2 days out and I have a few questions!

I had surgery Thursday morning and I'm still having a little of the expected pain. Well it's pretty bad especially when I'm trying to get up and move. I've only been drinking water since yesterday and I feel like I'm not doing too good of a job at it. I've taken sips but its like the dang bottle just stays full. Also, I know I need to walk to get any gas moving and I've been walking a bit but all I've had are burps. When should I experience gas coming from the bottom? And when Did you guys experience your first bowel movement? I haven't had one since Wednesday and the pain gets really bad when I try to see if I need to :(  also when did y'all start trying to get in your protein!

keep sipping :), I came home from hospital on  protein ......... what does your Dr plan say? keep walking, it will help you to toot.

It can take a while to get all your fluids in, but do the best you can.  In the beginning, it seemed like I had to sip constantly.  

I had my first bowel movement two days after surgery, I think.  Don't strain real hard to try to go if you don't feel like you have to.  You haven't had any solid food in a few days, so there probably is not a lot of solid waste in there.

I started trying to get in my protein a few hours after my surgery.  After I was moved into my room, they brought me a 20 oz clear protein drink (Cytomax brand).  It took me from about 1 pm that day until early the next morning to fini**** (at which time they immediately brought me another). 

I'm only 17 days out so this is fairly fresh in my mind. :-)

I found that the pain was worse when trying to get in and out of bed. What worked for me was adjusting the head of the bed as high as I could before attempting to get up. And then I would only lower it once I was sitting back in bed so that I was always supported. In fact, having an adjustable bed was what I really missed once I got home. (Pillows and my husband helped in this matter.)

I don't think it matters from which direction the gas flows, as long as it gets out. I had burps first, too. A little bit out the other end on Thursday night (my surgery was Wednesday morning), but the bulk of it came out once I was home, on Saturday.

It had been 10 days for me for my first bowel movement, but note that three of those days were prior to surgery. On day 8 I took Milk of Magnesia twice in the day, and crushed up to Senokot S pills and put them in applesauce to eat them. Nothing happened for me on day 9, but day 10 everything came out, and smoothly, and without my needing to push and hurt myself.

Saturday (my first full day home) was when I tried my protein. I have the already mixed Premier Protein drinks. Each little box I split into 2 and each half took me an hour and a half or so to drink.

As for your water bottle seeming to remain full, consider pouring it into wee dosage cups and drink from the small cups. Even the little cups seemed to take a while for me to empty at first, but at least you will be emptying them and get that feeling of accomplishment, and not just keep looking at a bottle that never empties.

Best of luck!

Hi,

I will be two weeks out on Monday. I’ll be honest with you. The first week I was in the ‘What the –hell- have I done’ stage.  I had my first BM two days after getting home from the hospital. It was awful. It was more like uncontrollable loose watery stool and nausea to go along with it.  I had about six bowl movements and a break down before I finally convinced my husband I was allowed immodum AD and for him to get me some.  It worked miracles. Hopefully the same won’t happen to you. But if it does just know it gets better. I am feeling pretty darn good in week two. 

Your intestines were probably pretty well cleaned out before surgery and you aren't able to eat any solids so it may take a while to collect enough for a BM.  I remember how overwhelming it was to try to get everything according to pre op instructions and  I finally realized that I wasn't going to die for a week or more if I just worked on the liquids.  People have been stranded in wrecked cars for longer than that and lived so I could too.  I concentrated on getting rest, walking, sipping what I could.  

Try to relax and call your doctor if  you have real pain.  Aches are tolerable.

Hi. I had my surgery Thur. Morning too. The pain when I woke up in recovery was pretty bad but I had morphine and slept most of the first day. Today I am drinking clear liquids 1 oz every half hour. That is what I will be doing for the next wee****il my checkup on Wed. I was told to only worry about rehydrating not protein. Then on Wed I will be on full liquids for 2 weeks and 65-76 g of protein. Had very loose bowel mvmts today. And walking...that is it for now. Good luck!!

I drank Isopure at first. Didn't love it, but it was clear and had lotsa protein 

I had diarrhea the first 2 weeks so complete opposite to you but i have heard some with constipation. At 4.5 months post-op i now deal with constant constipation instead. The only thing that helped my gas get moving was walking honestly. As far as the sips do 1 ounce every 15 minutes in a little measuring cup that helped me some i even bought a timer so i wouldn't forget but honestly water is still hard for me now and i am 4.5 months out. I barely get in 5 cups some days and others about 7 cups if i really pu**** Also keep in mind your protein drinks count as water intake! Keep sipping and walking!

I am POD 5 and have trouble getting fluids in too. I have to force myself. Soup counts as a fluid though so that helps. I started passing gas the day after I came home POD 3. I just had my first BMW today. I've never been so excited to poop. Lol