hi guys, as usual i am very scared. my urine is a little dark (dehydration) i know i am trying to drink as much as possible.I am only 2 days out, i dont know if what im feeling is pain or nausea. my entry sites on my stomach are sore, all 6 of them. some portions of my belly are swollen. tomorrow is my first full day home. can i drink vitamin water and special K and ensure? plus can i take my vitamins? please help i am really scared thnx

Congratulations on your surgery!

It can be overwhelming, but I'm sure you're doing fine. Trust your instincts, but you will be sore for a few days. Your first thing should be to check your discharge instructions or paperwork your doctor gave you regarding what stage of diet you are on.

Are you on Full liquids or Clear Liquids? If you are on clear, stay away from the creamy shakes for now. Stick with Water, Vitamin Water Zero, tea, broth. If you are on full liquids the shakes are fine. You may want to try to find a shake you like with a higher whey Protein content, so you're getting the most out of what you are taking in.

A heating pad helped me with some discomfort as well as warm liquids.

Unless your doctor told you it was ok to swallow pills whole, you should be taking chewable Vitamins.

Do your best with the liquids, you don't want to get dehydrated.

Good luck!!

thanks im just scared

Most everything you say is going on with you is normal and I can tell you it only gets better from here just stay on your plan sip sip sip and walk walk walk that will help you a lot !!! good luck and welcome to the other side .

What you're describing is normal just a couple days post-op. Are you still on an IV? If you are you don't need to be worried about dehydration just yet. The color of your urine might also be a reflection of the medications they are giving you in the hospital- like heparin for clot prevention.

When you get home, Vitamin Water Zero would be OK, but I would stay away from Special K or Ensure- they are too high in sugar. Try making your own shakes with greek yogurt, milk, and Protein powder with some flavored sugar free syrup or splenda. Good luck, sounds like you are doing OK.

-Kendra

thanks everyone i really appreciate all your kind words. i actually got released today so now i am home. no more I.V. also they didn't prescribe me any heparin or Lovenox. i thought that was weird. i thought we all need it to prevent clots?!?!? all they gave me was oxycodone for pain and Omeprazole to prevent stomach ulcers. that's all i am doing now. sipping and taking meds. i am also walking a bit and doing my stairs. it's very hard for me to distinguish pain from the surgery and pain from nausea. any tips??

so tomorrow is my 1st full day home from the surgery/hospital. so tomorrow i can start taking all my vitamins, correct?? also can i start making my own protein shakes at home? 25grams of protein with water?? also can i have SF popsicles tomorrow??? thanks again.

Congrats on your surgery!!! And yes it all can be overwhelming... as far as the pain and nausea, the nausea will subside quickly. It's either because of the anesthesia or the gas. I actually dry heaved the day after surgery, talk about being in pain!!! But I don't do well on anesthesia. The pain will subside with time. I'm 3 weeks out and still experiencing some abdominal pain but everyday gets better :-).

And follow your doc's instructions in regards to what to eat. If they allow full liquids right away go for it! If not stick to clear liquids.

And yes your urine will be dark for a few days. Due to the medicine, and lack of fluids but don't be too alarmed about it. It'll all get better with time and don't push too hard. Congrats!! You're well on your way!

thanks everyone i really appreciate all your kind words. i actually got released today so now i am home. no more I.V. also they didn't prescribe me any heparin or Lovenox. i thought that was weird. i thought we all need it to prevent clots?!?!? all they gave me was oxycodone for pain and Omeprazole to prevent stomach ulcers. that's all i am doing now. sipping and taking meds. i am also walking a bit and doing my stairs. it's very hard for me to distinguish pain from the surgery and pain from nausea. any tips??

so tomorrow is my 1st full day home from the surgery/hospital. so tomorrow i can start taking all my vitamins' date=' correct?? also can i start making my own Protein shakes at home? 25grams of protein with Water?? also can i have SF popsicles tomorrow??? thanks again.[/quote']

Vitamins yes, SF popsicles yes. Protein Shakes, not sure. My Dr. Required a full week clear liquids before starting full liquids. Did your Dr. send you home with a list of to dos/not to dos? I was given a week by week plan to follow from mine. As far as food your surgeon's plan would have more directions as each of us seems to have different instructions depending on the Dr.

how long do i have to worry about blood clots??? 1 day, 1 week, 1 month? it didn't say. so much material you know? kind of scary

I was given heprin in the hospital before and after surgery, and was not given anything to take at home. Walking helps prevent blood clots too, so it's another good reason to move as much as possible. There is not too much rhyme or reason to when you can get blood clots, I've heard of them happening right away and even weeks out. Try not to worry too much about that. If you find yourself getting anxious about it, call the surgeons office and ask them what you should be concerned with.