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NewMeBy50

Day 5 - Tips For Successful Surgery & Beyond

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A couple of folks have asked me what my tips are for having a successful surgery & after, so I thought I'd write them out here. (As usual, my disclaimer is that I can only share my own experience. Every one of us is unique, so what may have worked/works for me, might not for you.)

PRE-OP
1) Follow your doc/nut's pre-op diet!
I was instructed to have only clear liquids the two days prior to my surgery so I had water, hot tea, broth from wonton soup (but none of the wontons, etc.), veggie/chicken/beef broth, and sugar-free popsicles.

2) Stop drinking all carbonated beverages - beer and soda!
This will just help you feel better. And it prepares you for NOT drinking carbonated items after surgery which is a huge "no no"! (You'll stretch your stomach!)

3) To ease your worry, get your post-op needed items before you have your surgery. In summary, here's a list of the items I had on hand:
- 4"x4" gauze (so you can change your surgery dressings if needed)
- paper tape (to hold your gauze)
- liquid fast-acting Tylenol (in case you don't tolerate the doc's prescribed pain meds)
- IsoPure protein drinks
- decaf hot tea
- sugar-free popsicles
- sugar-free Jello
- toilet paper
- heating pad

SURGERY & HOSPITAL STAY
4) During surgery, the doc will pump carbon dioxide into your abdomen which gives the doc(s) room to maneuver. S/he will try to remove it all at the end of surgery; however, some may remain. The CO2 will move up inside your body and may cause pain in various places. Mine was in my left shoulder blade. Your nurses should offer you a heat pack to place on the pain area. If they don't offer you any, ask them!!! A good idea is to have a heating pad at home in case the pain doesn't go away quickly. Mine disappeared after 24 hours of surgery. But, I've heard of it lasting for weeks sometimes.

5) As soon as you can possibly stand it after surgery, start walking and take numerous walks.
Walking helps in numerous ways: gets your blood circulating and helps prevent blood clots and gets the CO2 dispersing throughout your body so it disappears. At first I had to have a nurse with me and I had to have my IV cart with me, also. But don't worry about "inconveniencing" the nursing staff because they need to go for a walk with you every hour or two. They are there to help you! My surgery was at 9am and I took my first walk at 5pm. Then the following day I was able to walk without nursing help and went every 1.5 hours. This also helped show the nursing staff that I was progressing and ready to go home! I got discharged at 2pm the day after my surgery.

POST-OP
6) Protein, protein, protein! After surgery, getting enough protein every day will help you heal and feel better. My doc recommends 60 grams of protein per day. The best protein drink I've found is IsoPure. It has no carbs, no aspartame, is clear not creamy, and tastes good. Each bottle has 40 grams of protein. My doc recommends drinking 1 to 1.5 bottles one ounce at a time each day after surgery for the first week. I found IsoPure at Vitamin Shoppe, or you can get it online (something to do pre-op).

7) Listen to your body. If you're tired, take a nap! If you're restless, take a walk - even if it's just inside your home! Just remember that you've had major surgery and you need to be good to yourself.

8) Sip on water constantly. You just can't get enough.

Those are my tips for today! :-)

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Comments

  1. alyson1975's Avatar
    Can i ask how long was it b4 u was off the post liquid stage and starting on soft mush lol x
  2. Nick Nic's Avatar
    Love it! I copy and pasted it and will print it out to look at when I am not at a computer. Thank you for the info!! #LastFatSummer!
  3. NewMeBy50's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by alyson1975
    Can i ask how long was it b4 u was off the post liquid stage and starting on soft mush lol x
    Alyson1975 - I'm still on clear liquids. My surgery was on Monday (7/14) and my first follow-up appt. with my doc is next Wednesday (7/23) at which time I'll transition to soft foods.
  4. NewMeBy50's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Nick Nic
    Love it! I copy and pasted it and will print it out to look at when I am not at a computer. Thank you for the info!! #LastFatSummer!
    Cool! Glad my experience can help others!
  5. Mvanjames's Avatar
    I'd add gas x strips to the meds list. It was a life saver for me. Otherwise this is a great & informative post.
  6. Iamageek's Avatar
    Isopure has sucralose which is Splenda for those like me who cannot tolerate any of the artificial sweeteners.
  7. NewMeBy50's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Mvanjames
    I'd add gas x strips to the meds list. It was a life saver for me. Otherwise this is a great & informative post.
    GasX is a great suggested addition! As are Metamucil and Colace. :-)
  8. NewMeBy50's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Iamageek
    Isopure has sucralose which is Splenda for those like me who cannot tolerate any of the artificial sweeteners.
    That's unfortunate. I was actually given IsoPure in the hospital after surgery. What is your doc/nut recommending you do for protein immediately post-surgery?