2 days post op / my story in a nutshell

[chunkydunk]

well I am 54 year old female, who has struggled weight loss since marriage. its the one thing I loved doing for him, baking and cooking. ohhhh if i could do all that over again, He never gained but I sure did. and I must say he was never upset with me or my weight. he was so smart, he always said do it for you , I love they way you are. I have had invitro fertilization and gained even more with the meds I was on and the laying around. Well finally Aug 4 was that date. I just hate myself heavy, I have done every diet known to man. some successful some not so much. I am a registered nurse in an icu/ stepdown floor. I kept this a secret except for a very few up until the day I went to surgery. My sister Dee and my husband were my rocks, they and only them knew. so I thought. when I started losing the weight necessary to be approved for the surgery, my coworkers started asking did you have lap band. some even said that i DID have it... lol my only reason for the secrecy WAS I had made up my mind and didnt want any of the comments to be negative. it worked, I was a bit anxious about having it kinda alone, but I wont be alone when I return to work.
So here I am sitting at my computer 2 days post operative and foggy, groggy and very much in pain, by belly is literally 50 shades of purple !! i will attach another date lol I am forcing myself to take sips of water, scared im going to get dehydrated, and I will..... but the water actually hurts going down my gut, and chest. like a spasm. Dr told me that will go away, sure hope so.I am shocked when I read other people write what they are drinking 2 days out. please offer information or suggestions or brands that you like, and how do we keep from getting constipated in this endevor lol ~~Ill keep you all posted, please do the same !! Kel

[JennD]

Ah yes, the first few days is VERY challenging! It will get much better with swallowing. Right now you are full of gas, so please make sure you do keep walking and sipping. I found that if I felt very dehydrated, then I would suck on a popsicle and that seemed to help a lot. I still have a little trouble with water but I can do better with other liquids. It's just amazing how each day that goes by does seem to be just a little better. Good luck and keep sipping! If you have pain meds, I would suggest to keep taking them as prescribed.

[kenziesmom_2000]

first of all i want to say how happy i am for you that you have such a loving supportive husband -- they are hard to come by....

as far as the sonstipation thing goes.... well... maybe tmi, but i used to be very regular. went everyday around the same time. now i only go every few days and it isnt always easy. part of the problem is that we have to focus so much on protein that it is hard to get in the fiber to keep everything moving. ask your dr but a lot of them reccomend miralax.

first couple of days sucked! lol but it DOES get better. when you drink, take tiny tiny sips and dont drink ice water. cold mouth fulls will hurt. make sure you get up and walk (even tho your belly hurts) as much as possible to help with gas. i had the same fear of being dehydrated. when i was allowed to add thicker liquids i started drinking premier protein drinks. the chocolate is actually really good - no bad after taste. also added unflavored unjury protein powder to creamy soups (strained soup - no chunks). just be careful that the soup isnt too hot cuz sleeves dont like the hot and it makes the protein powder clump. you can only take in a couple ounces at a time so drinking the shakes and soups seems to take forever... just keep at it ... remember tiny tiny sips and it wont hurt so much. you can do this and it will be so worth it. you feel like yourself again soon i promise ...

[Froo72]

Miralax Miralax Miralax. You can mix it with any liquid, hot or cold, and if you stir it up till it's completely dissolved, you'll never know it's there. It's gentle, non-bloating, and effective for mild to major constipation.

[llburbach]

I am a nurse too!! I do labor and delivery. I could not imagine going back to work so soon. You are a beast! I ended up taking three weeks off to adjust to eating and drinking as well as gaining more strength. There were days I felt weak as a kitten. Lol

I wish you the very best!!

Laura