Any night shift nurses????

I was wondering if any of u work nights and if so how did you do after surgery getting rest in and making time for all the fluids and meals? I had my first drs appt last week and I have my psy eval today. Then it will just be waiting to hear from my insurance. Im so anxious to start my new life. I want so much to get healthy. Would love any tips you might have. I work nights at a drug and alcohol treatment center. So I dont do alot of heavy lifting ...mostly charts and alot of downtime. Thanks for any suggestions. Mariah

Hi Mariah, I am Debbie from Mesa Az. I am 7 days post op and was so gald to find this message board. I have had several of my questions about the night shift answered too. I was really worried about how to do a lot of things. My biggest struggle this week has been ating or drinking anything. I was so nauseous for a couple days I barely got anything down because it hurt and made me ill. I was told it would go away in a couple days and it did. I am doing a lot better. It seems like all I am doing is sipping something which is difficult to do. I am finding that I miss the taste of real food much more than I thought I would. and TV is no help with all the food commericals. Going to the grocery store is a little hard too. I would not over stock your cabinets with stuff as your palette really may change. Mine sure has. I got some of the nutritional things the doctor required as well as a couple cream soups and puddings and yougurt, cream of wheat and waited till after surgery to get anything else. If you have the grocery chain Sprouts, they were so helpful. (i went to GNC and HI Health and was very disappointed with the help) Sprouts employees have to be certified to work in the nutrition dept and they have a large selection of protein powders etc..As for rest if you take your pain meds they may help you sleep at first, but now I am having difficulty sleeping possibly due to the changes I am going through physically which according to my Dr. is normal too. This week has been a lot harder than I had prepared myself for. I really have been saying "what have I done" but I heard preop that was pretty normal so I just keep telling myself "this is temporary." Now that my hydration and nutrition statuses have improved a little I have been in a more positive spirit. Good luck with anything and feel free to email with me with any other questions, Deb

Deb and all the other ladies that responded, Thank you all for your tips Ive saved them all. I just found out today that my insurance company finally logged in my paper work for my precerdification(sp) on May 11th. I overnighted it FedEx over a week ago. The they told me today it could be 6 weeks before I have an answer. That they are very behind in their work. This waiting is killing me. I want so badly to begin this journey. I work nights at a State Mental Hospital and I work on a drug and alcohol rehab unit. So I dont do much lifting and like the girl who works at the prision I usually only take care of aches and pains, allergies and the occasional chest pain that we send out to the local medical hospital. I mostly do paperwork. So coming back to work early wont be a problem for me. I got so excited about this when I finally got my husband to come around on the idea that Ive already order and received my Profect (protein) tubes. I also ordered some b12 subl. but it hasnt arrived yet. I ordered protein powder in 4 flavors. I went to Sams Club and got some creamed soups and some (4kinds)liq juices in individual servings. I also got chewable Multivitamins there and Viative....is that the name of the chewable calcium in the purple container??? I was also told to get some good body cream, cortaid and some chapstick. Got to keep that skin from cracking and itching. I still have to get all of those. Never heard of Sprouts, we dont have that here in Indiana that I know of. Mariah

Mariah,You are prepared.I gained all my weight working nights and a bad marriage and alot of bad choices.Not all excuses but for 20 yrs been struggling with it.I was so burned out about nights and my not getting enough sleep.I suffer from depression and anxiety and that does not help.I finally got on Evenings and do some nights but it is not often so it's sort of nice to work with my old co workers again.I was thinking of going back in 6 weeks but he had to do more extensive work and I got 12 weeks off.I may need to take 8 weeks I will see.I am improving day by day but takes so long and i am so impatient.I hate taking the pain medication but if I don't I am miserable and in such pain in the upper part of my stomach or besides the pouch..I will use body cream too as I itched so bad in the hospital they gave me Atarex.Take care Dee

Hi there. I'm glad I found this site. I too work nights in a 31 bed cardiovascular hospital. Lots of lifting on post-op hearts among other things. I herniated two discs in my back last spring and was off for 4 months recooperating. When I came back all of my co-workers took on my lifting responsibilities which was a definate blessing. I am in the very beginning stages of trying to get approved. Thank goodness my insurance covers the WLS 100% if you meet the criteria of BMI, co-morbidities, blah blah blah... My main concern is when to do the exercising. I want to start now, so I will be in a routine, but I am so tired after getting off a 12 hour shift I just want to go to bed...then, when I get up, I'm still tired. I just don't have the energy. Then there is the off days when I actually want to sleep at night. Any advice? Thanks so much!

I'm a night shift nurse who works med/surg. I expect to have my surgery med/late Feb 2007. I feel your pain...too tired to do anything before or after work! I hate working nights, but right now nothing else is open. I love the people I work with and I love my job, just hate the hours...I have about 4 weeks total I can take off with sick/vacation combined, I hope that will be enough. I find myself sleeping nights AND days on days off, gotta work tonight and I slept from 7p-2a, again from 3a-6a and now I'm up...hope to nap before work tonight...my schedule just stays messed up!!