Tips and things you wish you would've known

[Olive22 13]

Hello all!

I am very excited to say that I am just over a week away from my surgery date of January 16th. I am very excited and feel like I have everything planned out and bought for after my surgery. I was just wondering if anyone could provide any tips or wisdom they had learned the first few weeks after surgery that could be helpful for me. I also would love to hear anything about things you wish you would've known or things that you experienced that people don't talk much about.

Thanks in advance! I look forward to hearing from all of you!

Edited January 7, 2019 by Olive22

[FluffyChix 17,410]

Welcome and congrats.

1. Read this forum. Use the search bar. So much info and so many tips.

2. Drink your liquids.

3. Walk.

[Ed_NW 684]

After the surgery and for the first few weeks you will be on liquids. I was a huge Water drinker and the transition from chugging liquids to sipping little NyQuil cup sized portions was tough. In the hospital, the nurses kept telling me I was doing it all wrong. I was thinking it was a challenge to see how much I could drink. They had me charting my water consumption not to see if I was taking in large amounts but to see if I was doing it at the pace they had set for me. The one thing I was doing right was walking as much as possible. I have always been able to do things in extreme measures but it's the moderation part I have to work on. Good luck with your surgery next week. I hope it is as successful as mine was.

[CyndieRI 251]

Don’t bring an underwire bra to wear home! I wish someone had told me that - lol! Pain killers can make you constipated so don’t use them unless you REALLY need them. A friend told me that one because she took them and got impacted. Let’s just say that was something I did NOT want to experience! And walk ASAP after surgery. It is the best thing for the gas pain!! Good luck!!!

[notmyname 591]

If you get constipated - stay on top of it. I'd never been before, so I didn't really think about how bad it would be after not going for over a week. And it was bad. Most painful thing I'd had after the first day after surgery.

Think about how your brain works and work with it to make sure you get your liquids/proteins/walking/breathing in. I like logs, etc. So to stay on track, I had a google doc that had a chart on it. It had a space for my required medications, A food/liquid log (time, what I had, how many oz Fluid, how much protein), a place to log my exercise (in the beginning, the # of laps around my bunch of townhomes, how many minutes), a place to log my breathing exercises, and a place for notes. I kept this up for about 2 months. I was also tracking my food in Sparkpeople. Now I just track food/liquids/exercise in Sparkpeople. But, this doesn't work for everyone. Maybe you just need checkboxes or something. Really think about how your brain works to best track your needs. It made me feel better to see that I was getting a bit extra liquid/protein/exercise each day, even when I felt like I was woefully low.

[sillykitty 10,707]

Don't over buy food and supplies. You will eat so little! I threw out or gave away 80% of what I bought presurgery.

[Recidivist 1,141]

Thanks all for these tips. My surgery is in February and I find these quite useful. I'm so grateful to have found this forum, because I'm learning so much more than my doctor has told me!

[Olive22 13]

4 hours ago, CyndieRI said:

Don’t bring an underwire bra to wear home! I wish someone had told me that - lol! Pain killers can make you constipated so don’t use them unless you REALLY need them. A friend told me that one because she took them and got impacted. Let’s just say that was something I did NOT want to experience! And walk ASAP after surgery. It is the best thing for the gas pain!! Good luck!!!

Very helpful, thank you! I was wondering about what I'd wear home. I will definitely make sure a nice sports bra is in hand lol

[Olive22 13]

4 hours ago, Ed_NW said:

After the surgery and for the first few weeks you will be on liquids. I was a huge Water drinker and the transition from chugging liquids to sipping little NyQuil cup sized portions was tough. In the hospital, the nurses kept telling me I was doing it all wrong. I was thinking it was a challenge to see how much I could drink. They had me charting my Water consumption not to see if I was taking in large amounts but to see if I was doing it at the pace they had set for me. The one thing I was doing right was walking as much as possible. I have always been able to do things in extreme measures but it's the moderation part I have to work on. Good luck with your surgery next week. I hope it is as successful as mine was.

Thanks for the advice! I think I may have troubles with slowing down to a sipping pace as well due to the fact that I drink so much water during the day now.

[Olive22 13]

3 hours ago, notmyname said:

If you get constipated - stay on top of it. I'd never been before, so I didn't really think about how bad it would be after not going for over a week. And it was bad. Most painful thing I'd had after the first day after surgery.

Think about how your brain works and work with it to make sure you get your liquids/proteins/walking/breathing in. I like logs, etc. So to stay on track, I had a google doc that had a chart on it. It had a space for my required medications, A food/liquid log (time, what I had, how many oz Fluid, how much protein), a place to log my exercise (in the beginning, the # of laps around my bunch of townhomes, how many minutes), a place to log my breathing exercises, and a place for notes. I kept this up for about 2 months. I was also tracking my food in Sparkpeople. Now I just track food/liquids/exercise in Sparkpeople. But, this doesn't work for everyone. Maybe you just need checkboxes or something. Really think about how your brain works to best track your needs. It made me feel better to see that I was getting a bit extra liquid/protein/exercise each day, even when I felt like I was woefully low.

I'm definitely a spreadsheet person, so I think I may take your advice and start a spreadsheet to track everything. Thanks!

[notmyname 591]

Just now, Olive22 said:

Very helpful, thank you! I was wondering about what I'd wear home. I will definitely make sure a nice sports bra is in hand lol

I wore a mumu home. No bra. Just my $12 cheap ass night shirt that came about to my knees and a jacket. And bring a pillow or something to put under the seatbelt - it can get tight on the incisions (although my hospital gave me a pillow for this purpose).

[Olive22 13]

54 minutes ago, sillykitty said:

Don't over buy food and supplies. You will eat so little! I threw out or gave away 80% of what I bought presurgery.

Very good advice! I haven't bought too much for afterward (other than Protein Shakes, liquid type items). I was worried that I wouldn't use or buy to much so I figured I'd buy as I go.

Your stats are amazing! We are pretty close stat wise. What was your weight loss progress like if you don't mind me asking (month by month wise)? It looks like you reached and exceeded your goal within about 10 months or so! I hope to be that lucky!

[Olive22 13]

5 hours ago, FluffyChix said:

Welcome and congrats.

1. Read this forum. Use the search bar. So much info and so many tips.

2. Drink your liquids.

3. Walk.

Thanks for the advice, I've been going through this forum so much the last couple of months, but I still feel like I am learning so much!

Your stats are amazing! Congrats on reaching your goal. I hope to be as lucky as you!

[sillykitty 10,707]

10 minutes ago, Olive22 said:

Very good advice! I haven't bought too much for afterward (other than Protein Shakes, liquid type items). I was worried that I wouldn't use or buy to much so I figured I'd buy as I go.

Your stats are amazing! We are pretty close stat wise. What was your weight loss progress like if you don't mind me asking (month by month wise)? It looks like you reached and exceeded your goal within about 10 months or so! I hope to be that lucky!

Thanks!

Here you go

Month 1	-17.8
Month 2	-16.2
Month 3	-14.2
Month 4	-8.4
Month 5	-12.6
Month 6	-9.4
Month 7	-12.2
Month 8	+2.8
Month 9	-10
Month 10	-6.4

[GermanShepherdMama 145]

The constipation! Ugh. I unfortunately had to go to the ER due to painkiller induced Constipation. It was terrible and embarrassing. I was only advised to take two 100mg capsules of Colace after surgery but that did NOT help me. They had to give me an enema in one of the ER rooms while I sat on a bedside commode. I apologized over and over to the nurse but she and her assistant were angels about it.

I have found that milk of magnesia and Miramax powder are the best, man!

In other words, stay ahead of the constipation. It sucks balls.