31st December 2011. 06.44
Morning :)
I'm just been discharged. My driver will pick me up at 7am. Must say I'll miss this adjustable bed. Will definitely need husbands' assistance to get up from vertical in my own bed - feel like I have overdone (by serious amount) stomach crunches and my tummy muscles are complaining (loudly) when I try to use them. I'm in more pain today (kind of like bad period pain but higher up) so I have asked for paracetamol (I'm sipping 4 tsp now); I asked for paracetamol before bed too as I thought I ought (up until then no pain relief had been offered - I'm not sure if that is standard or because I looked so well?? I was only given 2tsp then).
I slept much better than I thought I would (even though next to nurses station) :). No interruptions into my room during then night (no obs taken etc.)
It may be my imagination but I'm sure I can feel 'Geldof' providing restriction already (having to sip the paracetamol very slowly - water goes down much more easily). I guess with 4ml in already, and the swelling my stomach must have right now, that is to be expected).
Can't wait to get home to husband :D
2012 here I come............. :D :D
BeBea xxx
PS I have been brought breakfast - a strawberry muller yogurt and a strawberry smoothie. I'll take them home with me - I cannot eat at this time of the day ordinarily; and definitely not today. I'll stick to the water :)
12.53
I am at home happily propped up on the sofa, hot water bottle comforting my left shoulder, with my feet up :) (bliss). Not terribly good at sitting doing nothing when husband is busy with household chores.... But the tenderness in my tummy is telling me that is what I need to do.
There was a tricky moment when my darling chocolate lab, overjoyed at seeing me, decided to give me a hug (with me in a sitting position he has a liking for walking up my body, putting one leg either side of my neck and then laying down on my tummy and chest :O.
BeBea xx
1st January 2012. 13.26
Hello Everyone :). Happy (slimmer) New Year!
UPDATE:
Pain has lessened today. It is definitely wind pain (I have never really suffered with wind before - how much blooming CO2 did they pump into me??).
I managed to get to my parents' NYE do last night. I was fine once I found a comfortable place to sit but a bit 'out of it' and got thrashed at Trivial Persuit - lol. I was pleased to get back home and into bed :).
I slept okay - I started propped up on pillows but I didn't like that much so ended up flat on my back (pulling myself up with the bed head when I needed a drink - I was a bit pathetic). As others have said sleeping on my side would not have been an option.
I put some waterproof dressings on my wounds (which actually felt very nice) and had a lovely shower (bliss) and washed my hair.
I am not in the least bit hungry but I know I need to eat something because I am starting to get mild acid reflux and waves of nausea, which I am assuming is due to my having nothing but water and a couple of mouthfuls of hot choc since 8pm on 29th. So after my shower I made up some banana and berry smoothy and have managed approx 3tbsp of that with multi-vitamin, vitamin c and anti-histamine tablets crushed up in it. I had to force myself to drink it all (told myself it is medicine).
I have not taken any paracetamol since yesterday. I really don't think it was doing much (or anything) and I suspect it was contributing to the nausea and acid.
BeBea x
2nd January 2012. 11.59
UPDATE 3 DAYS POST OP:
The trapped wind has significantly lessened since yesterday :D. There are a number of things that I think contributed:
1. Time
2. Peppermint oil (washed down with lots of water)
3. Laying flat overnight (I found advice online from a nurse who said being upright causes the gas to bubble upwards - into the shoulder - which is not where we want it to go as there is little chance of it escaping through the shoulder).
Also I managed to sleep much better last night (even slept on my right hand side :) although the left side is still a definite no-no)
I am up and dressed today (even got tights on - it wasn't pretty but they are on - lol) and I have been out for an hour long walk with husband and our puppy. I was walking slower than I am accustomed to but I managed to walk constantly without needing a rest (I could probably have gone on if necessary).
So the indications are very good for my being well enough to get back to work on Wednesday.
BeBea xx
3rd January 2012. 12.30
UPDATE POST-OP DAY 4
Feeling good today.
:) Wind, and accompanying pain, has all but gone.
:) I slept realively well again (and managed some of the night on both left and right sides :D). TIP: instead of a glass of water take a sports bottle of water to bed (that way you don't have to struggle to sit up to drink some in the night :)).
:) walked the dog alone this morning (husband is back at work) in torrential rain and 70MPH winds :O and, even when the dog went to chase a leaf and yanked on the lead, I was okay.
:) have cleaned the house (pushing Hoover was a bit 'ouchy') and bending/stretching was soooo much easier than yesterday.
Not so positives:
:( struggling to eat more than a couple of mouthfuls of anything (due to iron fist feeling). I can manage a little bit more yoghurt if I take my time (half a standard size pot maybe - but that will take a hour to eat).
:( coughing hurts very much (mostly the port scar).
On balance however all is good :D and water goes down no problem at all.
BeBea xx
4th January 2012. 15.53
POST OP DAY 5:
All is good :D
I went to see the nurse at my GP surgery this morning. She removed the waterproof dressings, that I had put over the top of the glue applied by the surgeon, and the wounds are healing wonderfully.
Eating is a little easier too (I asked for advice in the Gastric Band Friends forum as husband was getting very concerned - and the lovely people on there were wonderful :D) and I have watered soups down and eaten small amounts more often.
Wind pain is pretty much gone :) but my tummy is still swollen and tender (I've put 2" on my waist since the op - yet lost 6lbs in weight so I know the inches are down to swelling).
I'm back at work today. Heading north in an hour and lecturing tomorrow then home again (then off again until Monday - hurrah)!
BeBea xx
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