I am sleeved! =)

Mar 04, 2009

Today, I am 8 days post-op and feeling great!  A friend of mine,  had a few questions and wanted advice on a few things....so I thought I would post it here as well....just in case it helps someone else, too.

The pain wasnt any worse than gallbladder or c-section surgery if you are familiar with those.  I was in the hospital on the good stuff for 3 days though. LOL  I came home with liquid painkiller and as long as I take it I have had no pain except a twinge here and there for a minute since about 4-5 days out.  I am still taking it 8 days out.  We drove home 2 hours from the docs at 4 days out and on the 5th day ....I even got out to celebrate my SIL's bday at a restaurant.  On the 6th day out we drove 2 hours back to the docs and 2 hours back home again and even went shopping after that.  Yesterday, I was lazy.  Today we are meeting up at the mall with a friend and her little one for lunch and to see the puppies and walk around.  I have pretty much felt back to normal since 5/6 days out.

I can not stress enough...how important it is to push yourself the first few hours after surgery (make the nurses help you if they dont make ya walk right away) and the next day to get up and walk and move in order to speed up the healing process.  It actually works.  If I had laid around in pain and babied myself...I would still be flat on my back right now.  I know with having kids...you will be up and out of there quickly.  I was in the hosp 3 days not due to complications or pain, but due to being from out of town and the combination of anesthesia and narcotics causing me breathing/sleep apnea problems.

Try not to be nervous.  You will look back on it 5 days after surgery and be soooo happy and realize that you had nothing to worry about after all.  I am so glad I didnt waste the tears and energy on it.  LOL  I just put it all in Gods hands and pushed all my fears from my mind every time I started to think about it too much.  Easier said than done, I know.

I am healing quickly and doing very well.  I had my post-op appt 6 days out and had my JP drain out then.  It wasnt too bad to care for and deal with at home.  I dont know if your doc sends you home with one...but dont fret it if they do.
My diet was supposed to go something like yours....however, when they saw how good I was doing and
I told them I have had no nausea or vomiting on clear liquids....she moved me along a little quicker.  I am doing:
Clears 6 days
Full Liquids till this weekend
Purees/Soft Foods starting Sunday (11 days post-op)
Introduce regular foods as I feel I can from there

I can drink sooo many things on the full liquid diet like:
Diet V-8 Splash (yum)
Tomato, V-8, or Vegatable Juice
Water
Crystal Lite
Hot Teas Decaf
Skim milk

Now and then I do feel a little bit hungery...so I grab something and within a couple of bites ...I am full again.  Love it!

What I ate yesterday (1 week out) was:
Breakfast......Thinned cream of wheat (10 bites or so) and a Protein Shake
Lunch.............SF Berry Applesauce (1 whole individual tub container)
Dinner............ 1 cup of Tomato soup made with skim milk
Snack...............SF Pudding cup
Snack...............2 frozen SF popsicles
I had lots of water (60 ozs) and 42g of protein. (doc says 40g is plenty for now)

I figured a trick out to get my protein in that I really like.  May not be real cost effective...but I get a ton of protein in...using a small amount of liquid to get the job done. And more importantly it tastes great, too.  LOL

I went to GNC and bought Isopure Chocolate Powder (25g per scoop)...then mixed it with the 11 oz bottle of EAS Myoplex carb control (17g) dutch chocolate from Walmart in a shaker drink container (from GNC).  I drink 6 ounces of it in the morning and 6 ounces of it in the evening.  You can add another scoop and make it a thicker shake and have 67g of protein in a day.  I was told by GNC that if you dont get something like Isopure that is a isolette protein vs the other type (name slipped my mind)....then you arent getting all the protein that you actually need.  You only absorb part of the grams of protein that you think you are taking in with the other types of protein.  I drink some in the morning and some at night because your body can only absorb so much protein at once and the rest is wasted.  I also mixed isopure cookie and cream and myoplex french vanilla.  It is sooo good.  Reminds me of a runny frosty.

The main thing in the beginning is getting all your protein in and then resume water drinking without taking in sooo many ounces that your new tummy wont hold.  Make sence?  I am at 8 days out ...sipping alot more alot faster already.  I dont know why some people say they are having such a hard time getting their water in at 6 months out...though I am sure that I am probably the exception to the rule....because I am surprised that I can drink almost normal already.

As far as baby care.  I change/dress Zach, play with him, sit him on my knee, lay him next to me...but dont lift him up at all.  My DH is off and doing all the lifting.  It's great you have help for at least the first week.  You may want to consider having someone stop over the second week periodically (a neighbor or someone) and have them help you get your little one up in the morning and dressed/fed/changed....and then hang out with you for the day or stop back again a few hours later to help with lifting again.  Geesh, I dont know.  Best idea I have...that is a tough one. 

On Monday....Bill left to go to the store while Zach was napping....sure as shit he woke up right after he pulled out of the driveway and needed to eat.  So I fed him in his crib, changed him in his crib, and then propped him up in a boppy pillow and burped him in his crib.  I then left him propped up to play with his toys in his crib...till Bill could get back home and take him out to play.  It worked in a pinch.  I do believe that by 2-3 weeks out ...I will probably resume lifting him ...even though the doc was pretty adament about nothing over 10 lbs for the first 4 weeks.  Also, if you like to swim ....he gave me the go ahead as soon as my drain plug hole heals over ...as early as 11-14 days post-op.

If anyone has any other questions feel free to message me and I will help as much as I can.  Good Luck to ya! =)

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