So I have a problem. I caught a cold after surgery and this is the absolute worst. I was sleeved at MBC on 12/13/17 and the surgery couldn't have gone any better. Not a lot of post op pain. Tolerating liquids great. My puncture sites look awesome. That is until post-op day 4. I woke up to a sore throat. I didn't put much thought into it because I was intubated a few days earlier. On my travel day back home, more of the cold symptoms started to emerge except a fever. Aches and pains in the joints, general malaise, you know. Travel back home wasnt that bad. We had elected to upgrade to 1st class just so I would be the most comfortable. Once we got home and settled, the next day I opted to go be seen by a provider. Typically I would NEVER go see a doc because of a cold. Chest xray was fine and ended up with an albuterol inhaler and some codine cough syrup.

The biggest problem I am having is the pain in my belly from coughing. I'm trying to splint it when I have to cough but it isn't helping. Any tips or tricks that y'all might have for me.

-Thanks

I can sympathize. Your incision points are very painful when you cough. I did a quick search on the internet for natural cough suppressants. Here is a link. https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/best-natural-cough-remedies

In reading down the list I came across probiotics as one of the recommendations. While in the hospital, many patients are given antibiotics to kill any potential infections. The antibiotics will not only kill the bad bacteria but also the good bacteria in your gut. When you get home, it is important after surgery to take probiotics to restore these colonies of good gut bacteria.

I have tried several other of these natural remedies over the years, and many have merit.