's bench.

 Praying you feel better soon! 

 That sounds really really awful! I wish i was closer to you to help you !

Sounds like your doc is taking good care of you - hopefully that offers some comfort. 


Just know it's only gonna get better from here :)

 The first month can be really, really hard. Nausea, vomiting, and dehydration can be common. It WILL get better, I promise you!! Each passing week, you will improve and feel better as you are able to ingest more protein and fluids.

I had a rough first couple of months and spent 2 weeks in the hospital with complications, but I was fortunate to have had excellent nursing care and support. I am sorry that your nurses were not supportive or helpful.

What I found helpful, was to take the anti-nausea medication BEFORE eating/drinking. It made a big difference. It is also normal to take all day to get in your fluids, because your sleeve is very swollen. As the swelling goes down, getting enough fluids and protein into you, will become more manageable.

Also, make sure that you are on an acid reducer or PPI. In retrospect,  I think excessive acid also contributes to nausea.

Gail