Hi,

I'm 3 days post op (my surgery was on Tuesday afternoon). I'm trying to breathe deeply, but I'm finding that deep breaths are quite uncomfortable/a bit painful. Has anyone experienced this? I'm thinking that it must be related to excess gas from the surgery, but I'm not sure.

Thanks for any advice that you might have!

Did you come home with a breathing apparatus, possibly a toy with several tubes you are supposed to breathe into in order to lift up some balls? If so, you should be using that at least a couple of times an hour.Whether you did or not, call the doctor and get checked out. Trouble breathing can be life threatening, or it can be nothing.

Like Lissa stated, you should have been given a spirometer, you should be using it for breathing 10 times an hour or when watching TV 5 times every commercial break. My lungs almost collapsed due to this not being done, the hospital brought it in my room while I was still out of it after surgery and just set it on the side table but never went over using it with me. Even after I came home for 10 days my surgeon had me doing it.

Definitely use the gadget they give you as the ladies said. I have been using mine faithfully and get a little bit of pain when I get to the top of the breathing gadget (right around where my new stomach is), so I just put my hand on my side and it helps while working it.

Use your breathing toy!

Did you get one? Ask for one - I guarantee you were charged for it...if not let me know.

Also concentrate on breathing from under your rib cage...the area just below where your ribs end. extend your tummy out as you breath in...do what you can.

When doing focus breathing it can be very helpful to exhale about one second more than inhailing...

Good luck.

Thank you! I did get a breathing apparatus but I don't think that I was given a goal. Do/did any of you have a certain goal (number) as far as how deep a breath to take? My top is at 2000 right now.

Thanks!

My goal was 2400 which can be a bit tough - I don't make it on most of them, but I get close.

Mine is set on 2000. I'm doing sets of 10 about once per hour.

I didn't have a number but I tried my best to get it to the top. I can say with 100% certainty that you need to use it and that it works to keep your lungs cleared out and functioning. I kept a pillow on my tummy when I used it because I always coughed with it, but had to to get my lungs cleared out.