5 days post-op

Mar 04, 2012

It has been 5 days since my surgery. I am exhausted but I feel pretty good. I did not get to go home the day after surgery like most of the other patients who has surgery the same day. I had to stay in an extra day. The ice chips were contributing to the nausea and between that and the gas pressure I couldn't get the liquids down as needed in order to be released the next day.

The IV backed up into my hand and up my arm so it was swollen to about 3 or 4 times its size up to about the elbow. They had a tough time changing it to the other arm and it is finally normal or close to it. I think the bruising from the shots they give you after surgery are almost worse than the bruising from the incisions. Most of the incision sites look pretty good. The larger one where they pulled out the part of the stomach they removed is very bruised.

I did not have buyers remorse at all. Maybe I will at some point but I had about 9 months to get used to the idea and I had fully commited mentally before starting the process and I reminded myself at several points along the way why I made this decision.

Warm liquids feel best on my stomach right now. I'm an in the liquid phase right now and am drinking about 3 protein supplements a day in addition to my 64 oz minimum of fluids. I have about 9 more days and then I can move into the soft food stage for a few weeks.

I heard several times, but there's nothing like first hand experience, that I would be fatigued for a few weeks after surgery. I am constantly tired. I constantly feel like I need a nap. I am refraining though because if I'm asleep I'm not drinking fluids. I'm afraid that I will not get them all in one day and end up going in for IV fluids to catch up. Expensive and not preferred.

I hope all of you are having great success. I'm off to get a protein shake down and go find a park to walk around in.

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