Post-Op

[Guest guest]

Just a post-op note to the list. I had the MGB 5/8/00 and I am doing well.

Had horrible gas pain the day of surgery (post-op) but it subsided in about

8 hours. I was out of the hospital in 24 hours. I have 5 small incisions

on my abdomen that are pink and healed...did have some impressive bruising

for the first 10 post-op days. I am on the Stage One eating phase (juices,

gatorade, lowfat yogurt, watery soups) and occasionaly feel hungry but it

doesn't take much to make it go away. Weight loss

has been 10 pounds. I'm back to work and the every day routines.

Good luck to the Pre-op folks!

Regina

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[Guest guest]

Thanks Joyce,

Moral support is was indeed. Here you are, just a couple of

months ahead of me, and stepping in and out of the shower and not

feeling like a china doll. That's exactly what I need to hear.I

suppose I expected to be stronger, with less " clunking " at 3 weeks.

It truly suprised me to be so weekened in my leg strength and to

have lost so much flexiblility. But you are right, it doesn't feel

like it's gonna fall off any more. It just doesn't want to obey me

yet. And the clunking is a little un-nerving. But such is life when

they destroy your synovial capsule I suppose. I appreciate your input

as always. I'll just mellow out today. Oh yeah, this is my first day

off of Coumadin, so that means I can eat salad again!!!! And

Chocolate too! And I can have more than 1 cup of coffee!! Things are

looking better, I'd say. =)

Clunkstien C+ 4-04

> Hi, -- when I was newly post-op, I remember feeling so

fragile

> and vulnerable (and had the panic thing going) but I didn't know

what

> to ask the Surf Board in order to get support for the pos-op

> experience. Everyone writing seemed so strong and healthy--healing

> away while I was scared and sleepless and panicked. I can tell you

> that your post-op weakness will pass. It seems that week 3 made a

> pretty big difference to me. Not that I wasn't still very mindful

of

> being just out of major surgery, but I was beginning to feel like

my

> leg wouldn't " fall off " or that my incision wouldn't burst into

> flames. I do think the thing that was most helpful to me was

this:

> my body knows itself -- if I stay out of its way. I tried to

listen

> to my body and rest,rest,rest when I was getting the messages that

I

> needed to do that. Also I tried to -- what? -- test things now and

> again: Can I move this way? That way? Is this still sore? Etc.

> Walking was good -- and even there the idea wasn't to prove

> how " unchanged " I was from my once healthy self, but rather to

just

> practice walking without the pain of OA. Notice the difference in

how

> that joint feels now that it's not grinding, etc. I had to work

out

> sleeping issues -- and got help with that. I had to work out the

> panic thing -- and got help with that. I had to gingerly test my

new

> hip to see how it was working. I had to rest a LOT. Jeeze, I

remember

> getting in the shower those first couple of weeks -- boy did that

> make me feel fragile. Now I step into the shower without thought.

I

> expect the recovery to continue like this: one day I realize that

I'm

> again, taking for granted those things which were

> difficult/impossible not long ago. Anyway, buddy, this is

intended

> as moral support. Hang in there -- you will heal. Joyce (Dr

Gross,

> LHR, 2/2/04)

[Guest guest]

Oh, yeah! I'd forgotten about having to give myself an injection of Fragmin

(blood thinner) in the stomach every evening for 2 weeks. AS IF -- as if I

wasn't nudgy enough, I had to use that spring-loaded syringe and that puppy

would sting like heck. I was off of coffee for 6 weeks -- or nearly that. Had

the flippin' heebie-jeebies. (I'm grinning as I write this) Off to mow the

lawn!! How's that for 3 months post-op! Joyce (Dr Gross, LHR, 2/2/04)