Tuesday

[PSRS520 75]

Just got the call w/my surgery time, Tuesday at 7am. What to do now...

[Lawrence Baxter 22]

Just continue your pre-op diet and remember to breath!! I received my dietary tool on Dec. 23rd. The two weeks prior was my time to EDIT my pantry and refiterator. If you have a family and are responsible for OTHER meals, you probably should start preparing for how you want to handle your diet vs. preparing for others. I'm a single guy so it was a bit easier for me. I wish I had stuck with my pre-op diet instead of succombing to my LAST What-a-Burger, Popeye's chicken or Mexican breafast. While I lost weight, I just barely lost the required 10 lbs.

Quite frankly, I enjoyed the 7:30 am call and the period of time prior to going into surgery. The staff can be very good at calming your nerves and they do start a pre-op IV to help the body prepare for surgery. Post surgery was great, too. No pain. That wore off around mid-Afternoon but was manageable. If you are having hiatal hernia, be prepared for a bit more pain [i didn't] due to the repair and the gas that they use to inflate the stomach. GasXX strips should be on hand and take as needed. I did one about every 2-3 hours and it helped. Also, I didn't lie down until that evening. Sitting, walking and do minimal activities. My niece had her's 2 years ago. She started dusting after her procedure. I did dishes and then a minimal rearragement of one the shelves in the utility room.

Most of all...make it a celebration of what is to come. You are taking a great, first step and the medical staff are really there to make it happen. Be realistic...it will feel lilke someone punched you in the stomach but they will give you a perscription for pain. I barely used 1/4 of the liquid Tylenol.

The strangest thing is that you will begin to feel liquid hitting the bottom of your stomach about 5 minutes after taking sips [or when the operating meds wear off] of Water. The craziest thing is I LOST my appeetite on Dec. 23rd and I still don't have it. The biggest thing I have to learn is that a full stomach trumps an empty plate.

Good luck!